Less than six months into law, Economic Stimulus has invested more than $46 million in recovery projects for the community.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has committed $46.6 million to the 15th Congressional District of New York as of the end of May 2009, according to the Office of the Vice President which oversees the implementation of the Recovery Act.  Congressman Charles B. Rangel represents the District, which encompasses Upper Manhattan and Harlem. 

These funds include tax cuts for families and investments in health, education, safer communities and energy efficiency, in addition to allocations from the following Federal agencies: $6.2 million from Health and Human Services; $3.6 million from Education; $28.8 million from Social Security; and $2.6 million from the Small Business Administration.

The Vice President's Office also reported a list of 35 housing projects in the District that have received Recovery Act funds as of July 7, 2009, totaling more than $30 million for new construction, rehabilitation or low-interest loans for project management.  The list of projects is attached.

"In less than 150 days, the Recovery Act, along with other tax and income initiatives, has helped stabilize the economic damage over the past several years that has deeply hurt our community," said Congressman Rangel, who Chairs the House Ways and Means Committee.  About a third of the Recovery Act is comprised of tax benefits, most of which were passed in Chairman Rangel's committee.      

"I thank the Administration for moving quickly to get these funds out to assist our hard-hit families, businesses, and organizations and strongly request that the remaining stimulus funds are distributed expeditiously so that we do not waste time in turning around the economic well-being of our community," added Congressman Rangel.

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The following is a press release from the Ways & Means Committee, which Congressman Rangel chairs.

Effort will reduce costs, protect current coverage and preserve choice to ensure affordable, quality care for all.

Democratic Members of the House Committee on Ways and Means, led by Chairman Charles B. Rangel (D-NY), met with President Obama today to discuss the upcoming legislative agenda and their continuing efforts to reform America’s health care system to reduce costs, protect current coverage and preserve choice for patients to ensure affordable, quality care for all. 

During their meeting at the White House, the legislators updated the President on health reform efforts in the House of Representatives and pledged to continue working with him to achieve reforms that will promote economic recovery and put America back on a path toward long-term fiscal health.

“We could not ask for a better leader than President Obama to put America back on track for economic recovery and work to fix our broken health care system,” said Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles B. Rangel (D-NY).  “President Obama issued a call to action and Congress is responding, working with him to engage stakeholders and interest groups across the nation to build upon what works in our current health system and fix what is broken to ensure affordable, quality care for all.  Today’s meeting underscored that we share the same principles and commitment to health reform and we look forward to President Obama’s continued leadership to make this critical effort a reality.” 

Earlier today, Chairman Rangel joined Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller (D-CA) in a discussion on the current framework for reform with their colleagues in the House Democratic Caucus.  The Chairmen outlined the following framework, which fulfills President Obama’s commitment to health reform that:

• Reduces costs;
• Protects current coverage and preserves choice of doctors, hospitals and health plans; and
• Ensures affordable, quality health care for all.

 
A Brief Overview of the Framework:

• Maintains the ability for people to keep what they have and minimizes disruption;
• Invests in health care workforce to improve access to primary care;
• Invests in prevention and public health programs;
• Creates a new national health Exchange that permits States the option of developing a State or regional exchange in lieu of the national Exchange;
• Establishes shared responsibility among individuals, employers, and government;
• Offers sliding scale credits to ensure affordability for low and middle-income individuals and families;
• Jump starts health care delivery system reforms to reduce costs, maintain fiscal sustainability, and improve quality; and
• Expands authority to prevent waste, fraud and abuse.

Please click here to view the outline the full outline provided by the Chairmen during today’s House Democratic Caucus meeting.

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Congressman Charles B. Rangel released the following statement Tuesday moments after President Barack Obama announced his intention to nominate current U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals Justice Sonia Sotomayor:

President Obama has once again made the right choice in nominating Judge Sonia Sotomayor to replace Justice David Souter for the Supreme Court. Her nomination is a great source of pride, as a New Yorker, as a lawyer and a legislator that represents so many Puerto Ricans and Latinos in and out of my Congressional District.

