Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 45 › Conversation 045-195

Nixon phone call with Timmons on Vietnam War and Congressional relations

Thursday, May 10, 1973 · 3:30 PM–3:32 PM ET · White House Telephone · 1 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Timmons, William E.Conversation045-195 on Tape 45StartThursday, May 10, 1973 at 3:30 PMEndThursday, May 10, 1973 at 3:32 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 045-195 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and legislative aide William E. Timmons discuss the whip count for a critical upcoming House of Representatives vote concerning Vietnam policy. Timmons outlines a narrow path to victory, noting that the administration is actively lobbying undecided Republican freshmen following interventions by Gerald Ford and Leslie Arends. Nixon emphasizes the vital importance of the outcome, urging Timmons to exert every effort to flip votes and secure a legislative win.

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Transcript (AI-generated)

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Yeah.

Mr. President, Bill Timmons.

What's the scope of the House?

They haven't voted yet.

They're still in debate.

They'll finish debate about 4 o'clock, and they'll move to some other amendments.

So we think about five a vote will happen.

We're counting 150 Republicans and about 50 Democrats for a total of about 200.

Only 150 Republicans?

Yes, sir.

It looks like we've lost about 40.

We're trying to turn some of them back around, or at least have them take a walk for us.

Yeah.

What's the attendance today?

There were 406 there.

So there's a chance.

There's a chance.

It's close and we've got guys all over the place and we know who are the bad guys and we're trying to turn them around or at least have them get away from the bathroom or something.

Boy, get them away.

This is a vital importance to the nation, you know, just to play every string there is.

Jerry and Les had all the freshmen in the back room there earlier lecturing them because we were at that point losing too many freshmen.

And they turned a lot of them around.

So there's still some in there that are kind of undecided that I haven't counted 150.

We may pick up a few of those.

If you pick up 10, you'll win it.

Yes, I think we can.

Yeah.

I think we can.

Well, let's win this one.

This is what we need, boy.

All right, sir.

All right.

Good.

We'll let you know.

All right.

NARA Description

On May 10, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and William E. Timmons talked on the telephone from 3:30 pm to 3:32 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 045-195 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 45-195

Date: May 10, 1973
Time: 3:30 pm - 3:32 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with William E. Timmons.
                                                -125-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                            Conversation No. 45-195 (cont’d)

[See also Conversation No. 435-19]

     Congressional relations
          -Pending House of Representatives vote on Vietnam
                -Debate
                -Amendments
                -Vote count
                -Attendance
                -Importance
                -Gerald R. Ford’s and Leslie C. Arends’s meeting with freshmen Republicans
                -Importance of legislative victory

Also recorded on May 10, 1973

045-193 3:24 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 3:24 pm to 3:26 pm.
435-016 3:24 PM · 2 min — H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman and President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:24 pm to 3:26 pm.
045-194 3:26 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:26 pm and 3:30 pm.
435-017 3:26 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:26 pm and 3:30 pm.
435-018 3:26 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:26 pm and 3:30 pm.
435-019 3:30 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and William E. Timmons met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:30 pm to 3:32 pm.
045-196 3:34 PM · 1 min — Alexander M. Haig, Jr. and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone from 3:34 pm to 3:35 pm.
435-020 3:34 PM · 1 min — Alexander M. Haig, Jr. and President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:34 pm to 3:35 pm.

All 86 conversations from May 10, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 045-195, May 10, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/045-195 (accessed October 1, 2026).