By Heather Grossmann
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
Harlem scrapper Rep. Charles Rangel has finagled his way out of many a dicey situation, but his notorious charms and political acumen may not be enough to save him now.
Unfortunately, what’s bad for Rangel is bad for New York City.
The Harlem native is the target of a 16-month investigation into his personal finances, which led to a Republican-sponsored resolution on Wednesday to remove him from his position as chairman of the powerful Ways and Means committee.
If the ethics panel finds him guilty of, among other things, using a Harlem rent-controlled apartment as a campaign office and not declaring income from a Dominican Republic hideaway, he will lose his place at the head of the most influential House committee on Capitol Hill.
And the city will lose some of the tremendous political clout it wields in D.C.
New York pols are an outsized presence on the national stage — Mayor Michael Bloomberg looms large on issues ranging from gun control to education and Sen. Chuck Schumer is the third-ranking Democrat in the Senate — but it’s often Rangel’s work that brings home the bucks for the city.
He fought hard to ensure that the nation’s stimulus package included over $3 billion for the city and authored legislation to create low-cost funding for organizations like the MTA for capitol construction projects. The Harlem rep is also working to reduce the corporate tax-rate to lessen the burden on city industry.
It took 36 years for Rangel, who bested 26-year incumbent Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. in 1971, to become the chairman of Ways and Means. It is an office appointed only to the most senior members of the House majority party.
If Rangel is deposed, it will be years before New York City will see another one of its representatives in that seat.
It appears that Congressman Joseph Crowley (Bronx and Queens), who is the only other New York City representative to sit on the committee, has the best shot. But he is lacking the seniority and chutzpah, currently serving his sixth unremarkable term in office.
Representatives including Jerrold Nadler of the 8th District, Anthony Weiner of the 9th District and Gregory Meeks of the 5th District are all congressional stars in their own right, but if they have their sights set on leading Ways and Means any time soon, they'll need to get started now.
Next in line for the chairmanship, according to seniority, is Rep. Pete Stark of Calif.
The House Ethics committee’s investigation into Rangel’s indiscretions has been going on for over a year now, but if this new attempt by House Republicans to make Rangel the poster-boy for liberal bad behavior is successful, it may signal an end to New York City’s powerful D.C. lobby.
