Copyright 1990 Levitt Communications, Inc.
                                  Roll Call

                               October 15, 1990

LENGTH: 643 words

HEADLINE: House Members Eye Prime Hill Real Estate, Soon to Be Vacant

BYLINE: By Karen Foerstel

BODY:


   As retiring Members prepare to leave the Hill at the end of this year, their
colleagues have already begun to eye prime Hill real estate that will soon be
vacant.

   Of the 31 House Members who will be giving up their offices, 14-term Rep.
Gus Hawkins (D-Calif) has one of the more luxurious suites. Hawkins's Rayburn
office is of average size, about 1,100 square feet, but it is located at the
north end of the building, offering a beautiful view of the Capitol.  Hawkins's
office is also located near a "Members-only elevator."

   The Longworth office of retiring Ways and Means ranking member Bill Frenzel
(R-Minn) has a view only of the Rayburn building, but it covers more than 1,400
square feet. It is also located just below the Ways and Means Committee room.

   The process of handing out new offices will begin a few days after the Nov.
6 elections, when a list of vacancies is drawn up by the superintendent of House
Office Buildings, Bob Miley.

   The most senior Members are contacted first and awarded their pick of the
lot. Once the upperclassmen have chosen, Members of lower classes must enter
into daily lotteries, and that's when the fun begins.

   Each class is given a 24-hour period to make their selections. The process
starts with the most senior class and ends several weeks later with the incoming
freshmen.

   The day begins at noon, with Members and staffers crowding into the lottery
room to view a list of open offices. Each Member draws a number. The Member with
the highest number has 20 minutes to make his or her selection of the open
office space.

   Then, the next highest number has 20 minutes to decide, and so on, until each
Member of the class has made a choice. The lottery then begins again the
following noon with the next class.

   The trouble starts as the list of open offices changes since Members
selecting new spots are vacating their own offices. As one office opens and
another closes, staffers or the Members themselves race through the different
buildings to survey the offices and find the perfect choice.

   If a lawmaker cannot return to the lottery room with a decision within the
20-minute period, he loses his turn and must go to the end of the line. A large
electronic clock is placed in the room, counting off the minutes for all to see.

   Miley said there have been occasions when a Member has raced back to the room
just in time to see his 20 minutes expire and the next Member in line sign for
his choice.

   Once all the classes have selected, usually after about three weeks of daily
lotteries, the incoming freshmen are given a list of all the remaining offices.
Then, they draw numbers and are sent out at 9 a.m. to peruse the open spaces.
They must return by 1 p.m. to make choices in order of their lottery numbers.

   Miley said offices are usually selected upon size, proximity to the House
floor, and view. Many Members also prefer offices on the lower levels.

   The most popular offices are generally located in the Rayburn building.
Miley said it usually takes about three terms to make it to that building.  The
Longworth building is also popular for its architecture, wood work, and black
walnut cabinets.

   The least popular offices, Miley said, are Longworth 1630, 1631, and 1632,
located on the sixth floor. These offices, which Miley said are always the last
to go, are divided into unconnected suites and overlook the Longworth courtyard.
They are currently occupied by freshmen Reps. Glen Browder (D-Ala), Jill Long
(D-Ind), and Craig Washington (D-Texas), all of whom came to Congress in special
elections.

   In addition to Hawkins and Frenzel, other Members giving up key offices
include Reps. Lindy Boggs (D-La), whose office is located in Rayburn 2353;
Virginia Smith (R-Neb), in Rayburn 2202; and Washington Del. Walter Fauntroy
(D), in Rayburn 2135.