Norman F. Lent

Norman Frederick Lent
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 4th district
In office January 3, 1973 – January 3, 1993
Preceded by	Allard K. Lowenstein
Succeeded by	David A. Levy
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 5th district
In office January 3, 1971 – January 3, 1973
Preceded by	Allard K. Lowenstein
Succeeded by	Peter T. King
Personal details
Born	March 23, 1931(1931-03-23) Oceanside, New York
Political party	Republican Party
Residence	Arlington, Virginia West Palm Beach, Florida
Alma mater	Hofstra University Cornell University Law School
Occupation	Attorney

Norman Frederick Lent (born March 23, 1931) is a former Republican-Conservative member of the United States House of Representatives from New York.

Lent was born in Oceanside, Long Island, New York. He graduated from Malverne High School in 1948, from Hofstra University in 1952, and from Cornell University 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.

After 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 in 1959-60. He then worked as the Confidential Law Secretary (law clerk) to New York State Supreme Court Justice Thomas P. Farley from 1960 to 1962.

In 1962, Lent was elected to the New York State Senate from Nassau County, and served from 1963 until 1970. In 1970, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. In addition to serving as a Congressman, Lent was selected as a delegate or alternate delegate to the 1972, 1976, 1980, 1984, and 1992 Republican National Conventions.

1970 House election

Lent entered Congress by defeating an incumbent, the controversial Democratic representative Allard K. Lowenstein, by 9,300 votes in a hotly contested election. One of his campaign slogans was the play on words, "Let's vote out Lowenstein for Lent." 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.

After first being elected in 1970, Lent was reelected to Congress ten times, serving as a member of the 92nd to 102nd Congresses, from January 3, 1971 to January 3, 1993.

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 Hazardous Waste Cleanup 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 holds Honorary Doctor of Laws Degrees from Hofstra University (1988) and Molloy College (1985) and is 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 retired undefeated from Congress in 1992, not seeking renomination to the 103rd Congress.

He was the founding partner of the Washington, DC consulting firm of Lent Scrivner Roth, LLC, which dissolved following his retirement in July, 2008.

Sources

• Norman F. Lent at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress

New York State Senate
Preceded by Daniel G. Albert	New York State Senate, 2nd, 6th and 7th District 1963–1970	Succeeded by Norman J. Levy
United States House of Representatives
Preceded by Allard K. Lowenstein	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 4th congressional district 1971–1993	Succeeded by Peter T. King