On November 16, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, John B. Connally, Donald H. Rumsfeld, and Republican Congressional leaders, including Hugh Scott, Robert P. Griffin, Peter H. Dominick, Gerald R. Ford, Leslie C. Arends, John B. Anderson, Samuel L. Devine, Richard H. Poff, John J. Rhodes, Robert C. ("Bob") Wilson, H. Allen Smith, Robert J. Dole, John D. Ehrlichman, George P. Shultz, Clark MacGregor, Harry S. Dent, William E. Timmons, Richard K. Cook, Eugene S. Cowen, Patrick J. Buchanan, and Ronald L. Ziegler, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 12:00 am and 10:15 am. The Cabinet Room taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 083-003 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding AidConversation No. 083-003
Date: November 16, 1971
Time: Unknown between 12:00 am and 10:15 am
Location: Cabinet Room
John B. Connally met with Donald H. Rumsfeld, Hugh Scott, Robert P. Griffin, Peter H.
Dominick, Gerald R. Ford, Leslie C. Arends, John B. Anderson, Samuel L. Devine, Richard H.
Poff, John J. Rhodes, Robert C. (“Bob”) Wilson, H. Allen Smith, Robert J. Dole, John D.
Ehrlichman, George P. Shultz, Clark MacGregor, Harry S. Dent, William E. Timmons, Richard
K. Cook, Eugene S. Cowen, Patrick J. Buchanan, and Ronald L. Ziegler
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[Previous archivists categorized this section as unintelligible. It has been rereviewed and
released 10/18/2017.]
[Unintelligible]
[083-003-w001]
[Duration: 7m8s]
General conversation
Review document
Finance
John D. Ehrlichman
Gratitude for attending meeting
H.R. Haldeman
The President entered at 8:07 am
Greetings
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Agenda
-Rumsfeld
-Connally
National Economy
-The President’s program of wage and price control
-Pay Board, Price Commission, and Cost of Living Council
-Activities
-Applicability of controls
-Enforcement
-Freeze
-Internal Revenue Service [IRS]
-Effect and role
-Jobs
-International context
-Fiscal and monetary policy
-Public certainty
-Government activism
-Congressional relations
-Pending legislation
-Democratic leadership
-Public uncertainty
-Price Commission
-Guidelines
-Aggregate
-Business costs and productivity
-Internal Revenue Service [IRS]
-Profits and profit margins
-The President’s previous statement in Detroit
-Pay Board
-Union members
-American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations
[AFL-CIO]
-Non-union workers, independent unions
-Retroactivity
-Future wages and contracts
-George Meany and [Forename unknown] Neagle [sp?]
-Previous union contracts
-Price Commission
-Effect on inflation
-Contrasted with total control
-Enforcement
-Pay Board
-Bellwether unions
-Consumer Price Index [CPI]
-Phase I
-Wholesale Price Index
-Canadian experience
-Effect of public support
-Inflation
-Budget restraint
-Productivity
-Businessmen
-Complaints
-Labor participation
-Meany
-Korean War experience
-Temporary program
-Fiscal and monetary policy
-Productivity
-The President’s previous press conference
-Stock market
-Situation in 1968
-Compared to present situation
-Current situation
-Vietnam War
-Inflation
-Unemployment
-Investment
-The President’s program
-Duration
-Inflation rate
-Democrats
-Harry F. Byrd, Jr.
-Stock market
-Margin requirements
-Prospects
-The President’s meeting, November 15, with George E. Allen
-Pending legislation
-Economic Stabilization Act
-Votes in House of Representatives’ Banking Committee
-Minish Amendment
-Patman Amendment
-Annunzio Amendment
-Hanna Amendment
-Forthcoming Senate action
-Amendments
-Tax Bill
-Committee’s actions
-John G. Tower
-Revenue Act
-Senate Finance Committee’s actions
-Republican members
-Amendments
-Tax credit for higher education
-American Depositary Receipt [ADR]
-Birch E. Bayh, Jr.’s actions
-Clifford P. Case’s vote
-Business community
-New Jersey
-American Depositary Receipt [ADR]
-Timing of forthcoming Senate vote
-American Depositary Receipt [ADR]
-Ralph Nader
-Democratic Senators
-John C. Stennis
-Constituents
-Charles H. Percy
-Importance
-Passage
-Benefits
-Pay Board and Price Commission
United States’ foreign trade
-Possible speeches by congressmen
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[This segment was declassified on 02/28/2002.]
