Rangel Opinion Editorials

11/5/2008
Rangel: Obama Victory One for All Americans - Congressman Charles Rangel released the following statement on the election of Sen. Barack Obama as the next President of the United States: ....more

10/9/2008
The Bailout Bill: Needed Protection For Affordable Housing - Last week's passage of the $800 billion financial rescue package is only the beginning of what we need to do to return order to Wall Street and relief to taxpayers. More must be done at all levels of government to lend a hand to hard-working families around this country, especially in the area of affordable housing. ....more

7/11/2008
Harlem Is My Home - I called this press conference to respond to a puzzling article in today's New York Times that was critical of my living arrangements in my hometown of Harlem. The story said I live in a penthouse, which I don't. It also insinuated that I have some sort of sweetheart deal with the landlord. Nothing could be further from the truth. The fact is I've repeatedly engaged the owners of Lenox Terrace and other landlords to end evictions and harassment of tenants. ....more

6/25/2008
Rangel On Deaths Of New York National Guardsman In Afghanistan - I was saddened to read this morning of the latest casualties in our War on Terror, Sgt. Andrew Seabrooks of Queens and Sgt. Anthony Mangano of Long Island. My heart and sympathies go out to the family members and loved ones of these New York State National Guardsman who paid the ultimate sacrifice for their country. ....more

5/8/2008
The Media Intrudes On The Race - WASHINGTON - The media has an important role to play in political campaigns. Members of the press inform the electorate about the differing views of the candidates while providing forums for debate. At their best, reporters and commentators question, and even challenge, the positions of the office seekers on behalf of the voters. ....more

4/23/2008
Honoring Our Nation's Immigrants With More Than Just Words - Several weeks ago, New York City did what many in our country should be doing everyday. Across sevem days and more than 100 events, the Big Apple celebrated the culture and achievements of the countless numbers of immigrants--past and present--who have come to our great country. ....more

3/27/2008
To Move This Nation Forward, We Must End The War In Iraq - New York - Congressman Charles Rangel released the following statement as the war in Iraq enters its sixth year and members of Congress look to return to Washington next week. ....more

3/12/2008
Statement On The Resignation of Governor Eliot Spitzer - New York - "In this difficult time, New Yorkers can feel confident in having our state government in the capable hands of David Paterson. ....more

2/19/2008
In Cuba, Another Opportunity For Change In U.S. Policy - The announced resignation of Fidel Castro as president of Cuba represents the end of an era, and an opportunity for the United States to change its failed politics-driven policy toward the island. With Castro's resignation, Cuba will change and have the chance to chart a new course for itself, under new leadership. It's now imperative that we, in this country, do the same. ....more

1/22/2008
A Dream Neither Lost or Forgotten - It has been four and a half decades since Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his “I have a Dream” speech that elevated America's aspirations for justice and equality. The nation has come far since then, removing the legal barriers to equality of opportunity in housing, employment, and education, while opening the political process to full participation by people of all races.  We are a better and stronger nation because of the progress in all of these areas inspired by Dr. King and others in the civil rights movement. While problems remain, legal impediments have been removed that once denied most aspirations to the American Dream for African Americans. The result is a nation that in all areas of life today better reflects the broad diversity that has made America great.   ....more

12/11/2007
Supreme Court, Sentencing Commission Send Strong Message On Crack Cocaine Sentencing - The country is undoubtedly moving towards a historic consensus: Unfair sentences for low-level crack cocaine offenders have got to stop. The Supreme Court ruled decisively yesterday that judges are free to disagree with sentencing guidelines and in so doing, may note their opposition to the unjustifiably disparate treatments of powder and crack cocaine. The Sentencing Commission today echoed that sentiment, making retroactive the recent reduction of its sentencing recommendations and granting hope to thousands of prisoners disproportionately targeted by inflated crack penalties. ....more

11/21/2007
My Tax Plan Works For NYC - An Open Letter To Mayor Michael Bloomberg About Comprehensive Tax Reform - Dear Mayor Bloomberg: ....more

11/14/2007
Changing the Divisive Tone of the Immigration Debate - The stigma of being called illegal is so offensive to so many people for so many reasons. Especially when we know that these undocumented workers have been invited to the United States informally by employers. Employers, who though they hire in violation of the law, we refuse to label as illegal. ....more

