EMERSON OPTIMISTIC ABOUT REFORMS

U.S. Rep. Bill Emerson expressed optimism Tuesday that a joint committee on congressional reform will come up with ways to improve legislative operations.

As a guest on a 45-minute viewer-call-in show on C-Span, Emerson said the committee has broad jurisdiction.

The committee, which began hearings this week, is not authorized to consider lobbyist or campaign-finance reforms, but "everything else related to Congress is fair game for this committee," he said.

Emerson said the structure of the committee - made up of 14 congressmen and 14 senators with equal representation from each party - will enable the group to complete its task. A sunset clause dissolves the committee at the end of the year, which, he explained, will keep this from becoming "just another committee."

Emerson touched on a variety of issues related to congressional reform during the program. His segment came after Rep. Lee Hamilton of Indiana, the ranking House Democrat on the panel, discussed the same issues.

This week the committee is scheduled to hear from Democratic leaders in the House and Senate. It eventually will hold field hearings around the country.

"We want to hear a very broad, balanced viewpoint," said Emerson.

The seven-term representative said there may be too many committees in the House, and certainly too many subcommittees. The problem in trying to reduce committees, Emerson said, is that a lot of personalities are involved and each committee develops its own traditions.

"I feel the problem has more to do with the proliferation of subcommittees rather than of committees," Emerson said.

Asked whether congressional staffs are too large, Emerson said personal staffs are the right size but the number of committees and subcommittees expands the overall staff size in the House.

"I have 16 people on my staff to deal with 567,000 constituents, and I don't think that is excessive," said Emerson.

Emerson said he would like to see Congress have a five-day workweek for six or seven months and then adjourn for the year so members could work in their districts.

He said: "I don't think Congress should be a year-round operation. I think cutting the time we are in session will be healthy for the country."

He said that too often the House is in session while committees are meeting and committees should meet when the House is not in session.

Emerson said he supports the line-item veto, which would not give the president too much authority, as some opponents have said. "I think the line-item veto is an appropriate tool, and we should extend that to the executive, whoever it may be," he said.

Emerson said there will be major changes in Congress in the aftermath of scandals at the House bank and post office. The appointment of a chief financial officer and other steps should bring about positive changes. he said.

Emerson said most members of Congress are serving for the right purpose. They are basically good people but not perfect, he said. "Sometimes a level of perfection is expected that cannot be met - but we try and try hard," he said.

Emerson said the public perception that lobbyists are all bad is incorrect. He said every kind of group has a lobbyist and not everyone is trying to buy influence or cut deals with members of Congress.

"Lobbyists have always been with us," said Emerson, a former congressional lobbyist. "Commenting and arguing fairly on policy issues; there's a big difference between that and influence peddling."

He said it is appropriate for lobbying groups to pay for trips of members of Congress. For example, Emerson said next week he will be speaking to a cotton group in Texas that will pay for his transportation and lodging.

Emerson said the group is seeking information from him as a member of the House Agriculture Committee. "I think it is appropriate to have them pay for it instead of the taxpayers," he said.

One caller asked Emerson a question that many people are asking: Why Congress spends more than it had to spend. "Congress is a great big committee," he replied. "It takes me and 217 others going in the same direction for things to happen.... The process is complex."

Although members represent different groups, Emerson said action will occur to bring spending under control when a majority of the members' constituents demand it.

"Congress will act and do what you are suggesting when the public is aroused enough to say, This is what needs to be done," said Emerson.

He suggested that people are more interested in seeing Congress reduce the deficit by cutting spending rather than by paying taxes.

In dealing with ethics issues involving members, Emerson said he supports a plan to have retired judges make decisions rather than members of Congress.

After serving with Republican Presidents Reagan and Bush during his 12 years in Congress, Emerson commented that things will be different in Washington, but not in his style of representing the 8th District of Missouri.

"It's different; we're adjusting," said Emerson. "This is still the sorting out time. We want to give the new folks time to lay their program out there."

He said the Clinton administration has the same time to lay out its policies, and then Congress will debate and decide them.

As for his own district, Emerson said he will carry the views of his district to Washington, and those views will sometimes conflict with Clinton's programs as they did at times with those of Reagan and Bush. "My style of representation doesn't change at all," Emerson said.

Even though there is a Democratic majority in Congress and a Democrat in the White House, Emerson said that does not mean gridlock is over because there will be conflicts between branches of government.

"That doesn't mean there won't be tension there will be," predicted Emerson.