Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 663 › Conversation 663-004
Nixon, Reagan & Mitchell on Welfare Reform and Dock Strike
Tuesday, February 1, 1972 · 3:02 PM–4:00 PM ET · Oval Office · 58 min
AI Summary
President Nixon met with California Governor Ronald Reagan and various administration officials to discuss domestic policy challenges, specifically addressing stalled welfare reform legislation and the ongoing West Coast dock strike. The group explored the economic implications of federal spending and potential strategies to bypass congressional inaction regarding labor disputes, with Reagan sharing his past experience managing strike negotiations. Additionally, the participants discussed the political and ethical complexities surrounding abortion access through Medicaid and the legal status of the unborn.
- Welfare Reform
- Dock Strike
- Labor Relations
- Economic Policy
- Abortion
- Federal Spending
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
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NARA Description
On February 1, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Ronald W. Reagan, John N. Mitchell, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, White House photographer, Stephen B. Bull, Daniel J. Evans, James D. Hodgson, and George P. Shultz met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:02 pm to 4:00 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 663-004 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 663-004
Date: February 1, 1972
Time: 3:02 pm - 4:00 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with Ronald W. Reagan, John N. Mitchell and H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman; the
White House photographer and members of the press were present at the beginning of the
meeting.
Appointments
-Atomic Energy Commission [AEC]
-Woman [Jane Hall]
-Los Alamos
-Symbolism
-Supreme Court
-Martha (Beall) Mitchell
-Council of Economic Advisors [CEA]
-Marina von N. Whitman
Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542
-John von Neumann
-John Lawrence, James R. Schlesinger
-California
Haldeman left at an unknown time before 3:29 pm.
Domestic problems
-Washington Post
-Congressional testimony
-Senate Finance Committee
-Welfare reform and Family Assistance Plan [FAP]
-Karl E. Mundt
-San Clemente
-President’s desire for full employment
-Abraham A. Ribicoff
-Trial cases
-Welfare
-Russell B. Long
-Upcoming spending plans
-Amount of savings
-C5A spending
-West Germany
-Japan
-Melvin R. Laird initiative
-Reagan’s opinion
-North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO]
-Technical problems
-Amount of allocations
-Solutions
-Rolls Royce Motors
-Northup
-Employment benefits
-Arms race implications
-Japan
-Laird role
-John B. Connally
-Role
-Defensive posture
-NATO
Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542
-Joseph M. Luns
-President’s instructions
-Reagan’s upcoming conversation with [David] Kenneth Rush
-Rush’s location
Economy
-Concern of businessmen
-Call to Reagan from Reed Kaiser [?] [sp?]
-State of the Union address
-Budget message
-Justin W. Dart
-Deficit spending
-Depressive effect
-Reagan’s opinion
-Possible speech by the President
-Compared to the President’s Vietnam peace proposal speech,
January 25, 1972
-Economic outlook
-Deficits
-Compared to Lyndon B. Johnson
-Inflation
-Full employment
-Demand for labor
-Expert view
-Budget
-Possible broadcast
-Dart
-1968 elections
-Employment
-Defense
-President’s meeting with Reagan concerning People’s Republic of China
[PRC]
-Taiwan, Republic of China
******************************************************************************
[Previous National Security (B) withdrawal reviewed under MDR guidelines case number
LPRN-T-MDR-2014-034. Segment declassified on 04/03/2019. Archivist: MAS]
Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542
[National Security]
[663-004-w001]
[Duration: 10s]
Economy
-Economic outlook
-President meeting Ronald W. Reagan about People’s Republic of China [PRC]
-Potential invasion of Taiwan by People’s Republic of China [PRC]
-Defense and protection of Taiwan by Thailand
******************************************************************************
Economy
-Economic outlook
-Difficulty of deficit problem
-Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1958
-Comparisons
California Republican Assembly [CRA]
-Background
-Conservatives
-Number of members
-Executive board meeting
-Harry S. Dent
-Forthcoming convention
-Invitation to President
-Scheduling
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
-[Forename unknown] Colbert [?]
