Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-06-18
Engineer Urges
Doub|ingF Funds
ToRun Congress
StreomIine Proposal
L Would Boost SuIuries
\ To $37, 900, 900
BY DON S. WARREN.

ny Do1N os VVAhNElNs
Congress was advised today 1t
should at least double the amount
of money 1t now spends on itself, If
1t is to deal effectively with the in
creasingly complicated problems Of
Government.
Testifying before the LaFollette-
Monroney Joint Committee studying
modernization of the organization
of Congress, Robert Heller, Cleve-f
land consulting engineer, outlined
to the group the lengthy report he
made several months ago to the
National Planning Association.
Recommendations include a pro-
posal that Congress raise from about
$15, 100000 to some $37 1000 900 the
funds 1t appropriates for salaries,
staff, technical assistants and infor-
national aides.
Total Includes Pay Boost.
The extra $22,O0O,OOO would in
clude boost in pay for members
from SIC, 1000 to $25, 600 and provision
for retirement of members of Con-
gress at S., in keeping with the
length of their congressional service.
THE cost of operating Congress,
Mr.. Heller said, is small compared
with the total cost of operating our
Government-only about ST., 900 900
year, or less than cent per month
per citizen. The additional cost of
all my recommendations would be
about 100000 yielding a total
cost of about 2 cents per month per
citizen"
There was a time, before 1917.
Mr.. Heller said, when there was
relation between congressional
and executive costs, but since then
the congressional appropriations
have been left way behind"
The American people. he added, I
should see to it that Congress is
SO equipped as to permit itself |
to discharge its obligations as the
instrument of the people," adding,
Strengthening of Congress is in
dispensabls to the existence of an
effective democracy"
Proposes Cut in Committees.
The Heller plan goes far beyond
the money and staff proposals. how
ever. 1t proposes heavy reduce
ton in the number of standing COM
mittees of the House and Senate,
submission of congressional admin
istrative matters to joint commit
tees and calls for establishment in
each house of both majority and
minority policy committees to give
better direction to work of COM
mittees
He declared this is especially i'm
portant as to fiscal matters since
at present there is little effort"
made to relate total revenue and
total appropriations or to analyZe
specific revenue measures in terms
Of total revenue requirements. He
that there are at least |
seven regular standing committees {
dealing with fiscal policy.
Mr.. Heller commended that Con-
gress in normal times should not
pass "overly broad" appropriation
bills, but he warned against item
izing excessive details" 1t would be
just as bad for Congress Ito bog
down" over details, he said.
Among other recommendations:
Adoption by the Senate of cloture
rule rigid enough to eliminate the
fllibuster, which Mr.. Heller de-
nounced as 'undemocratic, in that
it permits a small group to impose
Its will on the majority"
Abandonment OF the practice of
passing riders" that are unrelated
to the main contents of bills.
Substitute for Seniority System.
, Develop a substitute for the SEN
iority system in selection of COM
mittee chairmen, which he said en-
ables a chairman to be arbitrary
with impunity" and prevents the
withholding of Craftsmanship
from the senior man though he
may be unqualified" for the job.
Experiment with the proposal for
question periods before the House
and Senate for executive depart
ment heads.
Make more organized inquiries
into basic" national affairs.
The Heller plan for retirement of
members of Congress at S. calls
for granting $1,000 a year to each
member for each full year of Con-
gressional service, up to a maxi
mum of $40 O00