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Congressman Charles Rangel released the following statement on the election of Sen. Barack Obama as the next President of the United States:
This is an historic victory, because it proves that the promise of America -- that if you work hard that you can achieve anything that you set out to be -- is still alive and strong. Today, we are one-step closer to realizing not just Dr. Martin Luther King's Dream, but the dream of all Americans. The belief that we can look beyond the things that differentiate us and come together along the values and ideas that bring us together.
There is no question that President-elect Barack Obama has shattered a number of myths, including the one that an African American cannot achieve the highest office in this country. Yet, as we enjoy this great opportunity, we must also remember the great challenges that lie ahead. Our country is involved in a war that does not enjoy national support. Americans are dying for a cause that they cannot explain to their loved ones. We have found hundreds of billions of dollars for banks and yet have not dealt with the crisis of ever-increasing lines of unemployment, millions of people without health insurance, young people dropping out of college because of rising costs of not just an education, but everything from gasoline to food.
It is not just a question of investors having confidence in the marketplace, but Americans having confidence in their national leadership. There are no Democratic or Republican solutions to our problems, but only solutions from a united Congress dedicated to pulling our country out of the economic crisis that we find ourselves in.
President-elect Obama has proven that he can meet the challenges. I look forward to working with the new Obama Administration and with the Republicans in the House Ways and Means Committee in support of improving the health system, simplifying and providing equity to our tax system and providing healthcare to all Americans. I hope that all members of Congress share in this as we move forward in the post-election session designed to provide a stimulus package to get our people back to work.
If there is any doubt as to what direction the American people want us to in, all we must do is remember the long lines of those who waited to vote yesterday. To remember the faces of those who were celebrating in the streets of Harlem -- not just New Yorkers of Black, Latino, Asian and European descent, but citizens from all over the world that descended on our village here to share in this celebration.
They know something special starts today. A once-in-a-generation opportunity to not just renew the faith that people have in politics and democracy, but a real chance to improve lives. A chance to invest in the potential of each of us to be great, to ensure that everyone has a chance at a decent job, a stable roof over our heads, and quality education & healthcare.
This is the moment where we years from now, we can tell our children and grandchildren that with our voices and with votes, we helped change the world.
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