Judge Sotomayor brings a tremendous wealth of personal and professional knowledge to the nation's highest court, a candidate that can see legal issues from both a theoretical and practical standpoint. A proud women of Puerto Rican heritage, she worked hard to go from the projects of the South Bronx to the prestigious halls of Princeton University and Yale Law School, never forgetting the family and community that supported her as she reached these heights. Whether it was as an assistant prosecutor, a corporate attorney or a district judge, she has performed at the highest level of professionalism while always striving to ensure that the law is applied equally and fairly.

Judge Sotomayor brings more than 15 years of experience as a federal judge and a real-life perspective to the court. Her trailblazing story is a classic American tale, the kind of story that parents tell their newborns as they swaddle them goodnight. That she should be considered for this prestigious post is not surprising, given her qualifications. That her nomination be placed before the Senate is the kind of bold leadership that we have come to expect from this White House. The kind of inclusive decision-making that is moving this country in the right direction for all its people.

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Rangel Praises Plan As Delivering Immediate Relief and Hope to Millions of Americans.

Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles B. Rangel (D-NY) praised the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 Friday, saying that it provided hope not only for those people who are jobless, but also the hopeless.”

A 246-183 majority passed the bill in the House, sending the recovery package onto the Senate where it passed by a 61-36 margin.

"This is debate is not about political philosophy, its about delivering immediate help to the millions of families and small businesses struggling to survive these tough economic times," said Rangel who represents the New York neighborhoods of the Upper West Side, Harlem, East Harlem, Washington Heights, Inwood and Marble Hill. "It provides real money for people who need real assistance during these tough times to keep putting food on their tables and a roof over their heads.

The Congressman lauded the members of the New York delegation for their support of the bill, especially fellow Ways and Means Committees colleagues Rep. Joe Crowley (D-Queens) and Rep. Brian Higgins (D- Buffalo) for their assistance during negotiations. He also praised the leadership of New York's senior Senator Charles Schumer, who wield his influence as a member of the Senate Finance Committee and Vice Chair of the Senate Democratic Conference.

Under the bill approved by the House, 3.5 million jobs will be created or maintained, including 215, 000 jobs in New York State and 7,900 in the 15th Congressional District. White House officials also estimated that 95 percent of American working families will take home a little more in each paycheck. Millions more will get the relief they deserve through an expanded child tax credit, and even millions more will have additional resources to stay out of poverty’s deadly grasp because of an enhanced earned income tax credit.

“This economic crisis demands comprehensive action and this recovery package delivers relief to every sector of our economy to help families, create and save jobs, and invest in a 21st Century economy, said Rangel. "We are making targeted investments in education and health care to ensure that American children can stay healthy and get the best education possible. We are also providing funding to local communities to put folks back to work modernizing our bridges, roads and schools. All of these investments will help reinvigorate the American economy so that we can compete and win in the global economy."

What the Bill Means For NY Families, Individuals
Among those that will see immediate relief will be the unemployed: more than 670,000 New Yorkers who are currently out of work will benefit from the $25 per week increase in unemployment insurance as well as the additional 33 weeks of benefits that the Federal government is looking to provide until December 31, 2009.

In addition, the bill would provide assistance for workers who have lost their health insurance by providing a nine-month 65 percent subsidy for COBRA healthcare premiums, (Under current law, eligible workers may continue to receive health coverage through a previous employer’s health plan for up to 18 months, but are responsible for 102 percent of the cost of that coverage.

The package helps return money back to working Americans by protecting an estimated 26 million middle-class families from being hit by the AMT and through the refundable Make Work Pay tax credit of up to $400 per worker ($800 per couple filing jointly). Seniors will receive a one time $250 payment through their Social Security, SSI, Railroad Pension or Veterans pension, while low-income workers with three or more children will also get an increase in their Earned Income Tax Credit. Millions more families would now be eligible for up to $1275 from the child tax credit.

The recovery package would also help families cope with the rising cost of education expenses though an enhanced tax credit for tuition and school expenses. Families with children in college will see as much as $10,000 over four years in tax credits for higher education . (The College Tax Credit will benefit an estimated 295,000 students statewide ) Students with Pell grants - an estimated 461,816 in New York State -- will see the maximum stipends increased by $ 500. The bill also adds $300 million nationwide for work-study programs that help needy students pay for their education.

