Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 614 › Conversation 614-021

Nixon & Timmons on Foreign aid and Legislative strategy

Thursday, November 4, 1971 · 6:23 PM–6:25 PM ET · Oval Office · 47 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Timmons, William E.Conversation614-021 on Tape 614 (tape position 02:00:42–02:02:28)StartThursday, November 4, 1971 at 6:23 PMEndThursday, November 4, 1971 at 6:25 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 614-021 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and William E. Timmons discussed legislative strategies for securing foreign aid funding, focusing on overcoming resistance within the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The participants assessed current vote counts among conservatives and expressed confidence in capturing necessary swing votes. To avoid future legislative roadblocks, Nixon directed that foreign assistance be bundled into the defense appropriation bill going forward.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Okay, security assistance.
That's a question we don't know.
I think you can.
I think that all our conservatives are getting in line.
I think there have been enough swing votes to carry it.
That's my guess.
But obviously they think that it's not the case.
God damn it, Rick.
The thing to do, though, we've got to skip this next year.
We're never going to let it go to that foreign relations committee again.
Right?
Right.
Put it in the defense appropriation.
Now, the House is still proceeding, isn't it, on the business of putting it in the defense appropriation bill?
I thought you might want to know that for a night if something comes up.

NARA Description

On November 4, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and William E. Timmons met in the Oval Office of the White House from 6:23 pm to 6:25 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 614-021 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 614-021

Date: November 4, 1971
Time: 6:23 pm - 6:25 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with William E. Timmons.
[The recording begins at an unknown time while the meeting was is progress]

     Pending legislation
          -Foreign aid
                -Senate
                       -Conservatives
                             -Possible outcome
                       -Foreign Relations Committee
          -Defense Appropriation Bill

       Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542

                 -House of Representatives
            -The President's schedule

Timmons left at 6:25 pm.

Also recorded on November 4, 1971

  • 082-001 5:06 PM · 1 hr 15 min — President Richard M. Nixon and selected Republican members of the House of Representatives, including Samuel L. Devine, Carleton J. King, William L. Dickinson, John E. Hunt, John H. Kyl, James M. Collins, Robert H. Michel, John Rousselot, Clark MacGregor, William E. Timmons, Richard K. Cook, Alexander P. Butterfield, and John D. Ehrlichman, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House from 5:06 pm to 6:23 pm.
  • 614-019 5:06 PM · 31 sec — United States Secret Service agents met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 5:06 pm and 6:23 pm.
  • 013-127 6:25 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 6:25 pm and 6:28 pm.
  • 013-128 6:25 PM · 19 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 6:25 pm and 6:28 pm.
  • 614-022 6:25 PM · 4 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 6:25 pm and 6:28 pm.
  • 614-023 6:25 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 6:25 pm and 6:28 pm.
  • 614-024 6:28 PM · 14 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 6:28 pm to 6:47 pm.
  • 614-025 6:47 PM · 11 sec — unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 6:47 pm and 11:59 pm.

All 58 conversations from November 4, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 614-021, November 4, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/614-021 (accessed October 12, 2026).