Director of the Office of Management and Budget Remarks at the Swearing In of James T. McIntyre, Jr.

First of all, I want to thank Fritz and Jim for holding the crowd together 'til I could get here. [Laughter]

This is a good day in the life of the Carter administration and the Federal Government and the United States of America. I doubt that there's anyone in the administration whom I know better and whom I admire more than Jim Mcintyre.

He is something of an anomaly in the Carter administration, and that is that he's well qualified in the job that he holds. [Laughter] He is a professional. In his training and his background, his life's commitment is to the specific duties that he will be performing for the people of our country. He's a man of superb educational background and experience, complete integrity and total dedication. And I'm very grateful that he is here to represent the people of our country in such a superb way.

Jim is a man who knows me well. He has helped to evolve my own attitude toward government administration. He's been involved in our successes and our failures. We've learned through this experience. And when Jim Mcintyre speaks to the heads of the Federal agencies in the preparation of the budget, they know that he speaks as though it were my own voice. And when he deals with the Congress to present testimony and evidence and opinion, there will be no doubt that he speaks with the voice of the President.

It's reassuring to me in the challenging job that I have to be supported by and advised by a man of this caliber and this quality. And I'm very grateful to him for being willing to serve our country in such a way.

Jim, thank you.