The ranking Republican on the banking panel's housing subcommittee, Marge Roukema of New Jersey, described the fees as "obscene."

And Representative Barney Frank, a fellow Massachusetts Democrat who is a colleague on the housing subcommittee, said, "He's been very active - he's really thrown himself into the housing issues."

Representative Tom Lantos, a California Democrat who is chairman of the housing subcommittee of the Government Operations Committee, has been persistent but unfailingly courteous in examining witnesses.

More important, he is chairman of the housing subcommittee, so builders, real estate agents, mortgage lenders and other housing interests often need his assent to get bills passed.

The housing subcommittee conducted the principal Congressional investigation of fraud and mismanagement at the department during Mr. Pierce's eight-year tenure under President Ronald Reagan.

Mr. Lazio is chairman of a housing subcommittee, and Representative John J. LaFalce from Buffalo is the ranking Democrat on the banking committee.

This is the industry that Rick Lazio is supposed to oversee as chairman of the housing subcommittee.

Mr. Lazio's campaign also noted that the congressman, as chairman of the housing subcommittee, at times has won bipartisan praise for his legislative work on housing.

Representative Rick A. Lazio of Long Island, chairman of a housing subcommittee, is working with Mr. Cuomo on legislation to overhaul 60-year-old housing policies.

He is the chairman of the Assembly's housing subcommittee and its equal opportunity and human rights subcommittee.