119-s2009

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2009 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

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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