Rangel served Congress for 46 years, from 1971 to 2017, and co-founded the Congressional Black Caucus.
Charles Rangel, a former 23-term congressman from New York, has died at 94 years old, his family said on May 26.
Rangel, a Democrat, was the last surviving co-founder of the Congressional Black Caucus and the “Gang of Four,” a political coalition of Harlem lawmakers.
His family confirmed Rangel’s death in a statement on May 26 to The City College of New York (CCNY), where he served as statesman-in-residence after he retired from Congress.
The CCNY stated that Rangel was the “hardest working legislator” in Congress, citing the 40 bills and resolutions he sponsored that became law. The college also recognized Rangel for his military service. He earned a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star for his courageous actions in the U.S. Army during the Korean War.
Rangel was also the primary sponsor of the Affordable Care Act—President Barack Obama’s health care reform law—nicknamed Obamacare.
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At the CCNY, Rangel launched the Charles B. Rangel Infrastructure Workforce Initiative to support infrastructure jobs in the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx.
Before that, Rangel served for 46 years in Congress, from 1971 to 2017. He represented five different congressional districts and became known as the “Lion of Lenox Avenue.” During his tenure, Rangel co-founded the Congressional Black Caucus and became the first black chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee. He was the second-longest-serving incumbent member of the House of Representatives when he retired.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said the longtime congressman broke barriers as the first African American to chair the Ways and Means Committee. Jeffries also recognized Rangel for being the author of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, which Jeffries said helped facilitate the development of millions of affordable housing units across the nation.
“Rangel was a great man, a great friend, and someone who never stopped fighting for his constituents and the best of America,” Schumer wrote. “The list of his accomplishments could take pages, but he leaves the world a much better place than he found it.”
Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo called Rangel a mentor and a friend.
