Easy NixonAbout

Conversation: 083-003

Prev:  083-001 Next: 083-004

Start Date: 16-Nov-1971 12:00 AM

End Date: 16-Nov-1971 10:15 AM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Connally, John B.Rumsfeld, Donald H.Scott, HughGriffin, Robert P.Dominick, Peter H.Ford, Gerald R.Arends, Leslie C.Anderson, John B.Devine, Samuel L.Poff, Richard H.Rhodes, John J.Wilson, Robert C. ("Bob")Smith, H. AllenDole, Robert J.Ehrlichman, John D.Shultz, George P.MacGregor, ClarkDent, Harry S.Timmons, William E.Cook, Richard K.Cowen, Eugene S.Buchanan, Patrick J.Ziegler, Ronald L.

Recording Device: Cabinet Room

083a.mp3

083b.mp3

NARA Description:

On November 16, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, John B. Connally, Donald H. Rumsfeld, and Republican Congressional leaders, including Hugh Scott, Robert P. Griffin, Peter H. Dominick, Gerald R. Ford, Leslie C. Arends, John B. Anderson, Samuel L. Devine, Richard H. Poff, John J. Rhodes, Robert C. ("Bob") Wilson, H. Allen Smith, Robert J. Dole, John D. Ehrlichman, George P. Shultz, Clark MacGregor, Harry S. Dent, William E. Timmons, Richard K. Cook, Eugene S. Cowen, Patrick J. Buchanan, and Ronald L. Ziegler, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 12:00 am and 10:15 am. The Cabinet Room taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 083-003 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 83-3

Date: November 16, 1971
Time: Unknown between 12:00 am and 10:15 am
Location: Cabinet Room

John B. Connally met with Donald H. Rumsfeld, Hugh Scott, Robert P. Griffin, Peter H.
Dominick, Gerald R. Ford, Leslie C. Arends, John B. Anderson, Samuel L. Devine, Richard H.
Poff, John J. Rhodes, Robert C. (“Bob”) Wilson, H. Allen Smith, Robert J. Dole, John D.
Ehrlichman, George P. Shultz, Clark MacGregor, Harry S. Dent, William E. Timmons, Richard
K. Cook, Eugene S. Cowen, Patrick J. Buchanan, and Ronald L. Ziegler

     [General conversation/Unintelligible]

The President entered at 8:07 am

     Agenda
         -Rumsfeld
         -Connally
                                        5

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                  (rev. 10/08)




National Economy
     -The President’s program of wage and price control
          -Pay Board, Price Commission, and Cost of Living Council
                -Activities
                -Applicability of controls
          -Enforcement
                -Freeze
                -Internal Revenue Service [IRS]
          -Effect and role
                -Jobs
                -International context
                -Fiscal and monetary policy
          -Public certainty
          -Government activism
          -Congressional relations
          -Pending legislation
                -Democratic leadership
                -Public uncertainty
          -Price Commission
                -Guidelines
                      -Aggregate
                      -Business costs and productivity
                      -IRS
                      -Profits and profit margins
                            -The President’s previous statement in Detroit
          -Pay Board
                -Union members
                      -American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations
                            [AFL-CIO]
                -Non-union workers, independent unions
                -Retroactivity
                -Future wages and contracts
                -George Meany and [Forename unknown] Neagle [sp?]
                -Previous union contracts
          -Price Commission
                -Effect on inflation
          -Contrasted with total control
                -Enforcement
          -Pay Board
                -Bellwether unions
                -Consumer Price Index [CPI]
                                   6

               NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                          Tape Subject Log
                            (rev. 10/08)



      -Phase I
            -Wholesale Price Index
      -Canadian experience
      -Effect of public support
      -Inflation
            -Budget restraint
            -Productivity
      -Businessmen
            -Complaints
      -Labor participation
            -Meany
            -Korean War experience
      -Temporary program
      -Fiscal and monetary policy
      -Productivity
-The President’s previous press conference
      -Stock market
-Situation in 1968
      -Compared to present situation
-Current situation
      -Vietnam War
      -Inflation
      -Unemployment
      -Investment
-The President’s program
      -Duration
            -Inflation rate
      -Democrats
            -Harry F. Byrd, Jr.
-Stock market
      -Margin requirements
      -Prospects
            -The President’s meeting, November 15, with George E. Allen
-Pending legislation
      -Economic Stabilization Act
            -Votes in House of Representatives’ Banking Committee
                  -Minish Amendment
                  -Patman Amendment
                  -Annunzio Amendment
                  -Hanna Amendment
            -Forthcoming Senate action
                  -Amendments
                                              7

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/08)



                          -Tax Bill
                          -Committee’s actions
                                -John G. Tower
                -Revenue Act
                     -Senate Finance Committee’s actions
                          -Republican members
                     -Amendments
                          -Tax credit for higher education
                          -American Depositary Receipt [ADR]
                     -Birch E. Bayh, Jr.’s actions
                          -Clifford P. Case’s vote
                     -Business community
                          -New Jersey
                          -ADR
                     -Timing of forthcoming Senate vote
                          -ADR
                          -Ralph Nader
                     -Democratic Senators
                          -John C. Stennis
                          -Constituents
                     -Charles H. Percy
                     -Importance
                          -Passage
                          -Benefits
                          -Pay Board and Price Commission

     United States’ foreign trade
          -Possible speeches by congressmen


******************************************************************************

     Trade negotiations with Japan, Philippines

[To listen to the segment (4m52s) declassified on 02/28/2002, please refer to RC# E-567.]

