EMERSON SAYS HOUSE MUST GET ON WITH BUSINESS

The impeachment trial of President Clinton in the Senate shouldn't distract House members from their legislative duties, U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson said Thursday.

Both Republicans and Democrats in the House want to put impeachment behind them and move forward with the nation's business, the Cape Girardeau Republican said.

"I think there is a feeling on the part of most House members that we want to do nothing but legislative work now, and let's get started," she told Southeast Missouri reporters in a conference call from her Washington office.

Still, Emerson acknowledged that the impeachment proceedings have brought about "hard feelings" among lawmakers. But she said she believes House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt, D-St. Louis, is sincere in wanting to bury the political hatchet.

Emerson said she hopes that a bipartisan retreat planned for Hershey, Pa., in March will go a long way toward congressional unity.

Emerson is on the steering committee that is planning the retreat. The first retreat was held two years ago and involved 200 members, she said.

The new speaker of the House, Rep. Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., could help reduce partisan bickering, Emerson said.

Hastert's behind-the-scenes style should help, she said. "First of all, Dennis is interested not in being a celebrity but in being a legislator."

She said Hastert has pledged that the House will complete work on all budget bills before the August recess.

Emerson said she has mixed feelings whether Clinton should deliver a state of the union address on Jan. 19 amid the Senate impeachment trial. She said the impeachment proceedings could make it awkward for Clinton to deliver the speech. Still, she said it appears the White House plans to go ahead with the speech. The speech originally was scheduled for Jan. 26 but was moved up a week so as not to conflict with the pope's scheduled visit to St. Louis.

Emerson said she hopes Congress this year will address issues such as Social Security, education, defense and tax relief.

Preserving Social Security should be a top priority, she said. The Social Security fund should be considered separately from the rest of the federal budget. Congress shouldn't touch the money, Emerson said. Social Security money should be invested in government-backed securities.

Emerson said she plans to hold meetings in her Southeast Missouri district this year to get public input on what steps should be taken regarding Social Security.

She also wants more federal money funneled directly to the nation's school districts without regulatory strings.

"We spend right now $32 billion a year at the Department of Education. Very little of that money ever reaches the classroom," said Emerson.

There are some 760 federal education programs administered by 39 different agencies. "If we took all the programs and put them just in one agency we would save so much money," Emerson said.

The congresswoman wants to eliminate much of the funding bureaucracy in education. "The fact of it is bureaucrats don't need the money."

Emerson wants better pay for military personnel. "There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that in order to recruit good folks in military service we need to pay better," she said.

Families of some military personnel have to rely on food stamps to make ends meet, Emerson said.

"I think it is critical that we have a strong defense," she said. "We also have to look at putting an anti-missile defense system in place."

Emerson said she continues to support a balanced-budget amendment as the only sure way to control government spending.

"Once Washington gets its hands on extra money, it spends it," she said.

Emerson will serve on the powerful House Appropriations Committee and the agriculture appropriations subcommittee. She also will serve on the treasury, postal and general government subcommittee and the District of Columbia subcommittee.

She said the committee is involved every step of the way in policy and funding decisions.

"The more farm-state folks we have on appropriations, the better off we are," she said.

The treasury-postal subcommittee controls the purse for federal agencies such as the IRS and for anti-drug efforts.

The District of Columbia subcommittee deals with funding for the nation's capital.