Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 011-115
Date: Monday, October 18, 1971 at 5:19 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Holifield, Chet
Recording device: White House Telephone
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/011-115
National Archives Catalog: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/417190121 (NAID 417190121)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:01] Hello?
[0:02] Hello?
[0:02] Hey, Chet?
[0:04] Yes, hello.
[0:04] I just called to thank you for the fine work you did on that consumer bill.
[0:08] Well, we...
[0:09] Both Frank and I want to thank you for the help that Dick Cook and Jerry Ford gave us, too.
[0:15] Well, I'll tell you, we couldn't have done it, my boys told me.
[0:18] It's a well-balanced bill.
[0:20] It's carefully guarded with guidelines and tied to the Administrative Procedures Act, and if a good person is appointed to it, well, they can do some good, and they can feel their way gradually, you know.
[0:30] Well, if you...
[0:31] You say a good person appointed.
[0:35] I say if you appoint a good person to be the administrator, why, you know, a person that is, I don't mean a nadir.
[0:43] Yeah, that goes a little too far.
[0:44] Well, if you've got any good ideas, let us know.
[0:47] I honestly don't have, Mr. President, but I'm sure you can find somebody that's judicious.
[0:54] The main thing is to put together a competent organization.
[0:57] That'll take several months.
[0:58] Right.
[0:59] And we're both very pleased.
[1:02] We've worked awfully hard to rescue this from an impossible situation.
[1:08] The one you got, you mean?
[1:10] The bill that we've got, we've worked hard to get it in the shape that it is in, and we're proud of the job we've done on that.
[1:18] We've taken a lot of heat from hearing some others on this thing, and we appreciate Ms. Norris' statement, too.
[1:25] I'm going to write her a letter, but I went out to the district over the weekend.
[1:28] I just got back today, so I haven't had time, but I'll take care of it.
[1:32] I appreciate it.
[1:33] Many thanks.
[1:34] And I'm going to try to be there in the morning.
[1:36] I've received this invitation on this briefing in the morning, but I will have to leave so I can be at the Hill at 10 o'clock because I've got a committee meeting to get out a bunch of reports we've been putting off.
[1:48] Oh, boy.
[1:49] Okay.
[1:49] Thanks for calling, Mr. President.
[1:51] Bye.
[1:51] Thank you.