Honoring the life, military service, and congressional legacy of the Honorable Charles Bernard Rangel, and his enduring contributions to the alliance between the United States and the Republic of Korea.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1362 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1362

 Honoring the life, military service, and congressional legacy of the
Honorable Charles Bernard Rangel, and his enduring contributions to the
     alliance between the United States and the Republic of Korea.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 11, 2026

Ms. Meng (for herself, Mr. Suozzi, Mr. Meeks, Mr. Min, Mr. Moylan, Ms.
   Strickland, Ms. Wilson of Florida, Mr. Cleaver, and Mr. Sherman)
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee
                        on House Administration

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 Honoring the life, military service, and congressional legacy of the
Honorable Charles Bernard Rangel, and his enduring contributions to the
     alliance between the United States and the Republic of Korea.

Whereas Charles Bernard Rangel was born on June 11, 1930, in Harlem, New York,
        where he was raised by his family and community, and where he would
        spend a lifetime in devoted public service;
Whereas, at the age of 17, Mr. Rangel left school to enlist in the United States
        Army, serving as an artillery specialist in the all-Black 503rd Field
        Artillery Battalion in the 2nd Infantry Division from 1948 to 1952
        during the Korean war;
Whereas, in November 1950, during the Battle of Kunu-ri, Rangel, though wounded
        by shrapnel from a Chinese artillery shell, heroically led approximately
        40 soldiers out of a deadly Chinese Army encirclement under conditions
        of extreme cold and sustained enemy fire, an act of valor for which he
        was awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star Medal with Valor;
Whereas Mr. Rangel also received the Presidential Unit Citation, the Republic of
        Korea Presidential Unit Citation, and 3 Battle Stars for his
        extraordinary military service during the Korean war;
Whereas Mr. Rangel carried his experience of the Korean war with him for the
        rest of his life, describing the resilience of the Korean people and
        their nation's recovery as a source of profound personal inspiration,
        and later writing in his autobiography ``And I Haven't Had a Bad Day
        Since: From the Streets of Harlem to the Halls of Congress'' that the
        Battle at Kunu-ri was the worst day of his life, and that he had not had
        a bad day since;
Whereas, following his honorable discharge from the Army in 1952, Mr. Rangel
        used the GI Bill to pursue his education, earning a degree from New York
        University and a law degree from St. John's Law School in Queens;
Whereas Mr. Rangel was first elected to the United States House of
        Representatives in 1970 and went on to serve 23 consecutive terms
        representing the people of Harlem and New York City from January 3,
        1971, to January 3, 2017, making him the ninth-longest-serving Member of
        Congress in history at the time of his retirement;
Whereas Mr. Rangel was a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus,
        helping to establish one of the most consequential legislative
        coalitions in the history of the House of Representatives;
Whereas Mr. Rangel became the first African-American Member of Congress to serve
        on the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives, and
        in 2007 became the first African American to chair that Committee;
Whereas Mr. Rangel's experience in the Korean war forged in him a lifelong and
        deep personal commitment to the alliance between the United States and
        the Republic of Korea, a commitment he described in his own words,
        ``Korea will always have a place in my heart as I continue to work on
        bringing our two countries closer while promoting peace between the two
        Koreas'';
Whereas Mr. Rangel authored and championed the Korean war Veterans Recognition
        Act, ensuring that the service and sacrifice of Korean war veterans
        received the congressional recognition they deserved, and introduced a
        resolution in the House of Representatives to encourage peace and
        reunification on the Korean Peninsula;
Whereas, throughout his congressional tenure from 1971 to 2017, Mr. Rangel
        consistently supported the strength and resilience of the United States-
        Republic of Korea alliance, including through his work on the Committee
        on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives, where he engaged on
        trade policy affecting the bilateral economic relationship between the 2
        nations;
Whereas Mr. Rangel was honored by the Korea Society with its highest
        distinction, the Van Fleet Award, in 2020, in recognition of his decades
        of service to the cause of Korean war veterans and to the strengthening
        of ties between the United States and the Republic of Korea;
Whereas Mr. Rangel was honored by the Korea Economic Institute of America
        alongside fellow Members of Congress for his service during the Korean
        war and his continued efforts to advance the bilateral relationship;
Whereas, following Mr. Rangel's passing on May 26, 2025, at Harlem Hospital
        Center at the age of 94, 70 members of the National Assembly of the
        Republic of Korea introduced a resolution in the National Assembly
        commemorating his life, expressing gratitude for his service in the
        Korean war, and honoring his contributions to the development and
        strength of the United States-Republic of Korea alliance;
Whereas the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea further resolved to
        continue to remember and cherish the values and spirit of the United
        States-Republic of Korea alliance in his honor;
Whereas Mr. Rangel was interred with full honors at Arlington National Cemetery
        on July 16, 2025, alongside his beloved wife, Alma Rangel; and
Whereas Mr. Rangel's life from the streets of Harlem to the battlefields of
        Korea to the halls of Congress stands as an enduring testament to the
        ideals of courage, service, and democratic commitment that form the
        bedrock of the United States-Republic of Korea alliance: Now, therefore,
        be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) honors the life, military valor, and 46 years of
        distinguished congressional service of the Honorable Charles
        Bernard Rangel;
            (2) recognizes Mr. Rangel's extraordinary bravery during
        the Battle of Kunu-ri in November 1950, for which he was
        awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star Medal with Valor,
        as emblematic of the sacrifice made by all members of the
        United States Armed Forces who answered the call during the
        Korean war;
            (3) commends Mr. Rangel's tireless and decades-long
        commitment to strengthening the alliance between the United
        States and the Republic of Korea, including through his
        authorship of legislation honoring Korean war veterans, his
        advocacy for Korean Peninsula peace and reunification, and his
        personal dedication to advancing the bilateral relationship
        between the 2 nations;
            (4) acknowledges with gratitude the bipartisan resolution
        passed by 70 members of the National Assembly of the Republic
        of Korea honoring Mr. Rangel's life and contributions to the
        United States-Republic of Korea alliance as a powerful
        expression of the enduring bond between the 2 peoples; and
            (5) reaffirms the commitment of the United States House of
        Representatives to honoring the legacy of all veterans of the
        Korean war and to the strength, resilience, and continued
        flourishing of the United States-Republic of Korea alliance.
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