Former Rep. Charles Lengel, who represented Harlem in Congress for 47 years, died at the age of 94.
Former New York US Rep. Charles Lengel, with an honest, gravel voice Haar The Democrat, who spent nearly 50 years on Capitol Hill and was a founding member of Congress’ Black Caucus, passed away Monday at the age of 94.
His family confirmed his death in a statement provided by New York City College spokesman Michelle Stent. He died in a New York hospital, Stent said.
The Korean War veteran began his Congressional career in 1970 when he defeated legendary harem politician Adam Clayton Powell. For the next 40 years, he became legendary as dean of the New York Congressional delegation, and in 2007 he became the first African-American to chair the powerful method and instrumental committee.
He resigned from that committee within the Ethics Cloud, and in 2010 the House denounced him. But he continued to serve in Congress.His retirement in 2017.
Wrangel was the last surviving member of four gangs, an African-American politician who wielded great power in New York City and state politics. The others were like thatDavid Dinkinsthe first black mayor of New York City. Percy Sutton was the president of Manhattan Autonomous Borough. Basil Patterson, vice mayor and New York Secretary.
“Charlie was a true activist. We marched together, we were arrested together, we painted crack house together.”Pastor Al SharptonThe leader of the National Action Network said in a statement that he met Lengel as a teenager.
House Democrat Leader Hakeem JeffriesA New York statement issued a statement saying “Patriots, heroes, politicians, leaders, trailblazers, change agents and champions for justice that made Wangel my beloved Harlem, New York City and the United States a better place for everyone.”
The voice of the linger is remembered
Few people could forget about the lingerie after hearing him speak. His distinctive gravel-tuned voice and his struggling sense of humor were a memorable mix.
That voice – one of the most liberals in the house – isThe Iraq Warhe branded “death tax” to the poor and minorities. In 2004 he tried to end the war by offering a bill to resume military service drafts. The Republican called his bluff and led the bill to the vote. Even lingel voted against it.
A year later, the battle for the war became terribly personal with the then president.Dick Cheney.
Langel said that Cheney, who has a history of heart trouble, might be too sick to do his job.
“I want to believe he’s not just a mean guy, but a sick person,” Wrangel said. After some of such verbal jabs, Cheney said that Wrangel “lost it.”
The charismatic Harlem lawmaker rarely retreated from the battle after first entering the house in 1971 as a kind of dragon slayer.
In 1987, Congress approved what is known as the “Wanger Amendment.”South Africa, apartheid era.
Former Secretary of StateHillary ClintonHe noted that he urged her to run for the Senate in 2000. Former PresidentBill ClintonI remember working with Rangel in the 1990s to expand the tax credits for businesses investing in economically struggling areas.
The House has accused him of a violation of ethics.
Rangel became the leader of the House’s leading tax writing committee, which covers programs including Social Security and Medicare, after the midterm elections in 2006, when Democrats ended Republican control for 12 years. However, in 2010, the House Ethics Committee held a hearing on 13 counts of financial and financing misconduct over issues surrounding financial disclosure and the use of congressional resources.
He was convicted of 11 ethics violations. The House discovered that he had failed to pay taxes to his vacation home, filed a misleading financial disclosure form, and improperly sought a donation from the company to the University Center before the committee.
The House followed the recommendation of the Ethics Committee that he would be condemned. This is the most serious punishment that is close to expulsion.
“I’ve committed to fighting for the little guy.”
Rangel took care of his constituents and sponsored the Empowerment Zone, which has tax credits for businesses moving towards economically depressed areas and low-income housing developers.
“I’ve always been committed to fighting for the little guy,” Wrangel said in 2012.
Lingel was born on June 11, 1930. During the Korean War, he won a purple heart and a bronze star. He always said he even measured days of troubled around ethics scandals in the 1950 era when other soldiers were injured because they didn’t make it.
It became the title of his autobiography: “And I haven’t had a bad day since.”
A dropout from high school, he went to college on the GI bill and earned degrees from New York University and St. John’s Law School.
This story was originally introduced Fortune.com