[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2009 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 2009
To award posthumously a congressional gold medal to Charles B. Rangel,
an American trailblazer and public servant, in recognition of his
remarkable life and career in which he elevated the voices and
interests of underserved communities, bolstered the reputation of the
United States on the global stage, and cofounded the Congressional
Black Caucus.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 10, 2025
Mr. Schumer introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To award posthumously a congressional gold medal to Charles B. Rangel,
an American trailblazer and public servant, in recognition of his
remarkable life and career in which he elevated the voices and
interests of underserved communities, bolstered the reputation of the
United States on the global stage, and cofounded the Congressional
Black Caucus.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Charles B. Rangel Congressional Gold
Medal Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Charles Bernard Rangel, born on June 11, 1930, in
Harlem, New York City, was raised largely by his mother Blanche
Mary Wharton Rangel and grandfather Charles Wharton alongside
his older brother Ralph, Jr., and younger sister Frances.
(2) After dropping out of high school at age 16, Rangel
enlisted in the United States Army and served as an artillery
operations specialist in the all-Black 503rd Field Artillery
Battalion in the 2nd Infantry Division from 1948 to 1952 during
the Korean War.
(3) During the Battle of Kunu-ri near the Yalu River on the
border of China and North Korea, Rangel and his fellow soldiers
were encircled by Chinese military forces and were subsequently
ordered to withdraw by their command.
(4) Upon receiving the withdrawal order, then-Private First
Class Rangel was injured by shrapnel from a barrage of Chinese
shells, which struck his back and triggered disarray amongst
his comrades.
(5) Despite his serious injuries, rank, and an encircled
position behind enemy lines, in the middle of the night Rangel
led his unit of an estimated 40 men through a mountain pass to
safety.
(6) For his bravery and sacrifice, Rangel was bestowed the
Bronze Star with Valor and Purple Heart, as well as receiving
overwhelming admiration, appreciation and lasting respect from
his comrades. When asked to reflect on the harrowing episode,
Rangel often noted that he had ``not had a bad day since'', a
phrase that he adopted as the title of his autobiography.
(7) Upon his honorable discharge from the Army with the
rank of Staff Sergeant, Rangel returned to Harlem, finished
high school, and used his benefits under the Servicemen's
Readjustment Act of 1944 (commonly known as the ``G.I. Bill'';
58 Stat. 284, chapter 268) to obtain a Bachelor of Science from
New York University where he made the Dean's List. He
subsequently received a full scholarship to attend St. John's
University School of Law, from which he graduated in 1960.
(8) After a tenure in private practice, Rangel was
appointed Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern
District of New York by Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy.
After leaving the role, Rangel served as Associate Counsel to
the Speaker of the New York State Assembly, a law clerk to
Judge James L. Watson on the United States Court of
International Trade, and as General Counsel to the National
Advisory Commission on Selective Service.
(9) The positions he took early in his career ensured that
Rangel would always remain in close proximity to his roots in
Harlem, where he met his wife Alma Carter, a social worker, in
the mid-1950s, at the Savoy Ballroom. Their loving marriage
stretched more than 60 years and included 2 children, Steven
and Alicia, daughter-in-law Adelina, son-in-law Howard, and 3
grandsons, Howard R. Haughton, Joshua R. Haughton, and Charles
R. Haughton.
(10) Rangel's early political marks can be found on matters
and missions of profound significance. He participated in the
1965 Selma to Montgomery March, was elected to replace his
mentor Percy Sutton in the New York State Assembly, and was one
of the pillars in New York's generational political powerhouse,
``The Gang of Four'', which included New York State Senator
Basil Paterson, Manhattan Borough President and Civil Rights
Leader Percy Sutton, and David Dinkins, the first black mayor
of New York City.
(11) Following his election to the House of Representatives
in 1970, Rangel quickly rose through the ranks of the
Congressional Democrats and was ultimately reelected 23 times.
(12) Shortly after his induction to the House in early
1971, Rangel, along with 12 other Black Members of Congress
founded the Congressional Black Caucus. He was elected by his
colleagues to lead the Caucus as Chairman in 1974.
(13) Rangel energized the national discussion around drug
trafficking, later becoming Chairman of the Select Committee on
Narcotics, and was a prominent contributor to the work of the
Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives on
the Watergate Scandal.
(14) Due to his growing influence, Rangel was granted a
position on the coveted Ways and Means Committee and was
elevated to serve as Deputy Majority Whip under Speaker Tip
O'Neill.
(15) Rangel used his newfound power in Congress to secure
Federal support for programs that benefitted his congressional
district and other constituencies.
(16) He authored and supported legislation and programs
that uplifted vulnerable populations like Child Care and
Development Block Grants, the Low Income Housing Tax Credit,
the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Work Opportunity Tax Credit,
Empowerment Zones, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.