10/25/2007
Cuba: Another Lost Opportunity for President Bush - The President today sided against the Cuban people and chose instead the tried and tired policies of the past. Not a fresh or novel idea was proposed, just a reiteration of longstanding − and long-failing − hardball tactics that have done nothing to promote democracy on the island. By rejecting a new direction, the President again delivered a course of raw meat to the most extreme opponents of the Castro government. ....more

10/25/2007
Standing Up For Our Children and Their Health Care - Even though it costs less to provide health insurance to children than to any other group of people, millions of children could remain uninsured thanks to the misguided priorities of the Bush Administration. ....more

8/16/2007
Draft Or No Draft, It’s Time To Get Out Of Iraq - Lt. Gen. Douglas Luter must have missed his White House orientation. How else do you explain President Bush’s military czar for Iraq and Afghanistan and his earnest remarks on NPR’s ‘All Things Considered’? How else do you explain his agreement with what I and many have been saying for years? That our current military, albeit the best trained in the world, is being so overstretched that we may have to consider bringing back a draft just to ensure that we continue to have enough well-rested personnel to fill our ranks.....more

8/16/2007
Ya Es La Hora De Salir De Irak - El teniente general Douglas Luter tenía que haber faltado su reunión de orientación con la Casa Blanca. Si no, ¿cómo podemos explicar los comentarios del nuevo dirigente de la política en Irak y Afganistán para la Administración Bush en el programa de radio publico ‘All Things Considered?’ ¿Cómo podemos explicar su acuerdo con lo qué yo y muchos han estado diciendo por años? Que nuestro ejército, aunque son los mejores en el mundo, están estirado tanto que tenemos que considerar el reclutamiento militar para asegurarnos de que continuamos teniendo una fuerza de la mejor calidad. ....more

4/10/2007
The Necessity for Andean Preferences - The Andean region is one of rich cultural and historical significance matched only by the beauty of its landscape and people. We are fortunate to have such a vibrant local community with roots in this region. Because of the strong ties between our nation and the Andean region, trade is a critical extension of our diplomacy. While there is a lot of debate as to what should be done with the free trade agreements of Colombia and Peru, there shouldn't be any doubt that we should extend the benefits of the Andean Trade Preferences Act. ....more

1/12/2007
Keeping King's Legacy Alive - This weekend, America takes a day off of work to celebrate the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Yet if he were alive today, he would have us do anything but rest when it comes to carrying on the fight against social and economic injustice. ....more

4/6/2006
The War In Iraq: A Moral Failure - WASHINGTON - In January 2003, as President Bush put the nation on a path to war in Iraq, I introduced my bill to reinstate the military draft in the hope that it would remind Americans that lives would be lost and the sacrifice should be shared by all.  The greatest moral failure of this war is that the ultimate sacrifices are being demanded of volunteers who, due to lack of alternative opportunities, are willing to risk their lives for a chance to improve their economic circumstance and pursue the American Dream. ....more

1/6/2006
Adults Must Save The Boys Choir Of Harlem Op-ed For The Daily News By Congressman Charles Rangel and Former Mayor David Dinkins - WASHINGTON - Thirty-seven years ago twenty boys gathered in the basement of a Harlem church for the first rehearsal of what would eventually become the Boys Choir of Harlem.  Today, the organization is one of America's greatest musical institutions and Harlem's ambassadors to the world.  By the end of the month, if some agreement cannot be reached with the Department of Education, the Boys Choir of Harlem as an institution will be homeless, evicted from the Choir Academy School it has occupied for thirteen-plus years. ....more

12/19/2005
Apollo Theatre - Dear Members of the Editorial Board of the New York Times: ....more

1/7/2003
War's Burden Must Be Shared by Congressman Charles Rangel - Some people have questioned my motives for introducing legislation to reinstitute the  military draft and requiring alternative national service by young people who cannot serve. ....more

9/16/2002
Unity Against Sanctions: Democrats And Republicans Must Work Together To Solve The Dispute Over World Trade, Say Philip Crane And Charles Rangel - FINANCIAL TIMES, Monday, September 16, 2002   ....more

