THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Monday, August 22, 1994                TAG: 9408220064
SECTION: LOCAL                    PAGE: B3   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS 
DATELINE: RICHMOND                           LENGTH: Short :   48 lines

PAYNE, BLILEY AMONG TOP 25 PAC DONATION RECIPIENTS BOTH VIRGINIA CONGRESSMEN GOT MORE THAN $300,000 IN LAST 18 MONTHS.

Two Virginia representatives are among the top 25 recipients of political action committee contributions of the 393 House members seeking re-election, Federal Election Commission figures show.

Lewis F. Payne, D-5th, from Danville, ranked 23rd on the list, with $363,793 received from PACs in the past 18 months, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported on Sunday.

Payne, who won a spot on the powerful tax-writing Ways and Means Committee last year, jumped ahead of Rep. Thomas Bliley, R-7th, from Richmond, who was No. 25 among incumbents, with $333,388 from PACs, the figures show.

That puts the two among the top 6 percent of PAC money recipients in the House, a list that includes former Ways and Means Chairman Dan Rostenkowski (No. 3), Speaker Thomas Foley (No. 5) and Minority Whip Newt Gingrich (No. 20).

Payne's challenger, Republican George C. Landrith III of Charlottesville, is using the issue for all it's worth. Landrith, trailing badly in fund raising with $95,583, has received only $1,000 from PACs. He argues that because 86 percent of the $423,131 Payne has raised in the last 18 months comes from PACs, Payne is obligated to special interests.

``He's PAC-Man,'' Landrith said. ``When I campaign in the district, it's very apparent to me the special interests are backing him, and the voters aren't.''

Payne is attractive to PACs because of his Ways and Means seat and the crucial role the committee will play in the debate over health care reform. Giving from health industry PACs to congressional campaigns since January 1993 has increased 51 percent over the amount they gave those campaigns from January 1991 and June 1, 1992.

In Payne's case, health-care PAC donations have increased from $12,500 in the last election cycle when he did not belong to Ways and Means to $81,487 this year, the newspaper reported.

Tobacco company PACs also gave generously to Payne.

KEYWORDS: U.S. CONGRESS POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE CONTRIBUTIONS

by CNB