Speaking Fees Drop for Most Area Lawmakers : Congress: Rep. Waxman is the only Westside congressman who accepted more honorariums in 1990.

Westside congressmen accepted significantly less in controversial speaking fees from special-interest groups last year compared to the year before. The sole exception was Rep. Henry A. Waxman, whose honorariums rose significantly.

Financial disclosure statements show Waxman, the powerful chairman of the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on health and environment, received $70,123 in honorariums last year, up from $60,300 in 1989.

As in the past, many of the Los Angeles Democrat’s speaking fees came from health industry groups whose legislative interests fall under the broad jurisdiction of his subcommittee.

In the last year that a portion of the speaking fees could be devoted to a congressman’s personal use, Rep. Howard L. Berman (D-Panorama City) collected $12,900 in honorariums, down from $22,700 that he received in 1989.

Likewise, Rep. Mel Levine (D-Santa Monica) reported that he collected $3,450 in honorariums last year, a sharp decrease from $32,000 a year earlier.

Rep. Julian C. Dixon (D-Los Angeles) collected no honorariums last year, compared to $2,000 in 1989.

Rep. Anthony C. Beilenson (D-Los Angeles), an outspoken critic of honorariums and campaign contributions from political action committees, continued his longstanding practice of refusing to accept speaking fees.

Honorariums--which government-reform groups contend are tantamount to legalized bribery--were so heavily criticized that the House included a ban on retaining them for personal use as part of a pay-raise package adopted in 1989. However, the ban did not take effect until Jan. 1 of this year. Legislators will still be able to donate the fees to charity in the future.

Under the rules in effect through 1990, House members were permitted to keep for personal use no more than $26,850 in speaking fees annually and a maximum of $2,000 from any single speech. Hence, Waxman reported that he donated $43,463 in honorariums to charity and retained $26,660.

Honorariums and trips--much like political action committee campaign contributions--tend to go to lawmakers who are positioned to influence the outcome of legislation that affects the donor interest groups.

Waxman, a leader among honorarium recipients nationally, accepted speaking fees of $5,000 from the American Hospital Assn.; $4,950 from the Pharmaceutical Industry Investors, and $3,000 each from the American Society for Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics and the American Group Practice Assn. Although it is unusual for groups to give a lawmaker more than $2,000 for a single speech, Waxman received a total of eight honorariums of $3,000 to $5,000.

“Since I had a lot of invitations, I simply asked for $5,000, and groups were willing to pay it,” Waxman said in an interview. “I have been permitted under the rules to make additional income, which I certainly needed for personal purposes. I don’t see anything wrong with it.”

At the same time, he noted that he directs more of the money to charity than he keeps. He said recipients included AIDS Project Los Angeles, the American Assn. for Ethiopian Jewry, Bet-Tzedek Legal Services, Planned Parenthood and the Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Waxman said organizations that pay him for speeches gain neither access nor influence. He accepts invitations, he said, “if it’s a group that I particularly want to talk to and get my point of view across to them and it won’t take much time or effort on my part.”

Berman said he was pleased that lawmakers voted to increase their salaries from $89,000 to $124,400 in exchange for the prohibition on keeping any speaking fees.

Last year, Berman took nine expense-paid trips. He received $2,000 each from the American International Group and the National Assn. of Broadcasters, and $1,500 each from the National Cable Television Assn. and Pacific Telesis. None of the speaking fees went to charity.

“It took time away from things I would rather have been doing in terms of work or family,” he said. “All in all, it was not a great expenditure of time.”

Levine reported that he received $2,000 from a speech last December to the Foreign Policy Research Institute. In addition, he was paid $750 for three Op-Ed page articles published in The Times.

Although Dixon did not receive any honorariums, he reported that Sony Music Entertainment paid for a trip last year from Washington to Atlantic City and Los Angeles.

Miller reported from Washington and Rabin from Santa Monica.

Honorariums for Congressmen

The House included a ban on retaining honorariums for personal use as part of a pay-raise package adopted in 1989. However, the ban did not take effect until Jan. 1 of this year. Legislators will still be able to donate the fees to charity in the future. Under the rules in effect through 1990, House members were permitted to keep for personal use no more than $26,850 in speaking fees annually and a maximum of $2,000 from any single speech.

Legislator 1990 1989 Rep. Henry A. Waxman $70,123 $60,300 Rep. Howard L. Berman $12,900 $22,700 Rep. Mel Levine $3,450 $32,000 Rep. Julian C. Dixon none $2,000 Rep. Anthony C. Beilenson does not accept speaking fees

Waxman’s Fees

Although it is unusual for groups to give a lawmaker more than $2,000 for a single speech, Waxman received a total of eight honorariums of $3,000 to $5,000. Honorariums and trips tend to go to lawmakers who are positioned to influence the outcome of legislation that affects the donor interest groups. Waxman, the powerful chairman of the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on health and environment, accepted speaking fees from the following health-related groups.

Organization: Fee American Hospital Assn.: $5,000 Pharmaceutical Industry Investors: $4,950 American Society for Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics: $3,000 American Group Practice Assn.: $3,000