******************************************************************************


     US foreign trade
          -Protectionism
          -The President’s program
                                               8

                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/08)



                -Distribution to Congress
           -The President’s speech to Congress
           -Role of Congressional leaders
           -Negotiations with foreign powers
           -Possible speeches by congressmen
                -Foreign aid
                -Deficit figures
                -Possible audiences
           -The President’s program
                -Editorials in the New York Times, Washington Post, and Newsweek
                      -Audience
           -The President’s previous speech in New York, November 9
                -The President’s previous speech in Chicago, November 9
                -Audience
                      -Trade concerns with Europe, Japan
                      -Gold prices
           -Monetary and fiscal policies
           -Trade deficit figures
           -Negotiations


******************************************************************************

     Trade negotiations

[To listen to the segment (55s) declassified on 02/28/2002, please refer to RC# E-567.]

******************************************************************************


                -Import surcharge
                -Price of gold
           -Convertability
           -The President’s role
                -Democrats’ possible legislation
           -Negotiations
                                               9

                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/08)



******************************************************************************

     India-Pakistan, Indira Gandhi

[To listen to the segment (1m33s) declassified on 02/28/2002, please refer to RC# E-567.]

******************************************************************************


     National Economy
          -Importance to foreign relations
          -Foreign aid
          -Defense of free world
          -Foreign trade
               -Terms
               -Comparative importance
          -US economic wealth

     United States’ foreign trade
          -Negotiations
                -Import surcharge
                -Democrats’ possible charges
                -Trade deficits


******************************************************************************

     Foreign trade relations

[To listen to the segment (14s) declassified on 02/28/2002, please refer to RC# E-567.]

******************************************************************************


           -Negotiations
               -Possible Democratic criticism
               -Possible speeches by congressmen
                      -Surcharge
               -Previous State Department efforts
               -Other nations’ positions
               -Scott’s conversations with foreigners
                                               10

                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/08)




******************************************************************************

     Foreign economies

[To listen to the segment (58s) declassified on 02/28/2002, please refer to RC# E-567.]

******************************************************************************


           -The President’s policy
                -Criticism

     Democratic Congressmen
         -Stennis
         -Ford and House Republicans
         -Possible criticism of the President’s trade policy

     United States’ foreign trade
          -Meany’s criticism
          -Effect of the President’s domestic economic program

     National economy
          -Rumsfeld
          -The President’s program
                -Prices
                -Jobs
                -International concerns
          -Wage and price controls
                -Popularity

     Supreme Court
          -Confirmation of the President’s nominees
               -Scott’s conversation with Michael J. (“Mike”) Mansfield
               -Bayh
               -Edward M. (“Ted”) Kennedy
               -Griffin
               -Delay
                     -Effect
                          -Warren E. Burger’s view
               -Ideology
                     -Joseph L. Rauh, Jr.’s views of William H. Rehnquist
                                        11

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                  (rev. 10/08)



                -William O. Douglas
                -William J. Brennan, Jr.
                -Hugo L. Black
                -Felix Frankfurter
     -Lewis F. Powell, Jr.
     -Rehnquist
     -Confirmation of Powell and Rehnquist
          -Bayh
     -Rehnquist
          -Efforts as poll watcher

Pending legislation
     -Tax Bill
          -Amendments
                 -Political contributions
     -Budget
          -Continuing resolution
                 -The President’s meeting with Allen J. Ellender, November 15
                       -Mansfield

Ellender

Earl L. Butz
      -Confirmation hearings
           -George S. McGovern and Hubert H. Humphrey
           -Association with Ezra T. Benson
           -Democrats’ forthcoming critique
           -Clifford M. Hardin’s forthcoming conversation with Milton R. Young
           -Breakfast with Jack R. Miller, November 16
           -Meetings with Herman E. Talmadge and Young, November 16

Pending legislation
     -Department of Defense appropriation bill
          -Boland Amendment
          -MacGregor
          -Howard W. Robison’s amendment
                 -Mansfield
                 -Support
          -Ford’s conversation with George H. Mahon
                 -George W. Andrews
                 -Jamie L. Whitten
          -Boland Amendment
                                              12

                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/08)



                     -Language
                           -Compared with Mansfield Amendment
                           -Combat support in Indochina
                           -Prisoners of War [POWs]
                     -Legislative strategy
                           -Whitten
               -Robison’s amendment
                     -Language
                     -Effect on Boland Amendment
               -Mansfield Amendment
           -Congressional responsibility
               -Vietnam

     Vietnam
          -The President’s actions
          -POWs
          -Negotiations with North Vietnam
               -Nguyen Van Thieu
               -POWs
                     -Possible Congressional action
          -The President’s troop withdrawal announcement
          -POWs
               -Possible Congressional action
               -Possible military action against North Vietnam

     Pending legislation
          -Commerce Committee
               -Civil Aeronautics Board [CAB]
          -Amendments

     Vietnam
          -The President’s actions
          -Negotiations with North Vietnam
               -POWs
               -Possible Congressional action
               -Credit

The President left at 9:50 am

     [General conversation/Unintelligible]

Connally, et al. left at an unknown time before 10:15 am
                                              13

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                        Tape Subject Log
                                          (rev. 10/08)