2/22/2002
Marcus Garvey: A Star On The Rise - In 1987, the centenary of Marcus Garvey’s birth when I first introduced legislation to exonerate the great civil rights leader, the New York Times cited  a study  of J. Edgar Hoover’s, role in Garvey’s prosecution: ....more

12/14/2001
Rangel Supports Pataki: I Don’t Think So - During a recent television appearance on NY1, I was asked why I supported Carl McCall for governor of New York.  I indicated  that Carl McCall had earned my support in a long career of public service.  Before becoming state comptroller  he had served as a New York State Senator, U.S.  Ambassador  to the United Nations,  president of the New York City Board of Education and as a member of the New York and New Jersey Port Authority.  In 1998, running for reelection as comptroller, he garnered 2.9 million votes, more than any other candidate, including Governor Pataki.  ....more

11/15/2001
The Wrong Approach to Trade - As published in the Nov. 14 Financial Times   House Republican leaders are on a midnight train to nowhere if they try to pass a Fast Track trade authority bill supported largely by Republicans. This approach endangers a rare opportunity to build a broad bipartisan consensus in support of tearing down trade barriers in a way that would create jobs and raise living standards around the world.  ....more

4/4/2001
A Second Chance For Our Schools - The recent rejection by parents of a move to privatize five public schools provides those of us who care for the public school system a second chance to show that we can provide quality education for our children.  Chancellor Harold Levy and UFT president Randi Weingarten now have the opportunity to level the playing field for students and teachers, understanding that shifting responsibility to the private sector is not a viable solution. ....more

3/22/2001
Edison Schools Won’t Make The Grade - By pressing ahead with the takeover of five public schools by a for-profit company, chancellor Harold Levy may be satisfying the Mayor, but he is abdicating his responsibility for running the schools  at a time when the system is in crisis.  ....more

2/14/2001
Clinton Is Welcome in Harlem - At the time they were offered, the two suggestions I’ve made to the Clinton family were little more than wishful thinking.  Back in the fall of 1998, I asked Hillary Clinton if she would consider running for the Senate from New York state. I knew it would be a boon for New York, but I was as shocked as anyone when she actually decided to do it.   ....more

12/26/2000
The Year 2000 Brought New Achievements and New Challenges for Upper Manhattan and the Nation - Culminating with the ascendance of George W. Bush to the White House, 2000 will go down as one of  the most tumultuous years in American political history.  By intervening in the political process to ensure George Bush’s election, the Supreme Court disgracefully violated the principle that every vote should count.  In doing so, they issued a wake-up call to African-Americans and other minority voters that we must fight even harder to protect our rights and accomplish our goals.  ....more

5/10/2000
Changing U.S. Policy Toward Cuba Would Burnish Clinton’s Legacy -  The Washington Times   With the continuing national hoopla over one Cuban boy, less attention has been paid to recent developments in Washington that could also signify a shift in U.S.-Cuba relations. At my behest, the House Ways and Means Committee chaired by Texas Republican Bill Archer asked the International Trade Commission to study the 40-year U.S. embargo on most trade with Cuba. This unprecedented technical analysis, due out February, may well reveal the economic benefits to the U.S. of unrestricted commerce with our Caribbean neighbor. ....more

12/26/1999
Elian Gonzalez’s Nightmare - Imagine yourself a father whose six-year-old son was found floating in the open sea, his mother, drowned.  You yearn to embrace and comfort your first born. But you cannot, until officials of a foreign government decide your rights and suitability as a father. You wait for your son, fearing you may never see him again.  ....more

12/17/1999
Don't Demagogue Elian - Rudy Giuliani apparently cares more about using little Elian Gonzalez's terrible plight for his own political purposes than talking about issues that really matter to residents of the State of New York. ....more

10/14/1999
A New Beginning For The Apollo Theatre - It was my great honor recently to participate in a dinner held on the stage of the historic Apollo Theatre.  We were there to express our appreciation to a group of individuals who had stuck with the Theatre during the hardest of times, and  welcomed others who are joining us for a new beginning at Harlem’s greatest landmark. ....more

3/15/1999
Not In My Police Force - When I think of the courage and dedication of most of the men and women of the New York Police Department, I must protest the offensive cover of the recent New Yorker magazine.  Insulting the men and women who put their lives on the line daily to protect our lives and property serves no positive purpose except to exploit a sensitive situation in order to boost magazine sales. ....more