Former New York Rep. Charles Rangel Dies at 94

Rangel served Congress for 46 years from 1971-2017 and co-founded the Congressional Black Caucus

Charles Rangel, a former 23-term congressman from New York, has died at 94 years old, according to his family on Monday.

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 Monday to the City College of New York (CCNY), where he served as Statesman-in-Residence after he retired from Congress.

The CCNY stated 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 a war hero, history-making congressman, and master lawmaker,” CCNY said in a statement. “He served for 23 terms in the House of Representatives and was cited as the most effective lawmaker in Congress, leading all of his colleagues in passing legislation.”

He was also the primary sponsor of Obamacare—President Barack Obama’s health care reform law.

At the CCNY, Rangel launched the Charles B. Rangel Infrastructure Workforce Initiative to support infrastructure jobs in Manhattan and the Bronx.

Before that, Rangel served 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.

New York lawmakers on Saturday paid tribute to his legacy.

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 him 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.

“He was clear-eyed about his responsibility to look out for the least, the lost and the left-behind and made it his life’s work to deliver on their behalf,” Jeffries wrote in a statement.

Rep. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Rangel “was a great man, a great friend, and someone who never stopped fighting for his constituents and the best of America.”

“The list of his accomplishments could take pages, but he leaves the world a much better place than he found it,” Schumer wrote on X.

Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo called Rangel a mentor and a friend.

“He taught me that leadership is about lifting others up and in the face of injustice, you don’t flinch, you don’t fold—you fight,” Cuomo wrote in a statement on X. “He was a giant in every sense. And though he’s gone, his spirit will echo for generations to come.”

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton wrote in a statement on X that Rangel urged her to run for Senate and was an “invaluable colleague,” describing him as a “beloved icon and public servant of New York.”

Rangel’s wife, Alma Rangel was a longtime activist and social worker. She died last October.