**************************************************************************
[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 02/27/2019.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[663-004-w003]
[Duration: 1m 21s]
Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542
Forthcoming Republican Governor’s dinner
-Idea for 1972 Republican National Convention
-California Republican delegation
-Idea of Ronald W. Reagan
-Registered voters
-Composition of delegation
-Nixon supporters
-Men
-Women
-Minorities
-Need to placate prominent California Republicans
-Justin W. Dart
-Jaquelin H. (“Jack”) Hume
-Creation of honorary delegation
-Based on service to Republican Party
-Hotel accommodations
-Names of delegation members in program
-President’s response to idea
**************************************************************************
Forthcoming Republican Governor’s dinner
-Reagan
-Nelson A. Rockefeller
-Linwood Holton
-William G. Milliken
**************************************************************************
[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 02/27/2019.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[663-004-w004]
[Duration: 59s]
1972 Republican National Convention
Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542
-California delegation
-Idea of Ronald W. Reagan
-John N. Mitchell’s opinion
-President’s response to Ronald W. Reagan’s idea
-Honorary delegation
-Platform committee
-Honorary delegation
-Representatives to actual delegation
-John N. Mitchell’s observation
-New Hampshire
-Delegates
-Women
-Youth
**************************************************************************
Daniel J. Evans
Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 3:02 pm.
The President’s schedule
Bull left at an unknown time before 3:29 pm.
Dock strike
-Congress
-Harry Bridges
-Labor division
-Talk with the President in Oregon
-Age
-Federal Mediation and Conciliation Services
Vietnam
-President’s peace proposal
-Proposal for resolutions before California legislation
-American people
-Media coverage
-Press release
Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542
Evans, James D. Hodgson and George P. Shultz entered at 3:29 pm; the White House
photographer was present at the beginning of the meeting.
Greetings
Dock strike
-Legal aspects
Mitchell left at 3:29 pm.
Dock strike negotiations
-Coal mine
[Photograph session]
Dock strike negotiations
-Long range problems
-Legislation from Congress
-Short range problems
-Need for action
-Taft-Hartley Act
-Senate
-Alan Cranston
-President’s opinion
-Democratic presidential candidates
-Organized labor
-Taft-Hartley Act
-Teamsters Union
-Negotiation status
-Bridges
-Length of negotiations
-Possible union mergers
-Congressional action
-Comparison to the East Coat
-East compared to West Coast
-“Continental Gap”
-Possible settlement
-Jurisdiction issue
Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542
-Barry M. Goldwater
-Elliot L. Richardson
-Telegram
-Motion picture studio strike
-Hardhats
-Reagan’s talk with Bridges
-Compared to 1950 situation
-President’s concern
-Use in public statements
-Need for more attention to West
-Recognition by Congress
-Washington
-California
-Oregon
-Hawaii
-Wyoming
-Utah
-Possible impact on western states
-Agriculture
-Wheat
-Corn
-Congressional concern
-Press
-Possible action
-Proposed legislation in the West
-Cranston
-Jack Williams of Arizona
-Hearings
-Possible formula
-Railroad Labor Act
-Taft-Hartley Act
-Approach to Congress from President
-Inaction
-Possible results of strikes
-Congressional vacation
-Lincoln Day
-Mike McCormack
-Clark MacGregor
-Frank E. Evans
Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542
-Railroad and trucking strikes
-Labor problems
-Economic effect of strike
-Europe
-Great Britain
-Possible problems
-Reagan’s experience
-General Electric [GE]
-1958
-Motion picture studio strike
Welfare
-Benefits of plan
-Medicaid
-Ribicoff
-Former role
-Department of Health, Education, and Welfare [HEW]
-Congressional pilot program
-Eligibility
-Disabled
-Reagan’s opinion
-Waivers
-Cost of living increase
-Wages
-Percentage
-Evans’s comments
Abortion
-Law
-Liberal ideas
-Reasons
-Medicaid
-Number
-Welfare rolls
-Property rights of unborn
Well wishes from the President
-Forthcoming dinner
Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542
Reagan, et al. left at 4:00 pm.Also recorded on February 1, 1972
- 662-011 12:52 PM · 47 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:52 pm to 1:37 pm.
- 663-001 1:37 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:37 pm and 2:53 pm.
- 663-002 1:37 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:37 pm and 2:53 pm.
- 663-003 2:53 PM · 12 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 2:53 pm to 3:02 pm.
- 663-005 4:05 PM · 1 hr 28 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, John B. Connally, and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:05 pm to 5:33 pm.
- 663-006 5:33 PM · 17 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 5:33 pm and 5:35 pm.
- 663-007 5:35 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 5:35 pm to 5:36 pm.
- 663-008 5:36 PM · 48 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 5:36 pm to 6:26 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 663-004, February 1, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/663-004 (accessed October 12, 2026).