Table of Contents
- Collection Summary
- Biographical Note
- Scope and Content Note
- Subject Headings
- Administrative Information
- Access and Use
- Encoding Information
- Arrangement
- Series List
- Container List
Collection Summary
Repository: | Archives and Special Collections Library, Vassar College Libraries |
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Creator: | Lazio, Rick |
Title: | Rick Lazio Papers |
Dates: | 1981-2005 |
Quantity: | 164.7 cubic feet (170 boxes) |
Abstract: | Material relating to Lazio's career in politics including his tenure as state legislator (1989-1992), as a four-term member of the House of Representatives (1993-2001), and concluding with his race for New York Senate in 2000. |
Biographical Note
Enrico (Rick) A. Lazio represented New York’s Second Congressional District for eight years. Born in West Islip in Suffolk County, New York, on March 13, 1958, Lazio is a graduate of Vassar College and the Law School at American University. He is the first Vassar graduate to serve in U.S. Congress.
After working as an Assistant District Attorney in Suffolk County for several years, Lazio won elected office as a Suffolk County Legislator in 1989. He ran for Congress in 1992 and won, defeating an 18-year incumbent. He served four terms from 1993 to 2001 (elected to the One Hundred Third and the three succeeding congresses), became Deputy Majority Whip in 1994, and was later named Assistant Majority Leader. As a moderate and a member of the House leadership, Lazio focused on legislation covering a wide variety of issues including the environment, criminal justice and health care. Lazio successfully worked to protect federal housing programs for the poor, disabled and elderly. In Congress, Lazio served on Banking and Financial Services Committees – the Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity (chairman), and the Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Securities, and Government Sponsored Enterprises. He also served on Commerce Committees – the Subcommittee on Finance and Hazardous Materials, and the Subcommittee on Health and Environment.
In 2000, five months before Election Day, Lazio entered the race for Senate to succeed Daniel Patrick Moynihan, and was defeated by Hillary Clinton. His late entry into the race followed New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani’s decision not to run for the Senate.
During the last four years of his term in Congress, Lazio was the only member to serve on both the Commerce and Banking Committees, and in that capacity was instrumental in passing the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Financial Services Modernization Act of 1999. As chairman of the House Financial Services Committee’s Subcommittee on Housing, Lazio authored and negotiated legislation enacting reform of public housing, and expanded homeownership for low-income families. He also introduced the Work Incentives Improvement Act, which maintains the security of health care insurance through Medicare and Medicaid for the disabled.
TopScope and Content Note
The Rick Lazio Papers document the political career of Lazio as state legislator (1989-1992), and as four-term member of the House of Representatives (1993-2001), concluding with his race for New York Senate in 2000. The majority of the files relate to his work as a member in the House of Representatives.
Lazio’s legislative work included involvement on house subcommittees addressing finance, housing and the environment. Legislation and appropriation files document the steps of securing political support and/or funding, from the earliest stages including correspondence with special interest groups, through the process of ushering a bill to its final legislative stages.
Staff correspondence documents the process of a myriad of issues presented to Lazio throughout his Congressional career, including feedback on selected issues, as well as numerous co-sponsorship letters signed by Lazio and his colleagues. Legislation of specific note in the collection includes documentation of:
• Low Income Housing Preservation and Resident Home Ownership Act (1995-1996)
• Housing and Responsibility Act (1997)
• Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Act (1998-2000)
• Work Incentives Improvement Act, the Fairness in Securities Transactions Act (1999)
• Wage and Employment Growth Act (1999).
Files for these bills contain press coverage, talking points, floor statements, press releases, and testimonies. Additional legislative files cover a wide range of issues, including senior citizen support, housing, education, veterans and the environment.
The collection also provides insight into the mechanics of running election campaigns. Debate transcripts, op-ed articles, television/radio print ads, and post-mortem critiques, demonstrate the strategy and fundamentals of running a campaign. For example, strategies and critiques of communication are provided in draft speeches, as well as staff correspondence. Files also contain documentation of communication symposia provided for members of the Republican Party.
The majority of materials relating to Lazio’s Senate race are press clippings and releases. There are no files documenting campaign strategy. Speech files do contain stump speeches and a campaign announcement speech. (See Box 116, Senate Campaign Papers, Speech File, 1999; file also contains a speech critique memo.) One file contains practice questions for television interviews(Box 117, Senate Campaign Papers, Subject File, 1999). Of particular note is a folder holding a copy of Lazio’s "New York Freedom from Soft Money Pact," which was issued to Hillary Clinton during the Senate campaign (Box 118, Senate Campaign Papers, Subject File, 2000).
