Former Democratic New York Rep. Charles Rangel, a high-ranking House lawmaker who served 46 years in Congress, died Monday at age 94.
Rangel’s death was announced in a statement provided by City College of New York (CCNY). CCNY’s statement described Rangel as a “war hero, history-making congressman, and master lawmaker.”
Rangel was a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus, and also became the first black member of Congress to become the chair of the powerful tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee in 2007. He was first elected to Congress in 1970, and represented a New York City-based district for 23 terms, from 1971 to 2017.
In 2010, Rangel stepped down from the Ways and Means Committee amid growing backlash over ethics violations. The House voted to censure him in a 333-79 vote in December 2010, due to multiple ethics violations.
“I know in my heart I am not going to be judged by this Congress,” Rangel said after the censure vote. “I’ll be judged by my life in its entirety.”
Known as a key ally of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Rangel also sponsored former President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. He was a veteran of the Korean War, where he was awarded a Purple Heart and the Bronze Star.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a statement posted to X on Monday that Rangel was a “phenomenal patriot, hero, statesman, leader, trailblazer, change agent & champion for justice,” adding that “Harlem, NYC & America are better today because of his service.”
Current House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith said in a statement in response to the news of Rangel’s death that the former congressman’s life “underscored how America is a land of opportunity.”
“From humble beginnings in Harlem to the top tax-writing Committee in the United States Congress, Chairman Rangel’s life underscored how America is a land of opportunity,” Smith wrote in the statement. “There can be no question he was a fighter, and the Purple Heart and Bronze Star he earned during the Korean War were just the start of a long career of service. My prayers are with his family.”
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