House Panel Reportedly to Seek 35% Raise, End to Honorariums

A bipartisan House task force has decided to recommend a pay increase of up to 35% over the next two years, coupled with a phase-out of speech honorariums, and it will present the tentative plan to Democratic and Republican leaders this week, informed sources said Tuesday.

The pay plan, which would contain a new provision for continuing cost-of-living increases in the years ahead, would be coupled with a tightening of some House rules regarding financial disclosure, gifts and travel as well as a reduction in the amount of outside earned income that members may keep.

Most of the recommendations call for adjustments rather than wholesale changes of House policies that have drawn fire from many self-styled reformers. But the task force is expected to recommend basic and possibly far-reaching changes in the House Ethics Committee, splitting the committee into two separate panels, one that would function as a grand jury to bring charges and the other to judge the charges.

Any final plan would be up to House leaders of both parties, who are described as pessimistic that any plan can be sold to the public.

The task force was formed earlier this year after a presidential panel recommended that House and Senate members be given a 51% increase in their $89,500 annual pay. Groups around the country, led by radio talk shows, many newspapers and consumer advocate Ralph Nader, protested and forced defeat of the proposal.

Sources said the task force has decided to recommend a 10% increase in 1990 to make up for several years in which Congress has not allowed itself to take a cost-of-living increase. Then, in 1991, after the next congressional elections, Congress would be given a 25% increase, followed by regular cost-of-living raises.

Speech honorariums would be phased out over two years. But under a new formula, members would be able to keep up to 15% of outside income other than honorariums.