Conversation: 468-017
Prev: 468-016 Next: 468-018Start Date: 16-Mar-1971 4:52 PM
End Date: 16-Mar-1971 5:30 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Ehrlichman, John D.; Shultz, George P.; [Unknown person(s)]; Butterfield, Alexander P.;Recording Device: Oval Office
Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 04:51:08
Full Tape Conversation End Time: 05:29:13
NARA Description:
On March 16, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, John D. Ehrlichman, George P. Shultz, unknown person(s), and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:52 pm to 5:30 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 468-017 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 468-17
Date: March 16, 1971
Time: 4:52 pm - 5:30 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with John D. Ehrlichman
Conv. No. 468-16 (cont.)
George P. Shultz’s location
Clifford M. Hardin
-Future
-Purdue University
A possible assignment regarding agriculture
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
-Hyde Murray
President’s schedule
-Meeting with mayors
-Funds to cities
-Caspar W. (“Cap”) Weinberger
-Special revenue sharing
-George W. Romney
-Richard G. Lugar and an unnamed man
-Press briefing
-President’s role
-Scope
-Black activists
-Mayors
-John V. Lindsay
-Communications with White House
-Prospective meeting attendees
-Lugar’s group
-Lindsay’s group
-Complaints
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-Length of meeting
-President’s role
-Ehrlichman’s position
-Weinberger
-Compared with governors’ meeting
45
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
-Location
-Weinberger, Romney
-President’s role
-Plans
-Length
Shultz entered at an unknown time after 4:52 pm
Conv. No. 468-17 (cont.)
-An earlier meeting
-Lindsay’s group
Unemployment and scientists
-Dr. Edward E. David, Jr.’s report
-Government training programs
-A task force
[A transcript of the following portion of this conversation was prepared under court order on
May 22, 1979, for Special Access [SA] 27, Cities Service Helex, Inc. v. United States, No. 138-
75; and National Helium Corp. v. United States, No. 158-75. The National Archives and
Records Administration produced this transcript. The National Archives does not guarantee its
accuracy.]
[End of transcript]
President’s schedule
-Meeting with mayors
-President’s role
-Length
-Previous meetings with Lugar group and Lindsay group
-Lindsay group
-Carl B. Stokes
-Legislative committee of Conference of Mayors
-Possible meeting with Lindsay
-Meeting with mayors
-Press briefing by Lindsay
-Stokes
-Lindsay
-Press briefing subjects
-Attendees
-Lugar
-League of Cities officers
46
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
******************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 8s ]
Conv. No. 468-17 (cont.)
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
******************************************************************************
Social Security
-Impact on budget
-Alternatives
-Cuts
-Congressional cuts
-Financing benefits
-Welfare Reform Bill
-Effect on revenue sharing
-Possible statement by President
[The President talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between 4:52 pm and 5:30
pm]
[Conversation No. 468-17A]
Message
-Delivery
[End of telephone conversation]
Social Security
-Signing of debt statement
-Time
-John B. Connally
-Congressional action
-Time
-Ceremony
-Purpose
-President’s meeting with Fortune people
-Inflation
47
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
-Effect on President’s possible statement
-Congressional action
-Arthur F. Burns’ testimony
-Effect
-Russell B. Long and Wilbur D. Mills
-Wage base
-Budget
-Possible signing of debt statement Conv. No. 468-17 (cont.)
-Future Congressional action
-Cost-of-living increases
-Ways and Means Committee
-Financing
-A bill
-Long
-Possible signing ceremony
-Effect
-Possible remarks
-Congress
-Financing
-Attendees
-Congressmen
-Senior citizens
-Cost-of-living increase
-A bill in the House
-Cost-of-living increases
-Administration position
-Mills
Revenue sharing
-Effect on full-employment budget
-Administration position
-Mayors’ position
-Possible White House request for Congressional action
-Congressional response
-Effect on budget
-Possible Presidential veto
Social Security
-Possible Congressional action
-Inflation
-Burns
48
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
-Effect on economy
-Monetary growth
-Compared with pay raises
-Shultz’s view
-President’s statement upon signing bill
-Another bill
-Connally
-Possible meeting with Mills Conv. No. 468-17 (cont.)
-House Ways and Means Committee
-White House negotiations with Mills
-Compared with tax reform bill
-Budget deficit
-Amount
-Effect
Revenue sharing
-Burns
-John N. Mitchell [?]
-Maurice H. Stans and Romney
-Congress
-Other programs
-Administration’s role
-Constituency
-Administration spokesmen
-Audiences
-Appeal
-Republican and Democrat positions
-[Thomas] Hale Boggs
-Alternatives
-Democrat mayors
-Carl B. Albert
-Lawrence F. O’Brien, Jr.
-Regional commissions
-John W. Byrnes
-Barber B. Conable, Jr.
-Alternatives
-Ways and Means staff
-Congressional ability to formulate alternatives
-Congressional votes
-Possible alternatives
-White House position
49
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
-Upcoming bills
-Effect
-Amarillo, Santa Fe, New York
Other domestic programs
-Health, environment, welfare
-Congressional committees
-Welfare Conv. No. 468-17 (cont.)
-Elliot L. Richardson
-Health programs
-White House efforts
-Revenue sharing
-Ways and Means Committee
-Byrnes
-Effect on small business of proposed programs
-Meeting with White House staff
-California Kaiser Permanente Health Maintenance facility
-Possible visit by the President
-Senior citizens
-Medicare patients
-Coverage
-Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland
President’s forthcoming press conference
Consumer Price Index announcement
-Bureau of Labor Statistics
-Time
-Presentation
-Secretary of Labor’s statement
An unknown person [Alexander P. Butterfield?] entered at an unknown time after 4:52 pm
Thomas E. Dewey’s death
The unknown person [Butterfield?] left at an unknown time before 5:30 pm
President’s schedule
-Work on a message
Ehrlichman and Shultz left at 5:30 pm
50
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)