Senatorial Career
After many years of political service in Nassau County, New York, Alfonse D'Amato, better known as Al D'Amato, decided to run for New York State Senator. In 1980 Mr. D'Amato defeated Republican incumbent Sen. Jacob Javits for the Republican nomination, and later defeated Democratic Congresswoman Elizabeth Holtzman with 45% plurality victory for the Senate seat. Al D'Amato served a total of 3 terms as Senator, wining elections in 1980, 1986 and 1992.
While serving 18 years as a senator, Mr. D'Amato gained the reputation for taking on people's individual problems. He met constituents on a face to face basis, helping by giving advice and political pull where he could. Because of his actions, Mr. D'Amato gained the nickname "Senator Pothole."
During his senatorial career, Al D'Amato gained fame for his filibuster tactics. He is responsible for the 2nd and 7th longest filibusters recorded in United States Senate history. In 1986, he conducted a filibuster that lasted over 23 hours in opposition of a military bill. He also began a filibuster to prevent the loss of 750 jobs in upstate New York.
Al D'Amato is also known for the committees he served on while in office. After the 1989 explosion of Pan Am Flight 103, Mr. D'Amato was appointed as a member of the President's Commission on Aviation Security and Terrorism (PCAST). While serving on the committee, he investigated the sabotage of and worked on new security policies in order to prevent future terrorist acts. Additionally, Mr. D'Amato served as a member of the Senate Finance Committee and the National Republican Senatorial Committee. While on the committee, he raised $54 million for the Republican Party in comparison to the $25 million raised by the Democrats. Al D'Amato also chaired the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs. During his tenure on the committee, he championed the cause of Holocaust survivors trying to regain family money held in Swiss bank accounts.
Although Al D'Amato is recognized as a conservative republican, he voted with Democrats on several social issues. In 1993, he was one of the few republicans to vote in favor of homosexuals serving openly in the U.S. Military. In 1996, he again was one of the few republicans to vote in favor of homosexual rights, by combating discrimination in hiring practices.
Al'Damato left politics in 1998, but has remained far from retired. He started his own consulting and lobbying firm while continuing to fundraise for candidates of the Republican Party.