EMERSON PREDICTS CONTINUED MOVEMENT ON GOP CONTRACT

U.S. Rep. Bill Emerson predicted Friday that House Republicans would fulfill their promise to act on all parts of the Contract With America during the first 100 days of Congress.

"We will stay on the timetable; we will complete the contract on time, in my opinion, at this juncture," said the Cape Girardeau Republican.

Emerson predicted that opponents of the contract will make every attempt to delay passage of the remaining components. But he said the GOP leadership is anticipating those efforts and will be prepared to have the House in session 20 hours a day, even on weekends if necessary.

Emerson discussed progress on the Contract With America in a conference call with newspaper reporters in his 8th District. Next Wednesday will mark the midway point of the 100 days.

So far more than half of the contract has been acted on, but some of the more controversial issues are still awaiting action.

On the first day of the session in January, a number of reforms were made in the way business is conducted. Many of those reforms were proposed by a joint committee on congressional reform that Emerson served on in 1993; however, last year Democratic leaders declined to act on the recommendations.

"We made more significant changes in rules and how Congress operates in our 14-hour opening session than in the preceding quarter century," said Emerson.

Those changes included having Congress follow the same laws as the rest of the country, reducing committee staff by a third, eliminating three committees and 25 subcommittees, and banning proxy voting.

Parts of the contract already acted on include: limiting unfunded mandates passed on to states; passage of a balanced-budget amendment and giving line-item veto authority to the president; making six changes in the crime bill pushed through Congress last year by President Bill Clinton; and working to restore military strength.

Emerson said the crime bill changes are designed to give local officials more flexibility in how funds are spent through block grants. "A lot of local officials tell me their needs are not cops on the beat, but they may need new surveillance equipment or communications equipment," he said.

Under the Republican approach, the congressman said smaller cities like those in the 8th District would get a better shot at funds.

In the effort to balance the budget, Emerson said he believes defense spending should be scrutinized, but cuts enacted by the Clinton administration are far too severe and weaken the country's position in the post-cold-war world.

"While the cold war is behind us, it is still a dangerous world," said Emerson.

Although it is not in the contract, Emerson said there is strong support in Congress to repeal the assault weapons ban and the Brady Bill approved last year. But since Clinton would veto any repeal measure, Emerson said members would likely wait until after the 1996 presidential election to act.

If the balanced budget is ultimately enacted, Emerson said he believes citizens are willing to accept the kind of tough decisions that would have to be made by members of Congress.

"I think there will be some tough bullets to bite, but the American public expects us to bite them," said Emerson. "Business as usual is unacceptable at the moment."

Emerson said mail from his constituents clearly tell him people want spending under control and the federal budget made much tighter. The main thing people want are equitable cuts, he believes.

He said state and local governments will have to make decisions on whether to fund certain programs the federal government cuts out or reduces. Other programs, like funding for public broadcasting and the National Endowment for the Arts, "should be zeroed," said Emerson.

Still to come on the Contract With America is action on cutting back government regulations; reform of the legal system; welfare reform; changes in the federal tax code; and term limits.

Emerson defended the fast-track approach being used by GOP leaders to move the contract through in 100 days. He said they are issues most Americans have wanted action on for years.

"These are issues on which there are mounds of documentation the American public wants to have addressed by taking a conservative approach to solving these problems," said Emerson.

Another issue not in the contract but drawing attention, are efforts to change affirmative action guidelines. Emerson said he does not believe fairness comes through quotas, and that affirmative action has only led to reverse discrimination.

"I have always believed that we should have one standard of citizenship, and discrimination should be enforced on an individual basis and not by the numbers," said Emerson. "I think merit is the appropriate measure when it comes to employment."