(17) He introduced measures to ensure that human rights and
democratic principles were reflected in international business
activity, including an amendment rescinding tax credits for
companies doing business in apartheid South Africa.
(18) To ensure that the diplomatic corps reflected the
diversity of the United States, Rangel established the Charles
B. Rangel International Affairs Fellowship Program in
partnership with Howard University, which now has more than 200
alumni serving in posts around the world.
(19) Rangel was also the primary force behind the African
Growth and Opportunity Act (19 U.S.C. 3701 et seq.), the first
Act to provide incentives for United States trade with sub-
Saharan Africa, which he authored and advanced despite
significant political headwinds. He subsequently worked with
President George W. Bush, to pass the AGOA Acceleration Act of
2004 (19 U.S.C. 3701 note), which synergized and expanded on
his earlier efforts that instituted the trade program.
(20) Rangel similarly forged a sequence of trade agreements
and programs pertaining to Latin America and the Caribbean,
including trade preferences for countries in the Caribbean
under the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (19 U.S.C. 2701
et seq.), as expanded by the United States-Caribbean Basin
Trade Partnership Act (19 U.S.C. 2701 note) and the Haitian
Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement Act
of 2008 (19 U.S.C. 2701 note), and the Dominican Republic-
Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement.
(21) Rangel was a lifelong champion for veterans,
particularly service members who historically faced
discrimination both in uniform and upon returning home. As a
decorated Korean War veteran himself, Rangel often leaned on
his personal experience and legislative authority to spotlight
the needs of underserved veterans and ensure they received the
benefits, respect, and opportunities they earned through their
service. Rangel spearheaded legislation to close systemic gaps
in Federal veterans programs, establish the Office of Minority
Veterans, expand access to services of the Department of
Veterans Affairs, and strengthen the G.I. Bill, veterans
housing programs, and small business opportunities.
(22) As one of the few Korean War veterans serving in
Congress, Rangel sponsored and secured enactment of legislation
establishing National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day on July
27th in the section 127 of title 36, United States Code, to
honor his fellow veterans. He also deepened United States-Korea
relations through founding the Congressional Caucus on Korea,
facilitating passage of the United States-Korea Free Trade
Agreement, and passing resolutions that strengthen the
bilateral strategic alliance, promote peace and stability on
the Korean Peninsula, and support Korean American family
reunification efforts.
(23) As Dean of the New York Congressional Delegation, he
led his colleagues in the wake of the 9/11 attacks to pass
measures that provided funding to recovery efforts and relief
to families that were impacted, such as the extension of
unemployment benefits and provided health benefits to 9/11
first responders and survivors.
(24) In 2007, Rangel became Chair of the powerful Ways and
Means Committee. In that role, he was instrumental in the
development and passage of the Patient Protection and
Affordable Care Act (Public Law 111-148; 124 Stat. 119), which
has provided coverage to an estimated 20,000,000 uninsured or
underinsured people of the United States. He also ensured that
United States territories like Puerto Rico were not left out of
this landmark law.
(25) Rangel's exceptional life was heavily marked by his
extraordinary accomplishments in the military, various
government roles, and elected office, which led to economic and
social advancements for his fellow servicemembers, constituents
of his district, underserved communities across the country,
and people around the globe.
(26) During his congressional career, Rangel crafted and
passed numerous measures of significance, including several
that remain foundational to our military, diplomatic corps,
healthcare system, international trade relationships, and tax
code.
SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.
(a) Presentation Authorized.--The Speaker of the House of
Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate shall make
appropriate arrangements for the posthumous presentation, on behalf of
Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design to Charles B. Rangel,
in recognition of his contribution to the United States and his
achievements of paving the way for equality and for people of all
backgrounds, regardless of demographic or economic class.
(b) Design and Striking.--For purposes of the presentation
described in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (referred to
in this Act as the ``Secretary'') shall strike a gold medal with
suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the
Secretary. The design shall bear an image of, and inscription of the
name of, Charles B. Rangel.
(c) Disposition of Medal.--Following the presentation described in
subsection (a), the gold medal shall be given to the children of
Charles B. Rangel, Steven Rangel and Alicia Rangel.
SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS.
The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold
medal struck pursuant to section 3, at a price sufficient to cover the
costs of the medals, including labor, materials, dies, use of
machinery, and overhead expenses.
SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS.
(a) National Medals.--Medals struck under this Act are national
medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code.
(b) Numismatic Items.--For purposes of sections 5134 and 5136 of
title 31, United States Code, all medals struck under this Act shall be
considered to be numismatic items.
SEC. 6. AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS; PROCEEDS OF SALE.
(a) Authority To Use Fund Amounts.--There is authorized to be
charged against the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund such
amounts as may be necessary to pay for the costs of the medals struck
under this Act.
(b) Proceeds of Sale.--Amounts received from the sale of duplicate
bronze medals authorized under section 4 shall be deposited into the
United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
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