Direct Help for the City, State
The recovery package would also help State and local governments cope with increasing hardships and budget deficits by investing in infrastructure projects to improve roads, schools and bridges while also creating jobs. Relief will be targeted to areas that need it most to create “Recovery Zones” aiding communities in areas of high unemployment growth.

In addition to more funding for local law enforcement, state and local government will be able to bridge budge gaps with aid help in the following areas:

HOUSING - The New York City Housing Authority will receive over $290 million for long need repairs such as the elevators that have failed in so many of its buildings. The package also establishes a new national program to upgrade HUD-sponsored low-income housing (elderly, disabled, and Section 8) to increase energy efficiency, including new insulation, windows, and frames.

EDUCATION - New York City will get in excess of $1 billion in education money with funds for special education, Title I, state equalization funds and for school construction and modernization. The State will also receive additional funds for Head Start as well as significant share of the over $50 billion set aside for stabilizing state budgets with respect to education. These funds will be channeled to school districts all over the state will also help fill the state's budget gap.

TRANSPORTATION - New York State could get as much as $1.3 billion in surface transportation funds for highways, streets, bridges, bike paths etc with cities and counties will get a 20% share of this grant. The metropolitan area of New York City, Northern New Jersey and Westchester will get over $800 million to fund transit projects. The state will also receive an additional $654 million for water and sewer projects.

HEALTHCARE - The package will help reduce potential state budge cuts by bringing in over $11.5 billion to the state, New York City and the counties in additional federal contributions to the Medicaid program over the next two years. This will enable Albany to reduce the level of budget cuts needed to balance the state's budget. Hospitals and other health care providers will receive assistance to up grade their computer systems so that all health care providers can better use information technology and provide better health care. The Congressman was also influential in continuing moratorium on harmful Bush Administration Medicare and Medicaid regulations that would have taken well over $250 million a year from the state's health care providers.

Benefits for Businesses Large andSmall
New York businesses, large and small would also receive benefits to help them grow and create new jobs. Companies would benefit from the continuation of bonus depreciation and expensing for smaller corporations. Small business will also be able to take advantage of a more liberal rule on applying operating losses to previous years' tax liability.

The job creation tax incentives include credits to hire unemployed veterans and disconnected youth. New greener jobs would also be generated with critical investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency. Workers will also see maximum tax free employer provided transit benefits increased to $230 a month, a move that will not only help offset increased transit fare increases but also encourage more people to use public transportation.

An Important First Step
Although more work needs to be done to get the American economy back on track, Rangel said that the negotiated package was an important step forward. The stressed that the legislation has unprecedented accountability and transparency measures to help ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent wisely and effectively—including no earmarked projects and a new recovery.gov website allowing Americans to track the investments.”

“The recovery bill helps modernize our economy, keeping America at the forefront of new technology through critical investments in renewable energy to immediately create green jobs and reduce our dependence on foreign oil.," said Rangel. "We are also making landmark investments in health information technology to reduce health care costs, lower medical errors and improve the quality of care for patients nationwide.

“President Obama has issued a call to action, and Congress has responded. I truly believe that history will record this as one of our bravest moments, when we met the challenge of a sour economy and worked together to build a brighter future."

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Ways and Means Chairman Commends Colleagues for Reaffirming Integrity of the House.

Congressman Charles Rangel said he welcomed a vote by the House of Representatives to reject a Republican effort to censure the New York Congressman.

The resolution introduced by Republican leaders called on Congressman Rangel to step aside as Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee while a special investigative panel of the Ethics Committee conducts inquiries requested by the Congressman himself.

The House voted 226-176 to table the resolution. Twelve Republicans joined a unanimous vote by Democrats against the resolution.

"Once again the House has reaffirmed its integrity by refusing to go along with a partisan political attempt to usurp the rules of the House while embarrassing me," Congressman Rangel said.

"With this vote, the House has spoken in favor of allowing the Ethics Committee to make its own judgment, free of the influence of rumors and insinuations contained in inflammatory newspaper articles," Congressman Rangel said. "I commend my colleagues in the House for standing firmly in support of the internal process."

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National and local leaders in and out of New York continue to applaud Ways and Means Chairman Congressman Charles Rangel for the tax provisions that he crafted into the nation's news housing law. The newly signed legislation will help finance more affordable housing units, extend more tax credits for first-time homebuyers & provide other measures to strengthen housing market & stem tide of foreclosures.

