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Conversation 014–026

Date: November 10, 1971
Time: 8:04pm-8:06pm
Location: White House Telephone
Participants: President Nixon, William Timmons, White House Operator
Download Audio Files: MP3
Listen:

President Nixon: Hello?

White House Operator: Mr. Timmons, Mr. President.

President Nixon: Yeah.

White House Operator: Mr. President.

President Nixon: Hello [William] Bill [Timmons]?

William Timmons: Yes Mr. President?

President Nixon: What’s the situation in the House and Senate today?

Timmons: Um..the Senate has just passed the Economic Humanitarian Bill on foreign aid 61–23.

President Nixon: I knew they would pass it—

Timmons: Yeah.

President Nixon: Roger is—Rogers said “oh it’s close,” I said for christ sake we all have got to hope for the best.

Timmons: Yeah, some of the hard conservatives didn’t go the course, but we’ll pick them up tomorrow on the Simpson amendment and secure the party.

President Nixon: Think we will?

Timmons: Oh sure, our projection is pretty good tomorrow although it’s going to be closer than today’s vote.

President Nixon: Think we can pass it though?

Timmons: I think so, I think so. Now in the House uh—they have a continuing resolution to keep the foreign aid and the other—

President Nixon: Right.

Timmons: Unwanted programs alive and [John F.] Seiberling from Ohio offered an amendment after that [unclear] he got to pick ten votes. [chuckling]

President Nixon: Right.

Timmons: And 356 against [John G.] Dow uh—from New York offered a amendment to the continuing resolution to cut out all foreign aid except administrative expenses. He knew he was defeated and lost on a voice vote. Uh—they are moving in the final passages in probably ten or fifteen minutes on the continuing resolution to go on through.

President Nixon: They will pass it then?

Timmons: Yes sir.

President Nixon: That’s good.

Timmons: So tomorrow we have the—

President Nixon: And they didn’t have a seperate vote on the [Michael J.] Mansfield and all the rest?

Timmons: No they didn’t.

President Nixon: Put it all in the package, good.

Timmons: We may have that tomorrow though because they’re going to pick up uh—the military procurement conference report tonight and as you know—

President Nixon: Oh yeah they—Les [Leslie C.] Arends told me that they would probably have to take the damn amendment, I think they might as well. Do you agree?

Timmons: Yeah, they would water it down a little bit, uh—Mr. Mansfield is so policy-based of course we don’t like that, but we would pick up six months so we might as well take it.

President Nixon: Oh well just pay no attention to it, just say “oh that’s good.”

Timmons: They’re going to lay it down tonight and vote it tomorrow I think. Um…everybody up here is talking about Secretary of Agriculture.

President Nixon: Oh god yes.

Timmons: But, I’m pleased with the vote today um…the tough one will be tomorrow with the Senate amendment and the security part because they’re reasonably liberal. But I think we will pass them.

President Nixon: Well we better.

Timmons: We’ll have to devise a strategy because the thing tomorrow is today and tomorrow is authorization. We’ll have to get Tom [Thomas E.] Morgan and Bill [William S.] Malliard to decide whether they should pick up a new authorization or not. You’ll recall they passed one earlier during Christmas and they’re kind of waiting for us to give them the signal. I don’t know whether we should do it or not.

President Nixon: [Unclear]

Timmons: Well uh—they’ll have to pass another bill of course, foreign aid bill which will have higher levels of [unclear]. On the other hand we’ve got the appropriation bill is no longer [unclear], because they’re not authorized it could pass both houses and fund they’re program with government authorization.

President Nixon: Good, OK. Well I think the dinners went alright.

Timmons: Oh great, and I’m glad you hit the foreign aid in there I think it was very helpful for both houses.

President Nixon: Tommorrow’s the day. [chuckling]

Timmons: Yeah.

President Nixon: Win it tomorrow, OK?

Timmons: Alright sir, thank you.

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