Preceded by redistricted Occupation Attorney Name Norman Lent | Spouse(s) Barbara Morris Lent | |
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Born March 23, 1931Oceanside, New York, U.S. ( 1931-03-23 ) Alma mater Hofstra UniversityCornell Law School Died June 11, 2012, Arlington County, Arlington, Virginia, United States Previous office New York State Senator (1967–1970) Residence Arlington County, Arlington, Virginia, United States, West Palm Beach, Florida, United States | ||
Norman Frederick Lent (March 23, 1931 – June 11, 2012) was a Republican-Conservative member of the United States House of Representatives from New York.
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Life
Lent was born in Oceanside, Nassau County, New York. He graduated from Malverne High School in 1948, from Hofstra University in 1952, and from Cornell Law School in 1957. Lent served in the U.S. Navy from 1952 to 1954, during and immediately after the Korean War, achieving the rank of Lieutenant.
Following his military service, Lent worked as a lawyer in private practice in Lynbrook, New York beginning in 1957, and served as an Associate Police Justice in East Rockaway from 1959 to 1960. He then worked as Confidential Law Secretary for New York Supreme Court Justice Thomas P. Farley from 1960 to 1962.
Lent was a member of the New York State Senate from 1963 to 1970, sitting in the 174th, 175th, 176th, 177th and 178th New York State Legislatures.
Congressional service
Lent was elected as a Republican to the 92nd, 93rd, 94th, 95th, 96th, 97th, 98th, 99th, 100th, 101st and 102nd United States Congresses, holding office from January 3, 1971, to January 3, 1993.
He was a delegate or alternate delegate to the 1972, 1976, 1980, 1984 and 1992 Republican National Conventions.
Lent entered Congress by defeating an incumbent, the controversial Democratic representative Allard K. Lowenstein, by 9,300 votes in a hotly contested election in a newly drawn, largely Republican district. One of his campaign slogans was the play on words, "Let's vote out Lowenstein for Lent." Long Island's generally liberal Five Towns region had recently been removed from the district, and the far more conservative Massapequa added, during Congressional redistricting by the Republican-controlled State legislature.
The election was viewed nationwide as a referendum on President Richard Nixon's conduct of the Vietnam War. Lent supported Nixon's policy of gradually withdrawing American Forces from Vietnam while turning the fighting over to the South Vietnamese Army.
As a U.S. Representative, Lent was endorsed several times by Long Island's largest newspaper, Newsday, whose editors called Lent a "key player in environmental and energy legislation". He was most active as a member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and of the House Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, ultimately becoming the ranking minority member of both committees.
Lent worked on drafting and handled floor debate for the Republican minority on some of the most sweeping environmental, energy, telecommunications and transportation legislation enacted during his tenure. These included the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, National Energy Policy Act of 1992, Cable Television Act, Legislation ending the 1992 National Rail Strike, the Superfund Act (CERCLA), Resource Conservation & Recovery Act (RCRA), Toxic Substances Control Act (TOSCA), the Conrail Privatization Act, and the Insider Trading and Securities Fraud, Enforcement Act.
Lent held Honorary Doctor of Laws Degrees from Hofstra University (1988) and Molloy College (1985) and was the recipient of the Prime Minister's Medal, State of Israel (1977), Distinguished Achievement Medal, Holland Society of New York (1987) and the George Estabrook achievement Award, Hofstra University (1967), along with many other awards.
Lent died on June 11, 2012 at his home in Arlington, Virginia, of cancer.