Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 508 › Conversation 508-003

Nixon alone in the Oval Office on Congressional Black Caucus

Wednesday, June 2, 1971 · 8:55 AM–9:20 AM ET · Oval Office · 1 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President)Conversation508-003 on Tape 508 (tape position 00:06:44–00:08:01)StartWednesday, June 2, 1971 at 8:55 AMEndWednesday, June 2, 1971 at 9:20 AMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 508-003 ↗ · National Archives Catalog, NAID 417177631 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon directed John D. Ehrlichman to prepare a detailed cost analysis of the legislative agenda proposed by the Congressional Black Caucus. Nixon emphasized the urgency of the request, demanding a comprehensive evaluation of the total projected costs within a 24-hour window. This initiative aimed to quantify the fiscal impact of all sixty recommendations to better inform the administration's political response.

Congressional Black Caucus
John D. Ehrlichman
Legislative agenda
Fiscal analysis
Budgeting

Audio

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NARA Description

On June 2, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:55 am and 9:20 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 508-003 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 508-003

Date: June 2, 1971
Time: Unknown between 8:55 am and 9:20 am
Location: Oval Office

The President dictated a memorandum to John D. Ehrlichman

     Ehrlichman
           -Schedule
           -Preparation of analysis of Black Caucus’ legislative agenda
                -Cost
                      -Timing

Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 1 minute of this recording (about 61% 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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

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I don't want to be, uh, making a problem because I need the information within 24 hours.

Of course, for a TCA.

But I will be.

That's it.

all the 60 black caucus recommendations would cost if we had approved them.

There are two or three in there, which, as I recall, would run the neighborhood of $56 million apiece.

I'm interested in costing out the minors, but I'm interested in overall numbers.

Also recorded on June 2, 1971

508-001 8:55 AM · 34 sec — President Richard M. Nixon met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:55 am and 9:20 am.
508-002 8:55 AM · 47 sec — President Richard M. Nixon met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:55 am and 9:20 am.
508-004 8:55 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:55 am and 9:20 am.
508-005 8:55 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:55 am and 9:20 am.
508-006 8:55 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:55 am and 9:20 am.
508-007 8:55 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:55 am and 9:20 am.
508-008 8:55 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:55 am and 9:20 am.
508-009 8:55 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:55 am and 9:20 am.

All 27 conversations from June 2, 1971 →

Nixon phone call with Price on State of the Union and John Ehrlichman January 17, 1972 · 7 min
Nixon, Congressional Black Caucus & Nix on Civil Rights and Employment March 25, 1971 · 1 hr 16 min
Nixon, Finch & MacGregor on Congressional Black Caucus March 25, 1971 · 14 min
Nixon & Ehrlichman on Budgeting and Defense spending June 27, 1971 · 2 min
Nixon, Teague & Shultz on Veterans Affairs and Vietnam War July 29, 1971 · 43 min
Nixon, Ziegler & Butz on budgeting and Congressional relations March 6, 1973 · 1 hr 11 min

Cite this conversation

Conversation 508-003, June 2, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives (NAID 417177631). Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/508-003 (accessed November 11, 2026).