The late Congressman Charlie Rangel, Ed Towns, and I attended the launch reception for the Congressional Research Institute for Social Work and Policy (CRISP) at the Monocle Restaurant on April 16, 2013.
Among the pleasant memories of my time in the U.S. House of Representatives were the impromptu meetings and conversations with Congressman Charles Rangel in the early mornings in Rayburn Cafeteria. We usually arrived early on the Hill before the crowds. He would always greet me with a smile and chat for a while before going our separate ways. Once, I had the idea of creating a tax credit for contributions to nonprofits working in poor communities. This was his purview as chair of the Ways and Means Committee. He said it was an interesting idea and directed me to his legislative director, who stated that it had been proposed but had gone nowhere due to concerns about potential fraud. He was a direct contrast to the many congressmembers whose facial expressions said, ‘Keep your distance.’ Rangel had a smile that could light up a room.
He arrived in the House of Representatives in January 1971, having narrowly defeated Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., by 150 votes. A founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus, Rangel became the first African American to chair the powerful House Ways and Means Committee in 2007, which oversees all taxation, tariffs, and other revenue-raising measures, as well as programs including Social Security, unemployment benefits, Medicare, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and child welfare funding.
Rangel served in the United States Army from 1948 to 1952 during the Korean War and was awarded a Purple Heart, the Bronze Star with Valor, and three battle stars for heroic actions in leading 40 men in his unit to safety under intense fire. He returned to Harlem as a hero and staff sergeant. In 1964, he married Alma Carter, a social worker, and was chosen by Harlem Democrats to run for the New York State Assembly in 1966. He served there until his congressional bid in 1970, which first drew my attention.
He was taking on Harlem’s first son and one of my heroes, Congressman Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., the first African American elected to Congress from New York City in 1945 and served until his loss to Rangel in 1970. He was a preacher, like my dad, and pastor of the historic Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, made famous by his father, Adam Clayton Powell, Sr.’s association with Marcus Garvey. Powell was as flamboyant as he was an effective legislator, often poking fun at his white colleagues in the House which made him extremely popular with his black constituents. Notables would follow him into the Abyssinian pulpit included Calvin Butts and a young Raphael Warnock.
As chair of the House Education Committee, Powell ushered through much of President Lyndon Johnson’s “Great Society” legislation, which included minimum wage increases, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Job Corps, and Head Start. He laid the groundwork for enabling legislation related to Medicare and Medicaid. Powell enjoyed the nightlife and was often seen patronizing Harlem’s nightclubs. He was known for his frequent jaunts to the Island of Bimini. His popularity grew in a Trumpian way when the House of Representatives censured him for alleged misuse of public funds, paying salaries to non-working staff, and ignoring court orders.
As popular as Powell was in Harlem, Charlie Rangel’s resume made him a formidable candidate. He defeated Powell, beginning a 46-year stint as Harlem’s congressman. As chair and ranking member of the Ways and Means Committee, Rangel oversaw critical elements of the Affordable Care Act and stimulus legislation following the 2008 financial collapse.
Rangel was a key architect of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC). This key tool enabled the federal government to finance the construction and preservation of more than four million affordable housing units. LIHTC-funded housing offers substantial rent subsidies, allowing families to avoid housing instability. A decorated veteran, Rangel was a staunch advocate for the well-being of veterans.
I last saw Charlie Rangel on July 21, the day Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the presidential campaign, paving the way for Kamala Harris to start her campaign. We were at Brooklyn’s Berean Baptist Church celebrating Ed Towns’s 90th birthday. He was in a wheelchair, but had an effusive smile and was espousing the wit that made him someone you want to be around. He will be greatly missed.