Rep. Charlie Rangel
He has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives since 1971, representing the Fifteenth Congressional District of New York. In January 2007, he became chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee. He is the first African-American to chair the committee. Rangel earned a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star for his service in the Korean War. Despite his recent censure, Rangel still remains one of the most powerful black dems.
