Politicians and supporters remembered Rangel, known as Charlie, for his years in public service and deep roots in New York City.
In a post on X, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said he was “sad to lose a dear friend and exemplary model of devotion and courage.”
His Harlem district overwhelmingly voted him in again as Barack Obama won a second presidential term.
According to the statement provided to the City College of New York, Rangel sponsored 40 bills and resolutions that became law throughout his tenure.
The Congressional Black Caucus said in a statement Monday that its 61 members were mourning the loss of Rangel.
According to his family, Charles Rangel, the former Democratic congressman from New York who spent nearly 50 years advocating for his Harlem neighborhood on Capitol Hill, passed away on Monday.
94 was his age.
Michelle Stent, a spokesperson for the City College of New York, confirmed Rangel’s passing in a statement, stating that he passed away in a New York hospital.
Supporters and politicians recalled Rangel, also known as Charlie, for his extensive New York City roots and years of public service. He was born in Harlem and was elected to Congress for the first time in 1970. The congressional district he represented was created in the 1940s to allow the majority Black voters in the neighborhood to send a representative to Washington.
He was known as the “Lion of Lenox Avenue,” after one of the main thoroughfares in Harlem, because Rangel was in office for so long.
“Charlie Rangel was a great man, a great friend, and someone who never stopped fighting for his constituents and the best of America,” said Chuck Schumer, the Democratic minority leader in the Senate. Y. stated on Monday in a post on X. “His accomplishments could fill pages, but he leaves the world in a far better state than when he arrived. “.”.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams expressed his sadness over the loss of a close friend and a shining example of bravery and devotion in a post on X. “The Rev. Rangel is a “trailblazing legislator and an unshakable force in American politics,” according to Al Sharpton. “..”.
Former Governor of New York… Rangel was also recognized by Andrew Cuomo as his “friend and mentor.”. “,”.
“He had that Harlem fire in his heart and a joy in his soul that no battle could extinguish,” Cuomo said in a statement, adding that he never lost sight of his origins. “.”.
On the G, Rangel, a Korean War veteran, attended college after dropping out of high school. Me. Bill, earning degrees from St. University of John’s Law School.
His congressional career began in 1970 when he defeated Adam Clayton Powell, a legendary politician from Harlem. He became a legend in his own right over the course of the following four decades. He was the first Black chair of the powerful Ways and Means Committee in 2007, the dean of the congressional delegation from New York, and a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus.
Rangel declared in 2012, “I have always been committed to fighting for the little guy.”.
An ethics scandal had forced him to leave the Ways and Means Committee two years prior. He was later censured by the House by a vote of 333-79 for nearly a dozen ethics infractions, including failing to disclose income, abusing influence, and breaking a gift ban.
Rangel stood lamentably in front of his peers following the House’s 333-79 censure vote.
“I am aware deep down that this Congress will not judge me,” he remarked. “The entirety of my life will be used to evaluate me. “,”.
Rangel won the primary in 2012 and was able to stay in Congress. Barack Obama won a second term as president, and he was re-elected by an overwhelming majority in his Harlem district district.
He was extremely busy during his time in Congress, even with the political stain later in his career.
Rangel sponsored 40 bills and resolutions that were signed into law during his tenure, according to the statement given to the City College of New York. Among his notable legislative achievements are his support of the Affordable Care Act, which Obama signed into law in 2010, the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, and the nationwide Empowerment Zone program.
Rangel faced pressure from the ethics investigations while serving as chairman of the Ways and Means Committee during the heated congressional debate over the Affordable Care Act.
When asked about his legacy, Rangel remained defiant in a 2009 interview with Time.
He told the magazine, “Well, Rhett Butler once said in ‘Gone With the Wind,’ if I’m gone, quite frankly, I don’t give a damn.”.
Before retiring in 2017, Rangel was a member of Congress. In 2016, he bemoaned to The New York Times that his eventual successor, Rep. Adriano Espaillat was on the verge of being elected to Congress as the first Dominican American. Rangel expressed his concern that this would result in the loss of a Black representative for his Harlem district.
The question Rangel posed was, “Can you tell the people in Boston that some day you won’t have an Irish congressman?”.
Rangel was the last living member of the so-called “Gang of Four”—a group of influential Black politicians who controlled both state and New York City politics. The others included Basil Paterson, a deputy mayor and the secretary of state of New York; Percy Sutton, the president of Manhattan Borough; and David Dinkins, the first Black mayor of New York City.
The 61 members of the Congressional Black Caucus expressed their sorrow over Rangel’s passing in a statement released on Monday.
It was stated by the caucus that “his legacy is one of tireless advocacy, historic firsts, and dedication to justice and equality.”. “May he rest in immortal peace and power. “..”.
