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Conversation 025-097

TapeTape 25StartWednesday, June 21, 1972 at 9:23 AMEndWednesday, June 21, 1972 at 9:25 AMTape start time04:08:21Tape end time04:11:09ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Welch, LouieRecording deviceWhite House Telephone
AI Summary

President Richard Nixon called Houston Mayor Louie Welch to congratulate him on his expected election as head of the U.S. Conference of Mayors and to express gratitude for Welch’s public support of his Vietnam policy. The two discussed the geopolitical necessity of continuing the war effort to protect POWs and prevent communist expansion. Nixon also outlined his legislative strategy for securing revenue sharing, noting the potential challenges of moving the bill through an open-rule environment in the Senate despite the cooperation of Senator Russell B. Long.

US Conference of MayorsVietnam WarRevenue sharingPOWsRussell B. LongLegislative strategy
AudioNARA Description

On June 21, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Louie Welch talked on the telephone from 9:23 am to 9:25 am. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 025-097 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 25-97

Date: June 21, 1972
Time: 9:23-9:25 am
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Louie Welch.
[See Conversation No. 739-3]

     US Conference of Mayors
         -Welch's election
              -President's congratulations

     Vietnam
          -Administration policy
               -Welch's support
               -Results
               -Alternatives
                     -Prisoners of war [POWs]
                     -Consequences
          -Welch's support for President

     Revenue sharing
         -Congress
               -Senate
               -Passage
               -Russell B. Long
                     -Support
               -Difficulties
                     -Wilbur D. Mills
                     -Senate open rule
               -Long

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[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 10/31/2017.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[025-097-w002]
[Duration: 30s]

     Houston Astros
         -Success in National League race
         -Young team
         -[Dwight] David Eisenhower, II
              -Julie Nixon Eisenhower
              -Summer heat
              -Potential success

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Transcript (AI-Generated)

This 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.

Hello?
Mr. President, Mayor Welsh for you.
Yeah, hello?
Hello?
Hello?
Mr. Mayor?
Yes, Mr. President.
I just wanted to congratulate you on your assignment as the head of the Conference of Mayors.
Well, the election is just an hour or so away, Mr. President.
Well, I think this is one I can predict.
Well, thank you.
Yeah, from everything I hear.
And I just wish you the very best.
And also, I want to tell you that I'm very appreciative of the way that...
You and you, taking the leadership, and many of your colleagues have supported our policy in Southeast Asia, and I can assure you it's going to come out all right.
Well, yes, sir, we're aware of that because it's in good hands.
Right, and you can be sure we're...
The worst thing we could do, of course, is to basically do what some well-intentioned people say, is just to...
Abandon our boys.
Well, abandon our boys, abandon our POWs, and...
and give this enormous encouragement to the communists to take over any place else.
So this is the real way to have peace, is to stop aggression when it rears its head.
Mr. President, you don't know how much I appreciate this and your call, your thoughtfulness, and any way that I can serve you, I will.
Well, I appreciate it very much.
And we're still working, as you know, Mr. Mayor, on revenue sharing.
They're doing some...
It's the floor today, isn't it?
Yeah, the House, the House.
The real problem there is going to be the Senate, you know, whether they'll start to hang a lot of gobbledygook on it, you know.
But if we can, if it gets through the House and then if the Senate is responsible...
Senator Long has told us if you ask him to, he will give it priority.
Yeah.
I'm sure he would, Russell would.
And I will be talking to him after we get through with the house.
And the difficulty that he has is that once he gets it to the floor, you see, the house, you know, Wilbur Mills and others have given it a closed rule, which makes it work.
But they go over to the Senate, and they have that open rule, and they can put on non-germane stuff.
They can hang all sorts of silly amendments on.
That's the problem they got there.
But he promised us that he would try to get it through as is.
Right.
Well, he's a very shrewd and able leader, I can assure you.
And he's got a lot of help on the other side, too.
We wish you the very best, and I hope the...
Thank you.
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