TopArrangement
Records are arranged chronologically, then alphabetically. Wherever possible, the original order of the papers was preserved. In an effort to preserve these groupings as found, date spans listed on folder titles may reflect a larger date range than individual records found within a folder.During processing, minor conservation was performed on documents. Paper clips and rubber bands were removed. Original news clippings were filed separately. Some original news clippings, which were found filed within series other than Press Coverage, were placed in mylar sleeves to prevent acid migration.The bulk of the collection was generated by Lazio and his staff; however, press coverage from 2005 was added to the collection during processing.TopAccess and Use
Access
Several items are restricted, they are marked CONFIDENTIAL. See archivist for details. The rest of the collection is open for research according to the regulations of the Vassar College Archives and Special Collections Library without any additional restrictions.
Restrictions on Use
The bulk of this collection is stored off-site and advance notification is required for use. Please contact Library Staff for more information.
Permission to quote (publish) from unpublished or previously published material must be obtained as described in the regulations of the Vassar College Archives and Special Collections Library.
Subject Headings
Names:
- Clinton, Hillary Rodham
Organizations:
- United States. Low Income Housing Preservation and Resident Homeownership Act of 1990
- United States. Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act of 1998
- United States. Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999
Subjects:
- Bills, Legislative--United States--History--20th century
- Environmental policy--United States--History--20th century
- Housing policy--United States--History--20th century
- Legislators--New York (State)
- Medical care--Law and legislation--United States--History--20th century
- Political campaigns--United States--History--20th century
- Politicians--New York (State)
Places:
- New York (State)--Politics and government--1951-
- Suffolk County (N.Y.)--Politics and government
- United States--Politics and government--1993-2001
VCL Categories:
- Politics
Encoding Information
Encoded by Elizabeth Clarke, August 2007. Updated by Emma Gronbeck, March 2024.
TopAdministrative Information
Preferred Citation
Rick Lazio Papers, Archives and Special Collections Library, Vassar College Libraries.
Processing Information
Processed by the Winthrop Group, 2005-2006. Last updated by Laura Streett, March 2007.
Acquisition Information
Gift of Rick Lazio (VC 1980), 2005.
Series List
Series I. Pre-Congressional Papers | |
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Suffolk County Legislature, 1985-1993 (Boxes 20, 21, 158) | |
Lazio served as state legislator from 1989 - 1992. This subseries contains the earliest records of the collection, including files documenting the beginning of Lazio’s political career as Suffolk County Legislator. The files hold correspondence, press clippings, speeches and statements, general reference files, and documentation from the Suffolk County Human Rights Commission, which includes press clippings, background materials and talking points. (One Pre-Congressional speech is filed in the Speech Files, regarding Substance Abuse, Bay Shore Chamber of Commerce, see Boxes 87 and 157.) | |
Campaign Files, 1981-1993 (Boxes 22-25, 115 (Oversize), 157) | |
This subseries includes material documenting Lazio’s campaign against Congressional incumbent Tom Downey. The majority of the Campaign files contain constituent correspondence, drafts of text used for printed campaign materials, print and radio advertisements, press clippings and press releases. In addition, there are debate preparation notes, as well as proposed questions for a Lazio/Downey debate (see Box 24: 1992 "Opposition Research Tips"). Several files include documentation of research conducted on Lazio’s opponent, Tom Downey (see "Opposition Research" files, Boxes 23 and 24). The subseries also contains logistical materials documenting campaign strategy (see Box 25: 1992 "Overview of the Campaign and Its Operations" and Box 24: 1992 "Post-Mortem Campaign Analysis."). |
Series II. Congressional Papers | |
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Appropriations, 1993-2000 (Boxes 26-32) | |
Lazio served four terms in Congress, from 1993 to 2001, (he was elected to the one hundred third congress and the three succeeding congresses). The Appropriation files document the process of funding requests for a range of issues including agriculture, education, health care, transportation, defense programs, and the environment. Files contain proposed appropriations presented to Lazio from staff for his approval, and congressional correspondence (co-sponsorship letters) from Lazio for issues which received his support. Staff correspondence often includes marginalia from Lazio regarding issues presented for consideration. The subseries also contains requests from a wide range of special interest groups seeking funding support. | |
Campaign Files, 1993-1998 (Boxes 33-40, 115 (Oversize), 157) | |
