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Conversation 528-008

TapeTape 528StartThursday, June 24, 1971 at 10:45 AMEndThursday, June 24, 1971 at 10:47 AMTape start time03:11:57Tape end time03:14:16ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Byrnes, John W.Recording deviceOval Office
AI Summary

President Nixon met with Representative John W. Byrnes to express appreciation for the legislative support provided by Byrnes and Wilbur Mills regarding a recent bill. The conversation centered on justifying the administration's welfare reform proposals, with both men emphasizing that the legislation should be framed as a work incentive rather than a guaranteed annual income for the unemployed. Nixon concluded by confirming his intent to lobby Senator Richard Russell to secure further support for the administration's agenda.

Welfare ReformLegislative StrategyWilbur MillsGuaranteed Annual IncomeCongressional Relations
AudioNARA Description

On June 24, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and John W. Byrnes met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:45 am to 10:47 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 528-008 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 528-8

Date: June 24, 1971
Time: 10:45 am - 10:47 am
Location: Oval Office

The President talked with John W. Byrnes.

[See Conversation No. 5-157]
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 Do not cite this transcript as authoritative.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?
Hi, Johnny.
I thought I'd see you Monday, I guess, or Tuesday, but, uh, yeah, but, uh, before you, uh, do what I did, but what if you know that I, uh, am most grateful for the way that you and your, uh, your sidekick Mills came through on that deal, if that was really something?
Getting 40, getting 43 votes from a draft, that really surprised me.
I didn't think, I didn't know the key vote, I just didn't think...
I'm just going to remember who voted for Washington.
The only thing, of course, that disturbs me, Johnny, is that you don't want to hear so many of our friends say that we give away and that sort of thing.
And when they say that about you and me, good God, it really burns through me.
We're trying our best.
Mills said an interesting thing to me.
He said, you know, when you heard this guaranteeing annual wages, and he says, you've got to
At the present time, we have a guaranteed annual income for people for doing nothing.
What we're having, this is a guaranteed income for people that do something.
And nothing, and nothing for, and nothing for anybody that does nothing.
That's a good point, isn't it?
Yeah, yeah.
Right?
Yeah.
Well, I've said over and over that it is not a guaranteed income.
And I think we've got to continue to say that.
I said it is not a guaranteed income provided that a man gets paid whether he works or not.
This provides that the man can work and refuses to work that he doesn't get paid.
So it's not a guaranteed income.
That's right.
That's all.
Nobody wants to sit in this can.
Well, anyway, good job.
I'm going to work on, of course, our good friend Russell now.
You come around the end.
You may put too much on, but that's up to you guys to cut it off the conference.
Okay, Scotty.
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