© Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK
(New York, NY) — A funeral for former Congressman Charles Rangel is taking place this morning at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan. Friends and family are saying their final goodbyes to the trailblazing politician after a series of public viewings that included his childhood parish and City Hall. Governor Kathy Hochul is delivering remarks.
Rangel, often referred to as the “Lion Of Harlem,” died on Memorial Day surrounded by family. He was elected to Congress in 1971 where he served for 46 years becoming House Ways and Means Chairman in 2007. Rangel was the primary sponsor of 40 bills during his tenure including President Obama’s Affordable Care Act, the Low Income Housing Tax Credit and the so-called “Rangel Amendment” aimed at ending apartheid in South Africa.
Rangel was the last surviving member of the “Gang of Four,” which included former Mayor David Dinkins, New York Secretary of State Basil Paterson and Harlem activist Percy Sutton.
