Paul Simon — quietly drawing attention

WHEN Rep. Paul Simon, the second-term Democrat from Carbondale, returned from the Middle East in December, he invited reporters in to talk. Simon was one of the U.S. congressmen in the Israeli Knesset gallery when Egyptian President Anwar Sadat gave his historic speech. The respect Paul Simon has in Washington was shown when both wire services and many major newspapers covered his remarks. A second press conference on the same topic, later that day by a more senior congressman who went on the same trip, was lightly attended. Though Simon is marked as a House member who is in political parlance a "comer" and whose thoughtful views carry some weight, he does not prefer that role. He would rather be known as a conscientious hard worker with specific priorities. He says firmly that "if it works out that I spend 15 or 20 years here, that's fine with me."

Though Simon has ruled out any statewide race for the next four years, at least. "I have no desire to go for governor again in 1982," he said. He added that any other statewide office would be a step down from his former service as lieutenant governor from 1969 to 1973. And he assumes that his old state legislature ally, Sen. Adlai E. Stevenson III, will seek reelection in 1980.

Though Simon would prefer a low profile, some Washington sources are also noticing his rising visibility in the House of Representatives. His seat on the House Budget Committee, which helps set national spending priorities, is particularly valuable. And his leadership of the battle for a youth subminimum wage, on the principled stand that it would produce more jobs without seriously damaging the economic prospects of unemployed teens (his amendment required they be raised to the full minimum wage, at least, after six months on the job), brought him— perhaps uncomfortably — into the public eye.

Simon also intends to use his Budget Committee seat for the same job-producing goal; he wants the committee to take a harder look at the job-creating impact of its decisions. Several Washington-based political newsletters and some of Simon's House colleagues speculate that he will run for the Budget Committee chairmanship in 1979. Simon discounts the idea, saying, "That's only a possibility."

After three years in Congress, Simon sees several key differences between the national and state legislative bodies. In general, he gives the U.S. House higher marks than the Illinois House but cautions, "though there is an improvement in quality, I don't mean that disrespectfully. Just as you gradually improve in quality of legislators when you go from a city council to a state legislature, so you gradually improve from a state legislature to here.

"I don't think the public understands the role of people like [Reps.] Stephen Solarz [D., N.Y.] or Charley Whalen [R., Ohio], people who don't make news, but are quietly doing a job behind the scenes in formulating useful policy." Many Capitol observers would add Simon's own role on the Budget Committee to the examples he gave.

Simon sees great differences in the handling of legislation. "Our committee system is much better here. The reports from the committees to the floor are better." Simon also says that the workings of conference committees in ironing out differences on bills between the two houses are better than in Illinois. "The conference committee here is bound by the House and Senate actions. In the legislature, we [the House] could pass a bill with a $1 pay raise for members and the Senate could pass a bill with a $2 pay raise — and then the conference committee could come out with a $10,000 pay raise."

Simon adds that the quality and quantity of staffing is better on the federal level, though there are times — especially in conference committees — when the staff gets in the way. He feels Illinois legislators need more and better staffing but cautions that "there are a few committees and members' offices here where staff influence is excessive."

Simon contends that the state legislature far outshines the U.S. House in the quantity and quality of its floor debate. "Almost all legislators show up on the floor of the Illinois House for a debate; here we have a handful of people at any one time, and I see important amendments often adopted by a vote of something like 11-8 — out of 435 members."

Simon's top legislative priority, and one he intends to push in both committees (Education and Labor, and Budget) on which he serves, is the creation of jobs. Simon's first goal is passage of the Humphrey-Hawkins full employment bill. He then intends to push a pet idea of his, a bill for an experimental guaranteed jobs program in 20 of the nation's poorest counties as selected by the U.S. labor secretary. Simon hopes the choices would include Alexander, Pope or Pulaski counties. All are in his district; all have unemployment rates over 20 per cent. "If we can tackle the sore spots in the area, the rest will come along economically," he says.

Unlike predecessor Ken Gray, Simon feels "gargantuan" public works projects are not a jobs cure-all. He opposes the proposed St. Louis airport, saying it is "a mistake" until economically justified. "It is an irritant in Missouri-Illinois relations. Instead of agreeing on moves to help the whole area, we're squabbling over one thing." 

March 1978/ Illinois Issues /43