Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 129 › Conversation 129-001

Bull on Energy Policy and Highway Trust Fund

Wednesday, July 11, 1973 · 10:32 AM–8:23 PM ET · Cabinet Room · 3 min

ParticipantsBull, Stephen B.; [Unknown person(s)]Conversation129-001 on Tape 129StartWednesday, July 11, 1973 at 10:32 AMEndWednesday, July 11, 1973 at 8:23 PMRecording deviceCabinet RoomSourceNixon Library record for 129-001 ↗

AI Summary

Stephen B. Bull and unidentified participants met to discuss the fiscal implications of various federal funding mechanisms, specifically focusing on energy policy and utility funding. The discussion emphasized the potential political and economic power wielded through the Highway Trust Fund and the complexities of reallocating such resources. Participants expressed concern regarding the public perception and potential loss of leverage if these established financial structures were dismantled or altered.

Energy Policy
Highway Trust Fund
Federal Funding
Public Finance
Utility Funds

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

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There's somebody who's receiving that money and that person isn't very happy about it going away.

It's not a bad thing.

and money from separately funded areas.

We saw this in the cities, and it's also true in the suburbs.

So we have a special fund in those areas, especially in places like the highway business fund.

In the cities, we have utility funds and the highways response.

And if you're in the situation, you can have great, great strength in that area.

And all of those funds, for the purpose of almost the cost of this, to attach in a separate way, that helps to put together funds here, depending on how you account for them.

This whole bust of the highway trust fund discussion, it's an incredible discussion that I hope you account for, and you treat that in part over time, because once it's broken, once it goes, then that whole restraint and power that I don't think is going to be shown to the general public.

You would resist the abrasion on your self?

That's right.

I'm interested to get into energy problems, pollution problems, and so forth.

I think that was very powerful.

Very powerful voices from the other side.

Thank you for talking to us.

Thank you.

Excuse me, can I ask you a question?

I've got a question going on here.

It works.

NARA Description

On July 11, 1973, Stephen B. Bull and unknown person(s) met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 10:32 am and 8:23 pm. The Cabinet Room taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 129-001 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 129-1

Date: Unknown between July 11 and July 18, 1973
Time: Unknown between 10:32 am, July 11 and 8:23 pm, July 18, 1973
Location: Cabinet Room

Unknown people met
[Recording begins while the conversation is in progress]

     Energy
          -Funding
               -Utility funds
                     -Cities
               -Taxes
               -Highway trust fund

Stephen B. Bull [?] entered at an unknown time after 10:32 am, July 11, 1973

     Cabinet Room
          -Chair
               -Buzzer signal

Bull [?] left at an unknown time before 8:23 pm, July 18, 1973

Recording was cut off at an unknown time before 8:23 pm, July 18, 1973

Also recorded on July 11, 1973

128-003 8:39 AM · 1 hr 50 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Vice President Spiro T. Agnew, and Cabinet officers and staffers, including William P. Rogers, George P. Shultz, Dr. James R Schlesinger, Elliot L. Richardson, Rogers C. B. Morton, Earl L. Butz, Frederick B. Dent, Peter J. Brennan, Caspar W. ("Cap") Weinberger, James T. Lynn, Claude S. Brinegar, Roy L. Ash, Anne L. Armstrong, Melvin R. Laird, Bryce N Harlow, John B Connally, George H. W. Bush, Herbert Stein, John T. Dunlop, General Alexander M. Haig, Jr., John A. Love, Ronald L Ziegler, Peter M. Flanigan, Raymond K. Price, Jr., William E. Timmons, Frederic V. Malek, Arthur J. Sohmer, David R. Gergen, and David N. Parker, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 8:39 am and 10:32 am.
948-004 11:32 AM · 26 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:32 am to 12:08 pm.
948-005 12:08 PM · 32 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:08 pm and 12:09 pm.
948-006 12:08 PM · 42 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:08 pm and 12:09 pm.
948-007 12:09 PM · 10 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Hubert H. Humphrey, Gerald R. Ford, Arthur B. Hanson, William E. Timmons, White House photographer, and members of the press met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:09 pm to 12:17 pm.
948-008 12:17 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at 12:17 pm.
948-009 12:17 PM · 50 sec — President Richard M. Nixon met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:17 pm and 12:24 pm.
948-010 12:24 PM · 23 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:24 pm to 12:55 pm.

All 38 conversations from July 11, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 129-001, July 11, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/129-001 (accessed October 10, 2026).