Congressional campaign files contain documentation related to Lazio’s re-election campaigns held in 1994, 1996, and 1998. Files pertaining to his initial Congressional campaign are held in Series I. Files for Lazio’s Senate Campaign in 2000 are held in Series III. Files in this subseries primarily concern the logistics involved in running a re-election campaign. Documentation includes reports and analysis summaries of the campaigns, opponent research files, debate preparation notes, and campaign planning reports including a campaign strategy presented to Lazio by the Carlyle Gregory Company (Box 33).(See Lazio for Congress ’94 "After Action Report," with notes by RL in Box 34.) In addition, there is an overview of the 1994 Lazio campaign with recommendations for future campaigns, post mortem notes, budgets, fundraising plans, a Lazio/Manfre debate transcript, and correspondence, including endorsement letters. | |
The subseries also holds proposals from political consulting companies (Box 33), and files from a 1998 Republican branding strategy symposium presented by Wirthlin Worldwide (Box 40). The files contain presentation materials for communication trainings, text for speeches by Lazio, and notes from speech training modules presented during the symposium. | |
Correspondence, 1992-2002 (Boxes 41-45, 157) | |
The Correspondence files contain thank-you letters from constituents and colleagues, congratulatory letters, as well as letters from constituents presenting requests for support. One folder holds White House correspondence from President Bill Clinton (1993-2000) covering a wide range of legislative issues during Lazio’s congressional career (see Box 41). Correspondence files also contain letters pertaining to the fate of Holocaust victims’ assets held in the United States, including a letter from Newt Gingrich (1/1/1999) appointing Lazio to the Presidential Advisory Commission on Holocaust Assets (see Box 43). | |
Event, 1993-2001 (Boxes 46-61) | |
In addition to the text for speeches by Lazio, notes, invitations and talking points, the event files also include logistical background material for events attended by Lazio. There are notes from various speaking engagements scheduled throughout his congressional career. Of note, are several files from a subseries of New York Housing Forum trips to Albany, Boston, Buffalo and Rochester, containing transcripts of discussions, agendas, notes, participant lists, bios, and speech texts. The subseries also contains documentation of a press event for the Theodore Roosevelt Medal of Honor, which Lazio played a significant role in securing (see Box 54). Boxes 106 and 109 have additional research material. | |
Legislation, 1992-2000 (Boxes 62-86, 158) | |
The subseries documents Lazio's congressional committee work with issues involving banking, commerce and finance, housing, health care and the environment. The records include legislative co-sponsorship letters signed by Lazio, as well as bills and appropriations presented for approval. The files contain talking points, background materials, testimonies, floor statements, letters of support, and correspondence regarding issues such as world trade, crime, health care, housing, and health care. Of note, are files from the Federal Housing Administration regarding mortgage insurance programs (Box 65), and files regarding Low Income Housing Preservation and Resident Home Ownership, which contain grant proposals, talking points, testimony statements and legal briefs (Box 65 and 66). The subseries contains extensive documentation of the Work Incentives Improvement Act, introduced by Lazio. The files hold Senate hearing text, staff correspondence, mark-ups, colloquy text, and drafts of the bill’s language (see Boxes 76-78). | |
Speech Files, 1993-2000 (Boxes 87-91, 158) | |
The speeches in this subseries relate to Lazio’s involvement with issues including health care, trade, finance, and housing. One Pre-Congressional speech from a Bay Shore Chamber of Congress event is included in this series (see Box 87, 158). Speech texts are tailored to specific events attended by Lazio. Topics include health care, technology, veterans, and home ownership. The Speech files contain speech drafts with hand written notes, talking points, research materials, comments on delivery, suggested jokes, and often include coaching comments regarding speech delivery, and notes regarding content. Files also contain speech development notes and reference materials held for prospective speech content. The subseries is arranged by year. Additional speech texts can also be found in the Event Subseries, as noted in folder titles. See Box 87 for a stump speech (1994), including notes. See also Subject Files, for Speech Development Notes (1997) regarding quality of speech delivery and general feedback notes (Box 103). | |
Subject Files, 1989-2005 (Boxes 92-109, 115 (Oversize),158) | |
The Subject Files hold orientation materials for congressional freshmen (Box 93), op-ed texts by Lazio on various subjects including senior citizens, homeowner insurance, Saddam Hussein, and chemical weapons, as well as essay text regarding Iraq, the Middle East, and statements on weapons of mass destruction (Box 105). Several files (Boxes 104-105) address the impeachment of President Bill Clinton, including Lazio's drafts of a statement on the impeachment written while on Air Force One during his trip with President Clinton to the Middle East (Box 104). There is also a report prepared by the Luntz Research Co. regarding "The Language of the 21st Century," a suggested national communication strategy for congressional and senatorial candidates (Box 92). | |
The subseries holds several files regarding the establishment of the Main Street Republican Partnership, which include briefing books, by-laws, policy proposals, mission statements and correspondence (Boxes 100-101). Additional materials, including press materials and correspondence, are found in this subseries pertaining to the Theodore Roosevelt Medal of Honor (Box 106, 109). Subject files also contain reference materials including research and background material, correspondence, and reports. | |
