By Erin Corcoran

Congressman Charles Rangel (D-NY) has represented upper Manhattan and part of Queens, N.Y. on Capitol Hill since 1971. In those 36 years of service, he has tackled issues ranging from crime prevention to economic development and from foreign affairs to housing and health care.

Rangel has built an impressive resume, serving on committees such as the House Judiciary Committee, the Select Committee on Narcotics Abuse and Control and the powerful Ways and Means Committee, which he now chairs. Furthermore, Rangel is one of the longest serving members in the House and is dean of the New York congressional delegation. He also serves as chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s board of directors.

On TRIEA

New York City is the epicenter of real estate and Rangel has supported many REIT and real estate issues that directly affect his district in Manhattan. “The New York City skyline demonstrates the strength of REITs and real estate today,” Rangel says. In fact, Rangel co-sponsored the REIT Improvement Act of 2003. He currently supports efforts to achieve a permanent solution that would ensure the availability and affordability of terrorism risk insurance after the scheduled expiration of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Extension Act (TRIEA) at the end of 2007. TRIEA requires property and casualty insurers conducting business in the U.S. to offer coverage for terrorist attacks by foreign agents, and it provides a federal reinsurance backstop for the primary insurers.

On Bipartisanship on the Hill

Rangel has seen our country’s leadership cycle through seven presidents and 18 Congresses. “The atmosphere on Capitol Hill has changed significantly in the 36 years that I have served in Congress,” he says. “There used to be more comity between members from both sides of the aisle to form coalitions and seek common ground with the encouragement of our leadership.” Unfortunately, Rangel says, the level of bipartisan cooperation has subsided.

However, Rangel wants to change that environment and foster a more bipartisan spirit in the House of Representatives. “We are going to return to a more civil House, where problems are solved by legitimate give and take,” he says. “However, we will have to make a determined effort to reach out and work together. As Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means, it is my intention to do just that.”

The Ways and Means Committee presides over tax and revenue-raising measures, as well as child support laws, federal welfare programs, foster care and adoption programs, Medicare, Social Security trade and unemployment benefits. The 41-member committee is made up of six sub-committees on Health, Income Security and Family Support, Oversight, Select Revenue Measures, Social Security and Trade.

In line with his resolve to encourage bipartisanship in the House, Rangel met with subcommittee chairs and ranking members of the Ways and Means Committee in early 2007 to discuss issues at an informal retreat. “Now, we’ll have the majority and minority staffs work more closely together,” he says.

On the Democratic Party

As the new majority of Congress, Rangel says the Democratic Party plans to achieve middle class tax cuts and budget discipline in 2007. In the next two years, Rangel says the Ways and Means Committee will do its part to address these initiatives with new legislation.

“We will address the taxation of multi-national operations of American businesses and will address the tax gap, as well as try to help the IRS better collect the billions of taxes that go unpaid,” he says. “We will also address the need for incentives for alternative and clean energy sources.”

Additionally, Rangel hopes to alleviate the Alternative Minimum Tax’s (AMT) growing burden on the middle class. “We will do what we can to reduce taxes for those members of the middle class that are affected by the AMT,” he says. “Since it will be the rule of the House to pay for whatever spending or tax cut bills it passes, it will require considerable discussion among members to decide how to reach these goals.”