[National Security]
[083-003-w002]
[Duration: 4m 16s]
-Connally's Meeting with the Japanese
-Philippines
-Europe
-Complaints regarding Connally
-Japanese trade with Europe
-Philippines
-Morrell-Langley [?] Agreement
-Grain trade with Canada
-Protectionism
-The President's program
-The President's speech to Congress
-Negotiations with foreign powers
-Possible speeches by Congressmen
-Foreign aid
-Example
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-Deficit figures
-Possible audiences
-The President’s program
-Editorials in the New York Times, Washington Post, and Newsweek
-Audience
-The President’s previous speech in New York, November 9
-The President’s previous speech in Chicago, November 9
-Audience
-Trade concerns with Europe, Japan
-Gold prices
-Monetary and fiscal policies
-Trade deficit figures
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[This segment was declassified on 02/28/2002.]
[National Security]
[083-003-w004]
[Duration: 55s]
-Negotiations
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-Import surcharge
-Price of gold
-Convertability
-The President’s role
-Democrats’ possible legislation
-Negotiations
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[This segment was declassified on 02/28/2002.]
[National Security]
[083-003-w005]
[Duration: 1m 33s]
India-Pakistan
-Refugees
-The President's conversation with Indira Gandhi
-United States position
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National Economy
-Importance to foreign relations
-Foreign aid
-Defense of free world
-Foreign trade
-Terms
-Comparative importance
-US economic wealth
United States’ foreign trade
-Negotiations
-Import surcharge
-Democrats’ possible charges
-Trade deficits
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[This segment was declassified on 02/28/2002.]
[National Security]
[083-003-w006]
[Duration: 14s]
Foreign trade relations
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-Negotiations
-Possible Democratic criticism
-Possible speeches by congressmen
-Surcharge
-Previous State Department efforts
-Other nations’ positions
-Scott’s conversations with foreigners
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[This segment was declassified on 02/28/2002.]
[National Security]
[083-003-w008]
[Duration: 58s]
-Foreign economies
-Japan
-Canada
-West Germany
******************************************************************************
-The President’s policy
-Criticism
Democratic Congressmen
-Stennis
-Ford and House Republicans
-Possible criticism of the President’s trade policy
United States’ foreign trade
-Meany’s criticism
-Effect of the President’s domestic economic program
National economy
-Rumsfeld
-The President’s program
-Prices
-Jobs
-International concerns
-Wage and price controls
-Popularity
Supreme Court
-Confirmation of the President’s nominees
-Scott’s conversation with Michael J. (“Mike”) Mansfield
-Bayh
-Edward M. (“Ted”) Kennedy
-Griffin
-Delay
-Effect
-Warren E. Burger’s view
-Ideology
-Joseph L. Rauh, Jr.’s views of William H. Rehnquist
-William O. Douglas
-William J. Brennan, Jr.
-Hugo L. Black
-Felix Frankfurter
-Lewis F. Powell, Jr.
-Rehnquist
-Confirmation of Powell and Rehnquist
-Bayh
-Rehnquist
-Efforts as poll watcher
Pending legislation
-Tax Bill
-Amendments
-Political contributions
-Budget
-Continuing resolution
-The President’s meeting with Allen J. Ellender, November 15
-Mansfield
Ellender
Earl L. Butz
-Confirmation hearings
-George S. McGovern and Hubert H. Humphrey
-Association with Ezra T. Benson
-Democrats’ forthcoming critique
-Clifford M. Hardin’s forthcoming conversation with Milton R. Young
-Breakfast with Jack R. Miller, November 16
-Meetings with Herman E. Talmadge and Young, November 16
Pending legislation
-Department of Defense appropriation bill
-Boland Amendment
-MacGregor
-Howard W. Robison’s amendment
-Mansfield
-Support
-Ford’s conversation with George H. Mahon
-George W. Andrews
-Jamie L. Whitten
-Boland Amendment
-Language
-Compared with Mansfield Amendment
-Combat support in Indochina
-Prisoners of War [POWs]
-Legislative strategy
-Whitten
-Robison’s amendment
-Language
-Effect on Boland Amendment
-Mansfield Amendment
-Congressional responsibility
-Vietnam
Vietnam
-The President’s actions
-Prisoners of War [POWs]
-Negotiations with North Vietnam
-Nguyen Van Thieu
-Prisoners of War [POWs]
-Possible Congressional action
-The President’s troop withdrawal announcement
-Prisoners of War [POWs]
-Possible Congressional action
-Possible military action against North Vietnam
Pending legislation
-Commerce Committee
-Civil Aeronautics Board [CAB]
-Amendments
Vietnam
-The President’s actions
-Negotiations with North Vietnam
-Prisoners of War [POWs]
-Possible Congressional action
-Credit
The President left at 9:50 am
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[Previous archivists categorized this section as unintelligible. It has been rereviewed and
released 10/18/2017.]
[Unintelligible]
[083-003-w002]
[Duration: 1m 18s]
General conversation
Greetings
Congress
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Connally, et al. left at an unknown time before 10:15 amThis transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.