The series includes one New York Times Magazine article (10/2/2005) featuring Lazio that was added to the collection during processing (see Box 92). | |
Travel, 1993-1999 (Boxes 110-113) | |
This subseries documents Lazio’s national and international travel files and includes trip briefings, press packets, meeting agendas, talking points and correspondence. Trips of note were to Ireland, Prague, the Czech Republic, Italy, Kosovo, Balkans, and Germany. Several files document Lazio’s trip with President Clinton to the Middle East during 1998 (Boxes 111-112). |
Series III. Senate Campaign Papers | |
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Campaign Files, 2000 (Box 114, 3 folders) | |
This subseries consists of campaign flyers, handbills, and correspondence from constituents. | |
Correspondence, 2000 (Box 114, 2 folders) | |
The correspondence in this subseries largely consists of letters of support from constituents. | |
Press Coverage, 1995-2000 (Boxes 114, 115 (Oversize), 116) | |
The press clippings in this subseries document Lazio’s Senate campaign and news coverage of Hillary Clinton. The clippings are arranged chronologically, and in some cases, were collected and filed daily. | |
Speech Files, 1998-2000 (Boxes 116, 117) | |
The files for Lazio’s speaking engagements during his Senate campaign often include outlines and talking points, suggested humor and event details. The subseries contains Lazio’s Senate campaign announcement speech and stump speeches, which include notes and a speech critique memo (Box 116). Speeches in the subseries address the values and focus of the Republican Party, as well as housing, technology, the Middle East, and other issues. | |
Subject Files, 1998-2005 (Boxes 117,118) | |
The Subject files contain reference materials used during the Senate campaign. The files contain a variety of documents, including television interview practice questions addressing campaign issues, daily schedules for Lazio and his wife, and lists documenting Lazio's political positions and accomplishments. One folder contains a copy of the "New York Freedom from Soft Money Pact," a document Lazio presented to Hillary Clinton during the Senate campaign, requesting a pledge to ban soft money from the Senate Race (Box 118). This folder also includes the text for Lazio's Associated Press speech regarding the "soft money pact," dated 9/20/2000. |
Series IV. Press Coverage | |
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Press Clippings, 1990-2005 (Boxes 119-139, 143-156 (Oversize)) | |
The majority of press clippings in the subseries date from 1999-2000 and document the Senate race, campaign finance, and press coverage of Hillary Clinton. The press clippings in this subseries have been arranged as found, in chronological order. The presence of original newsprint clippings is noted in folder titles. The clippings from earlier years, 1992–1996, contain references to speeches by Lazio addressing local politics, including crime, housing, senior citizens, veterans, the environment, home ownership, Long Island employment, the local business economy, education and health care. | |
Press Releases, 1996-1998 (Boxes 140-142) | |
Press Releases in this subseries generated by Lazio’s staff announce bills authored and co-sponsored by Lazio. The releases cover issues such as healthcare, veteran support, crime, cancer and healthcare, senior citizens, Long Island economy and the environment. |
Series V. Printed Materials, 1991-2000 (Boxes 109, 151 (Oversize), 156 (Oversize), 158) | |
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The files contain campaign flyers, brochures, newsletters, Lazio voting record reports, mailers, Senate campaign packaging, and baseball-style trading cards. The subseries also includes Senate campaign advertisements, as well as Lazio’s own published newsletters (Rick Lazio Citizen Reports). |
Series VI. Audio Visual Materials, 1992-2000 (Boxes 1-19, 158, 161 (Oversize), 163-170) | |
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The videotapes and audiotapes in the collection include news broadcasts, symposia, House floor debates, a Senate Campaign debate, and television commercials. The tapes are arranged in chronological order. Video and audiotapes were not reviewed by Winthrop Group at the time of processing. Video and audio tape titles are listed as transcribed directly from individual tape labels. The subseries also includes four folders of color photographs, which were removed from the Event and Travel subseries (Box 158). There is a chronological break in the series beginning with Box 17. This break reflects additional materials which were added after the audio-visual collection was initially processed. There are also 4 boxes of unprocessed photographs included in this series. There is limited access to these photographs. |
Series VII. Artifacts, 1989-2000 (Box 159, 160 (Oversize)) | |
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Artifacts include campaign memorabilia such as balloons, cigar-shaped bubblegum, pins, a baseball cap and assorted "give-aways." A plaque with a mounted leather whip is included in the subseries, which is inscribed: "Rick Lazio, 106th Congress, Whip Team, The Year We Stopped The Raid." |
Container List
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Details
Material relating to Lazio's career in politics including his tenure as state legislator (1989-1992), as a four-term member of the House of Representatives (1993-2001), and concluding with his race for New York Senate in 2000.