Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 10 › Conversation 010-082

Nixon phone call with Gross on Parliamentary procedure

Wednesday, October 6, 1971 · 11:55 AM–12:01 PM ET · White House Telephone ·2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Gross, H. R.Conversation010-082 onTape 10 (tape position 02:38:05–02:40:25)StartWednesday, October 6, 1971 at 11:55 AMEndWednesday, October 6, 1971 at 12:01 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 010-082 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon called Representative H. R. Gross to express his appreciation for Gross's effective parliamentary maneuver in the House, which contributed to a significant legislative victory for the administration. Gross explained the tactical use of a quorum call and inquiry to catch the opposition by surprise despite intense labor union pressure. The two also discussed strategy for an upcoming Senate vote, with the President encouraging Hugh Scott to utilize filibuster tactics if necessary to block unfavorable outcomes.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Yeah.
Congressman Gross, Mr. President.
Yeah.
Hello?
Hello.
HR?
Yes.
I just wanted you to know that in checking with my spies up there, they told me that the Gross move, the parliamentary move, really was what helped us get that great win on Monday, and I wanted to thank you.
I called Hugh Scott this morning, and I really rode that Senate.
I said, by God, if they didn't stop this, they ought to talk it to death.
That's exactly right.
Well, they should.
But your move was great, and Jerry Ford and all the boys were telling me about it.
I was down in Florida, and I'm just working now on this Phase II thing.
I'm going to announce it tomorrow night.
But I was so pleased to see it come up.
But you apparently caught them by surprise.
Yes, we did.
And how did you do it?
Did you go up to talk to Deschler, or how did you get it?
Oh, I qualified Carl on the floor Friday and rose to parliamentary inquiry and asked him if he would recognize me then or later.
And he said he had no discretion but to recognize me.
And, of course, then I put on a quorum call and found there were 200 absentees.
Many of them are...
our friends, and so I gave up putting it on, although I threw some motions of protesting the adjournment of the House, but served notice then that told Jerry to get the troops around, because we were going to go Monday morning, that we were losing ground.
and the heat was going on from the labor unions.
That's exactly right.
I got one telegram, Mr. President, I got one telegram from a labor organization which said we were caught unaware.
Isn't that too bad?
It was just one they sent out to everybody.
Sure, sure.
A member of Congress, we were caught unaware.
Sure they were.
Yeah, yeah.
Anyway, there was a delegation over in Italy, and I had no reason for protecting them.
That's right.
That's right.
Well, it was really a great one, and I think it could have been very important.
We feel fairly good about the Senate vote, but I told Scott, I said, if they didn't have the votes, just talk it.
You know, they can talk it to death over there.
Of course they can.
We can.
They've got through Thursday, as I understand.
Uh-huh.
Well, Mr. President, thank you very much.
Well, I sure appreciate it.
Give my best to Waterloo.
Will do.
Okay, sir.
Thank you.

NARA Description

On October 6, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. Gross talked on the telephone from 11:55 am to 12:01 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 010-082 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 10-82

Date: October 6, 1971
Time: 11:55 am - 12:01 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with H. R. Gross.

[See Conversation No. 283-33B]

     House of Representatives

           -Gross’ Parliamentary move
                -Senate
                      -Hugh Scott
                -Gerald R. Ford
                -Lewis Deschler
                -Tactics
                      -Carl Albert
                      -Quorum call
                      -Protest of adjournment
                      -Ford
                      -Labor union pressure
                -Upcoming Senate vote

Also recorded on October 6, 1971

  • 010-077 11:39 AM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:39 am and 11:44 am.
  • 010-079 11:44 AM · 29 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and William L. Safire talked on the telephone from 11:44 am to 11:45 am.
  • 283-030 11:44 AM · 24 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and William L. Safire met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 11:44 am to 11:45 am.
  • 010-080 11:46 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Raymond K. Price, Jr. talked on the telephone from 11:46 am to 11:47 am.
  • 283-031 11:46 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Raymond K. Price, Jr. met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 11:46 am to 11:47 am.
  • 010-081 11:47 AM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:47 am and 11:55 am.
  • 283-032 11:47 AM · 27 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 11:47 am and 11:50 am.
  • 283-033 11:50 AM · 39 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, White House operator, H. R. Gross, Henry A. Kissinger, and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 11:50 am to 12:35 pm.

All 110 conversations from October 6, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 010-082, October 6, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/010-082 (accessed September 18, 2026).