Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 309 › Conversation 309-003
Nixon & Shultz on Budgetary policy and Melvin Laird
Friday, December 24, 1971 · 1:37 PM–1:46 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 7 min
AI Summary
President Nixon and OMB Director George Shultz confer on internal administrative coordination, specifically ensuring that Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird aligns with budget agreements to prevent political friction with conservatives. The President also discusses his skepticism regarding a pending water bill, signaling a desire to avoid a veto conflict while directing staff to manage the implementation cautiously. The conversation concludes with brief remarks on national political sentiment and holiday sentiments.
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 3 minutes of this recording (about 48% of it) is represented by only a few words. Listen to the audio rather than relying on the text below; a corrected transcript is queued.
This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.
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NARA Description
On December 24, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and George P. Shultz met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 1:37 pm to 1:46 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 309-003 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 309-3 Date: December 24, 1971 Time: 1:37 pm - 1:46 pm Location: Executive Office Building The President talked with George P. Shultz. [See Conversation No. 17-5; one item has been withdrawn from the conversation]
Also recorded on December 24, 1971
- 017-005 1:37 PM · 9 min — President Richard M. Nixon and George P. Shultz talked on the telephone from 1:37 pm to 1:46 pm.
- 309-002 1:37 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 1:37 pm.
- 017-006 1:46 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:46 pm and 1:48 pm.
- 309-004 1:46 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:46 pm and 1:48 pm.
- 309-005 1:46 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:46 pm and 1:48 pm.
- 017-007 1:48 PM · 54 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and James D. ("Don") Hughes talked on the telephone from 1:48 pm to 1:49 pm.
- 309-006 1:48 PM · 30 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and James D. ("Don") Hughes met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 1:48 pm to 1:49 pm.
- 309-007 1:49 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 1:49 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 309-003, December 24, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/309-003 (accessed October 6, 2026).