Former New York Congressman Charles Rangel passes away

New York.- Former Democratic Congressman for New York, Charles Rangel, passed away this Monday at the age of 94 in a hospital in the Big Apple, his family reported.

Rangel, a former war veteran and representative of Harlem in the Capitol for almost fifty years, was first elected in 1970 and retired in 2017. He had a great specific weight in American politics in general and more specifically in the African-American communities of Harlem.

In fact, he was until today the last member of the group known as the "Gang of Four", a group of African-American political figures with great relevance in New York, where David Dinkins (first black mayor of the city), Percy Sutton (Manhattan district president) and Basil Paterson (former New York Secretary of State) were also.

Furthermore, he was a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus, dean of the New York Congressional delegation, and the first black chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.

Also, among its most important legislative achievements are the defense of the national program of Empowerment Zones, the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, and the Affordable Care Act, enacted by Obama in 2010.

However, that same year he was censured by the House of Representatives, after being found guilty of 11 ethical violations, including the omission of income and assets in his financial statements, the misuse of official resources to raise funds for an educational center in his name, and the non-payment of taxes on a property in the Dominican Republic.

Despite the stain this caused on his career, Rangel continued in political life until 2017, leaving a total of 40 bills and resolutions that became law throughout his term, according to information from City College of New York.

Representative Adriano Espaillat, who succeeded him in the position when Rangel retired, referred to the death in a statement where he showed his "sorrow" at the death of "a good friend" and "unconditional leader".

"Charlie fue una inspiración y encarnó la forma más auténtica de liderazgo en el servicio público, firme en su fe y fidelidad al pueblo estadounidense, y un gigante inigualable en su liderazgo", agregó Espaillat.