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# lerence on Foreign and Domestic Matters![The New York Times/Teresa Zabala]cutive Office Buiding in Washingtonthe impropriety or the illegality does not exist on any ongoing C.I.A. opera-tion.8. Problems With CongressQ. Mr. President, Charles Kirbo, your friend Charles Kirbo seems to feel that you're going to be having a continuing problem with the Congress and that you'll have to go over Congress's head. to the people in order to get results. Is this true?A. I think if you read the whole statement that Mr. Kirbo made, which is just a private citizen's opinion, he would say that every President has had arguments and debates and disagreements with the Congress. And I think that's inevitable in our system of Government. That's part of the checks and balances that's very precious to us all. I have found up to now a growing sense of cooperation with the Congress. I think last week when I was asked roughly the same question that the troubles were perhaps underestimated by the news media. I think now perhaps the troubles with the Congress are overestimated. I have frequent meetings with the Congressional leaders both Democratic and Republican. And I think that the progress of the legislation that we consider to be crucial which seemed to be moving very slowly in the past is now speeding up. So I don't believe that we'll have nearly the problems with the Congress that has been the case in recent years. And I have to say in summary that I am very pleased with my relationship with the Congress now.9. The Election ProcessQ. Mr. President, in view of your assignment to Vice President Mondale regarding the election laws, could you give us your view, sir, on the directBut I will work with Congress on the deregulation of natural gas as a part of an overall energy policy. By April 20 I think we'll be prepared to present to you, the news media, and the people and the Congress more specific proposals involving direct legislation proposals that will answer your question more fully.13. Energy Program Sacrifices.Q. Mr. President, we've been told that the central thrust of your new energy program will involve sacrifice and voluntary conservation, yet the public's. always reading stories in the paper of how the major oil companies are withholding natural gas. So I'd like to ask how are you going to expect the public to make sacrifices when there's such widespread public suspicion about the role of the oil companies in the energy crisis.A. I think the comprehensive nature of the proposal that takes in all these very disparate and sometimes conflicting elements at one time and a long-range projection of our needs and a tangible demonstration to the American people, to the extent that I'm able to put it forward, that there will be direct ultimate benefits to them will be the elements that will cause them to make those sacrifices. At the same time, I want to increase the surety that we have that the reserve supply data given to us by the oil companies and others are accurate.We are now conducting some admittedly superficial studies by Secretacy Cecil Andrus in Interior and also they'll be followed up by more detailed studies under Dr. Schlesinger, to see whether or not the reserve supplies are adequate and whether or not the oil companies are giving us accurate data. I think it's obvious to all of us that there are some instances where natural gas is withheld from the market. That's understandable. If I was running an oil company I would reserve the right to release or to reserve some supplies of natural gas.With the emergency legislation that the Congress did pass, I think in about a week of assessment during the frigid part of the winter-it's still very cold-we were given some authority to buy extra gas at a very high price. This is obviously a transcient circumstance.But I believe the American people will be willing to make, the sacrifices required, if they are convinced that future reports will be accurate, that supplies will not be withheld from the market and if we can let the oil companies know in a predictable way what our policy will be two months or two years or 20 years in the future-within the bounds of human reason-then I think they'll be much less likely to withhold supplies of oil and natural. gas from the market just hoping that they'll get sonte bonanza increased. price in the future if the policies do change.14. Rise in Gasoline TaxQ. Another question, sir, on the sacrifices that you say your upcoming energy program is going to demand. Is it likely that one of those sacrifices, is going to come in the form of a largely increased Federal gasoline tax?A. I don't know how to answer vourwas a waste. You also promised to cut the waste out of the defense budget, When would you expect to stop production of the B-1 as opposed to research and development on the B-1?A. I think I cut out about more than $200 million from the B-1 program in the budget just submitted to the Congress. I have serious questions about whether or not the B-1 ought to be in the future the center of our airborne defense capability.have several more months before I have to make a decision on that matter and the National Security Council, which combines, as you know, State, Treasury, Defense and other elements of the Government, working very closer: ly with me, is now making a complete reassessment of the need for the B-1 bomber.I don't know whether we will decide to go on with it or not. And I don't know whether we'll expedite production of it or not, at this time.Part of the factor to be assessed is the attitude of the Soviet Union. If we can have a general lessening of tension, a demonstrated commitment on their part toward disarmament, it would certainly make it less likely that we would go ahead with the B-1.But I can't answer that question until I complete my own study, and I think that would have to be terminated by the end of May.18. Campaign Financing Law..Q. Mr. President, I was a little unclear about what you're going to propose in the campaign finance law. Are you saying that you will propose to have all Congressional elections publicly financed? A. That's my preference, yes.Q. Is that what you will propose to Congress? A. The Vice President is now doing a study on a complete election law package. And I'd like to reserve my own judgment until I see what his report is to me. But that's my own inclination. It's a position that I took during the campaign and so far. I have no reason to change my mind.19. Foreign Policy TurntableQ. You gave us a kind of a timetable for your domestic program in your preliminary statement. I wonder if you have a similar timetable of what you hope to achieve in foreign policy between now and the end of the year, such as Middle East peace, Cyprus, the treaty with Panama.A. Of course I can't answer that question specifically because I don't know what cooperation we will get from other nations and I don't know what the inclination of those nations in disputed regions of the world want to do toward one another.Secretary Cyrus Vance has just,returned from what I consider to be a very successful trip to the Middle East. He not only probed with the heads of those Governments and their Cabinet, members their own positions, both public and private on the controversial, issues that have so far prevented al peace in the Middle East. He also had a chance to compare their positions on issues-which ones they found to be in harmony, which ones there was