[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 197 (Tuesday, December 12, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H14340]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   STATEMENT ON REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON STANDARDS OF OFFICIAL CONDUCT

  (Mrs. JOHNSON of Connecticut asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute.)
  Mrs. JOHNSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, today, at the direction of 
the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, I have introduced a 
resolution which eliminates one of the few exceptions to House Rules 
regarding outside earned income.
  As you know, the Rules of the House now restrict the amount of 
outside income a Member or senior staffer may earn to $20,040 per year. 
However, copyright royalties and book advances are exempted from this 
restriction. A Member may publish a book and receive a large cash 
advance and unlimited royalties.
  The resolution introduced today would amend rule 47 of the Rules of 
the House of Representatives so as to prohibit advances and treat 
copyright royalties as earned income subject to the $20,040 yearly cap. 
The new restriction would apply to royalties earned after December 31, 
1995, for any book published after the beginning of House service, and 
would prohibit the deferral or royalties beyond the year in which 
earned.
  It is the committee's hope that this resolution will be considered 
and approved this year.
  As with our necessary reforms, this proposal may cause some momentary 
financial hardship in individual cases, or even delay the communication 
of useful ideas. In the long run, however, this proposal, by preventing 
the perception that book contracts are offered or their terms altered 
in deference to a Member's position rather than as a reflection of the 
book's content, will bring added attention to whatever ideas we may put 
forth.
  As has passage of the gift rule resolution and, hopefully, other 
reform initiatives, this change in our House rules will assure that our 
actions--both in fact and perception--merit public confidence.

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