Subseries A: Issue Mail, 1984-1992

Extent:

26 box(es) (26 linear feet)

Scope and content:

Subseries A: Issue Mail contains correspondence between Ray and his constituents about the wide variety of issues that concerned them. The subseries is arranged by index number, with samples of letters and enclosures that Ray used to respond at the end. The index number is for a correspondence management system that was not transferred to the archives and is approximately chronological.

Common topics throughout Ray's career include tax reform, proposals to reduce the federal deficit, defense spending, protecting social security and increasing benefits to people born during the "Notch Years," opposition to gun control measures, international trade laws especially as they affected the textile industry, regulations affecting small businesses such as raising minimum wage, opposition to Congressional pay raises, and support for cost of living adjustments for civil service and military retirees.

Other topics were significant for a shorter period of time, including improving access to satellite television (1985), protests from the agricultural community about proposed cuts to the Cooperative Extension Service (1986), aid to the Contras of Nicaragua (1986-1988), opposition to proposed nuclear waste facilities in Lamar, Upson, and Monroe counties (1986), support for the U.S.D.A. School Nutrition Program (1986), protesting the decision by Congress to stop purchasing the F-14 "Tomcat" fighter plane manufactured by Grumman (1989), protesting an excise tax on beer (1990), concern over violence in El Salvador (1990), and the Gulf War (1990-1991).

Contents

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