Charley Rangel is head of the House Ways and Means committee.

[babylonsister]

What has he done yet, or what is he working on? Anyone know? McLaughlin Group was on, and that's supposedly one of the most powerful positions in the House. The other is judiciary, and Conyers is working it.

http://waysandmeans.house.gov/about.asp

[aquart]

1. He tossed Cheney out of his usurped office.

Which is more, God knows, than the rest of us have been able to do.

For that, I give him a free pass for the year. Charley wants to walk nekkid up Pennsylvania Avenue, he has my full approval.

[babylonsister]

2. Admirable, but not exactly what I was looking for.

:D
Really, we've heard lots about Conyers and Waxman, whazzup with Rangel?
At the very least, some rethug must hate him for something!

[snowbear]

3. What's Charlie been up to?

http://www.tpmcafe.com/blog/warrenreports/2007/feb/02/hurricane_charlie

Hurricane Charlie

By Congressman Earl Blumenauer | bio
The Ways and Means Committee just completed the fourth hearing by Chairman Charlie Rangel dealing with income insecurity in America. It started with the problems of 37 million poor Americans, and expanded to deal with issues of healthcare and middle-class stress. For perhaps the first time in history we have the appropriate person at the appropriate time and place to deal with this economic phenomenon that is an intersection of tough demographics, economics, and unfortunate politics. Since Lyndon Johnson's Great Society, the political equation for poverty and income inequality in America has been dominated by a tendency to “round down” to the detriment of lower income and politically disadvantaged Americans. They've lost, both politically and economically. Now there is a moment in history for that to change: enter Charlie Rangel.

After serving for more than 10 years in Congress, I recently left two committees I love, Foreign Affairs and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committees, to join the House Ways and Means Committee. This storied committee, the only congressional committee called for in the Constitution, has been more of an experience than I ever bargained for. Invariably referred to as the “powerful” Ways and Means committee, it has vast jurisdiction and touches every aspect of American life. Indeed, one of the reasons I made the transition away from more senior positions on committees where I developed expertise is because I felt that the jurisdiction of Ways and Means has so much potential for accomplishment.

One of the highlights is Committee Chair Charles Rangel (D-NY). Charlie has been on the Committee since early in his congressional career and his history has true storybook quality: high school dropout, he became a decorated veteran of the Korean War who came back through the GI Bill to put himself on the fast track, graduating from law school and becoming a prosecutor and community activist who ultimately defeated the legendary Adam Clayton Powell, with dignity and respect, when everybody but Powell understood it was time for him to leave.

A Ways and Means Chairman under virtually any circumstance is a hurricane. But when that hurricane is a storm named Charlie, it is truly an amazing experience. He has brought to the committee Harlem street smarts, the sensitivity of somebody who knows what it's like for life to be a little tough, a sense of success, and awe-inspiring smarts and personality. Most poignantly, Charlie has transformed the committee from what was formerly a one-man, partisan and unpleasant show. With ranking member Jim McCrery – a very decent, thoughtful Congressman from Shreveport, Louisiana – the two of them have set a different path and a different tone.

Charlie has already done three things that are profound. He has begun to lead the committee’s work in a positive, bipartisan and thoughtful fashion. Second, he has emphasized a search for information over rushed policy. He has been clear about his concerns about America’s persistent and pervasive problem with poverty. Third, he has undertaken a series of hearings that weave together poverty, healthcare, pressures on the middle class, and economic insecurity in the era of globalization.

This promises to be not just an exciting time for the Ways and Means Committee, but a time for one of the most far reaching and profound discussions on how to reassemble the pieces of the American economy so that everybody's needs are heard and, perhaps, finally addressed.

Rock on "CHA-leee" ~~~

[babylonsister]

4. Thanks, larissa! Rock on, Charlie!

[salin]

6. thanks for posting this

Thank you Congressman Rangel - we applaud you and look forward to your future work.

[oasis]

5. DUer's should get to know Charlie. k&r

[Adelante]

7. I love the man

True love.

[loudsue]

8. NPR reported Friday that Rangel plans to HELP dubya in

securing an agreement w/ congress that dubya has the SOLE POWER, WITHOUT THREAT OF CONGRESSIONAL OVERSIGHT, to make business deals with other countries on international trade.

Now, how much of this includes importing food that contains pesticides that are illegal here? How much includes importing gadgets that lack safety measures for consumers? How much of this involves slave labor from other countries?

Rangel is smoking something funny if he plans on giving bush ANY power without congressional oversight.

We need to e-mail Rangel's office in masse, and let him know that this CORPORATIST action is ABSOLUTELY NOT ACCEPTABLE!!!

:kick::kick::kick:

[antigop]

10. David Sirota wrote about Rangle and trade on his blog

http://davidsirota.com/index.php/2006/11/29/rangel-preserve-millionaire-tax-cuts-consider-soc-security-cuts-pass-more-free-trade-pacts/

I thought Rangel responded back -- I'll see if I can find Rangel's response.

[madfloridian]

9. Sounds like he and Baucus want to renew Bush's trade authority.

"A lot of Democrats got elected in November by running against free trade; more than three dozen of them recently wrote to the new House Ways and Means Committee chairman, Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.), asking for a reversal of "the troubling results of the administration's trade agreements and trade policies." Fortunately, Mr. Rangel and Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) of the Senate Finance Committee appear to recognize the harm that would be caused if Congress torpedoed the Doha round. They have signaled a willingness to talk with the administration about the renewal of trade promotion authority; Mr. Bush, for his part, recognized in a speech last week that trade "can also lead to hardships for our workers and their families" and offered to work with Congress to improve assistance programs for those affected. With flexibility on both sides, a deal should be possible."


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/02/AR2007020201541.html

We have such a trustworthy president.

[loudsue]

11. Kickin' this

It's important that we ACT on this problem.

:kick::kick::kick: