{"conversationCode":"031-118","tapeNumber":31,"conversationNumber":118,"identifier":"37-wht-conversation-031-118","startDateTime":"1972-10-18T16:04:00.000Z","endDateTime":"1972-10-18T16:08:00.000Z","startDate":"18-Oct-1972","startTime":"12:04 PM","endDate":"18-Oct-1972","endTime":"12:08 PM","dateCertainty":"certain","timeCertainty":"certain","participants":"Nixon, Richard M. (President); Scott, Hugh;","description":"On October 18, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Hugh Scott talked on the telephone from 12:04 pm to 12:08 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 031-118 of the White House Tapes.","locationCode":"WHT","recordingDevice":"White House Telephone","latitudeEstimated":38.89767,"longitudeEstimated":-77.03655,"chronCode":4,"chronRelease":"Fourth Chronological Release","chronReleaseDate":"10-Dec-2003","aogpRelease":null,"aogpSegment":null,"lastModified":"2015-07-27T17:04:10.235Z","findingAid":"Conversation No. 31-118\n\nDate: October 18, 1972\nTime: 12:04 pm - 12:09 pm\nLocation: White House Telephone\n\nThe President talked with Hugh Scott.\n\n[See Conversation No. 803-12]\n\n        Greetings\n\n*****************************************************************\n\nBEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1\n[Personal returnable]\n[Duration: 1m 14s ]\n\nEND WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1\n\n*****************************************************************\n\n        Congressional action\n           -Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972\n                -Scott's statements on legislation\n\n        Scott's schedule\n            -Philadelphia ceremony on revenue sharing\n            -Marion Scott\n            -Forthcoming trip to Indonesia\n                  -John D. Rockefeller, III\n                  -Scott's previous trip\n                      -Bourke Hickenlooper\n\n*****************************************************************\n\nBEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2\n[Personal returnable]\n[Duration: 2m 2s ]\n\nEND WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2\n\n*****************************************************************\n\n        Congressional action\n           -Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972\n                -Vote October 17, 1972\n                    -The President's veto of measure","filename":["031-118.mp3"],"tapeStart":"","tapeEnd":"","participantsList":["Nixon, Richard M. (President)","Scott, Hugh"],"prevCode":"031-117","nextCode":"031-119","transcript":[{"start":0.3,"end":3.58,"text":"Senator Scott, sir."},{"start":13.76,"end":18.74,"text":"Well, I wanted to tell you that I'm most grateful for your statement on the water bill."},{"start":18.78,"end":24.49,"text":"I know that you didn't have many supporters, but it'll look good historically, I can assure you."},{"start":24.57,"end":28,"text":"I wish you well on your trip."},{"start":28.31,"end":31.54,"text":"You're not going to be in Philadelphia Friday, I presume."},{"start":31.68,"end":32.68,"text":"No, sir, I'm sorry."},{"start":32.7,"end":39.37,"text":"It's all right, because basically it's just as well to let that be a show for governors and mayors, don't you think?"},{"start":39.83,"end":40.65,"text":"Yes, I think so."},{"start":40.73,"end":44.65,"text":"I would have been, of course, but I'll be in South Dakota that day."},{"start":44.99,"end":45.57,"text":"Good."},{"start":45.59,"end":48.22,"text":"I'll be engaged in the work of the Lord, after all."},{"start":49.2,"end":49.48,"text":"Right."},{"start":49.88,"end":53.22,"text":"Well, you and Marion have a good time."},{"start":53.2,"end":57.81,"text":"And after the convention, I mean, sorry, the election take off two or three months."},{"start":57.83,"end":58.86,"text":"Fair enough."},{"start":58.88,"end":59.58,"text":"That's an order."},{"start":59.9,"end":60.38,"text":"Thank you."},{"start":60.4,"end":63.65,"text":"We're going to Indonesia with John D. Rockefeller."},{"start":63.75,"end":64.63,"text":"Marvelous."},{"start":64.65,"end":65.81,"text":"Asian conference."},{"start":65.83,"end":66.41,"text":"Marvelous."},{"start":66.43,"end":67.09,"text":"You've been there before?"},{"start":67.34,"end":68.04,"text":"Yes, who was?"},{"start":68.1,"end":68.86,"text":"Oh, of course you were."},{"start":68.88,"end":70.08,"text":"You were there."},{"start":70.1,"end":72.33,"text":"Yeah, that'll be fun."},{"start":82.6,"end":90.01,"text":"That vote last night for me was a little difficult, but it was a privilege to do it for you and for the purpose."},{"start":90.13,"end":90.73,"text":"You understand."},{"start":90.91,"end":97.44,"text":"I had to be to it because I've got to live with that $24 billion now, and it's too bad, but we'll find a way."},{"start":97.56,"end":98.12,"text":"We'll find a way."},{"start":98.14,"end":99.02,"text":"You'll look better later."},{"start":99.2,"end":99.8,"text":"That's right."},{"start":99.82,"end":101.62,"text":"Sometimes you've got to think of how you're going to look later."},{"start":101.81,"end":102.77,"text":"And thank you for calling."},{"start":102.79,"end":103.05,"text":"All right."},{"start":103.09,"end":103.51,"text":"Goodbye."},{"start":103.59,"end":103.85,"text":"Goodbye."},{"start":103.87,"end":104.19,"text":"Good luck."},{"start":104.37,"end":104.93,"text":"Thank you."}],"aiSummary":{"text":"President Nixon calls Senator Hugh Scott to express appreciation for Scott’s public support of his veto of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments. The two men discuss the political optics of the veto, with Nixon reassuring Scott that his stance will be viewed favorably in historical context despite the lack of legislative support. Additionally, they briefly review Scott’s upcoming personal travel to Indonesia with John D. Rockefeller, III, and exchange pleasantries regarding Scott’s post-election schedule.","topics":["Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments","Presidential veto","Congressional relations","Hugh Scott","Indonesia"],"generatedAt":"2026-04-06T03:56:53.122Z"},"topicSlugs":["federal-water-pollution-control-act-amendments","presidential-veto","congressional-relations","hugh-scott","indonesia"],"audioDurationSec":109,"audioFiles":[{"file":"031-118.mp3","bytes":2616841,"durationSec":108.96,"bitrate":192132,"missing":false}],"audioIsShared":false,"audioProbedAt":"2026-09-18T02:19:28.233Z","findingAidSource":"nixonlibrary.gov subject log (2024-05), reslice-v2","findingAidUpdatedAt":"2026-09-18T08:42:40.110Z","audio":["https://nixon.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/audio/031-118.mp3"],"url":"https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/031-118","nixonLibraryUrl":"https://www.nixonlibrary.gov/white-house-tapes/31/conversation-031-118","license":"Public domain (U.S. Government work). AI-generated fields (transcript, aiSummary) are provided as-is without warranty."}