Below is a cross-section of those reactions:

"Because of the Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2008, at-risk borrowers will be able to keep their homes by refinancing their mortgages into safe and more affordable government-insured mortgages. The measure also provides funds to New York State and its localities to purchase and renovate foreclosed properties in our most impacted areas. This initiative will help New York stabilize at-risk communities endangered by abandoned foreclosed homes....I want to thank Senator Charles Schumer and Ways and Means Chairman Charles Rangel and the entire New York delegation for their leadership on this issue and their hard work in making this bill a reality.

New York State Governor David Paterson

“This landmark legislation provides a wide ranging set of tools to address the foreclosure crisis in New York City and cities across the country. Congressman Rangel’s leadership was central to producing a bill that will keep people in their homes, stabilize neighborhoods impacted by foreclosures, and preserve and expand our supply of affordable housing. New York City has learned from firsthand experience that rehabilitating distressed properties can stabilize entire neighborhoods. The neighborhood stabilization grants included in this bill will bolster efforts underway to turn around the New York City neighborhoods most hurt by foreclosures. The bill also makes changes to tax credit programs that will allow cities to make more effective use of the low-income housing tax credit and housing bonds. These changes and the inclusion of an additional $11 billion in tax-exempt bond authority will result in thousands of additional affordable housing units being built across the City.”

Commissioner Sean Donovan
New York City Department of Housing Preservation & Development

"This is a tremendously significant piece of legislation. Not only will it bring help to homeowners at risk of foreclosure, and to communities hard-hit by the crisis, it will also expand the tools and resources available to develop affordable rental housing, by making tax credit investment more attractive and expanding tax-exempt mortgage bonding authority. It also creates, in the Housing Trust Fund, the first new federal housing production program in a generation. LISC looks forward to working with government and local partners to implement the solutions and programs contained in this bill."

Denise Scott
Managing Director
Local Initiatives Support Organization (LISC)
New York City

"Passage of the Affordable Housing Trust Fund represents a re-invigorated commitment by Congress to affordable housing- both in terms of preservation and new construction. It is critical that this commitment be paired with companion policy initiatives that ensure the Fund will be used in a way that serves families most in need of decent, safe and affordable housing."

Dina Levy
Director of Organizing and Policy
Urban Housing Assistance Board

"The National Housing Trust Fund provisions of this bill will provide tenants and their allies with a vital new resource to preserve rapidly depleting affordable housing to ensure that New York's neighborhoods are stable, diverse communities with affordable housing for all - not only for the wealthy. Recognizing that construction of new housing alone cannot solve the housing crisis, Congress took the right step to allocate funds to preserve existing affordable housing."

Patrick Coleman
Tenants & Neighbors

“House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel has once again demonstrated his deep commitment to providing affordable housing help to those who need it most. Because of the Chairman’s leadership, the housing stimulus legislation signed into law significantly expands and strengthens two of the most effective federal housing programs—the Low Income Housing Tax Credit and tax-exempt Housing Bonds—and the ability of State Housing Finance Agencies to put these resources to work on some of the toughest affordable housing challenges our country has ever faced.”

Barbara J. Thompson
Executive Director
National Council of State Housing Finance Agencies

"This new legislation will not only help the home owners recover but will put into place a system for the preservation of affordable and public housing in the United States."

Reginald H. Bowman
President
City Wide Council of Presidents New York City Housing Authority

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New Law Will Help Ensure Millions of Seniors, Military Families Have Access to Quality Health Care

Members of Congress, led by Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles B. Rangel (D-NY), voted Tuesday to override President Bush’s veto of H.R. 6331, the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008.

An overwhelming, bipartisan majority of the House voted 383-41 to pass the bill and ensure that millions of seniors, military families and other beneficiaries would continue to receive the healthcare they need and deserve. The Senate soon followed with its own 70-26 vote ensuring that the measure would become law.

In remarks made on the House floor, Rangel thanked his colleagues for blocking the President's action and for making healthcare a top priority.

“President Bush demonstrated once again, a reckless, mean-spirited disregard for the health of our children, military families, our poor folks and our aged," said Rangel on the floor of the House. "This vote really isn’t a question of Republicans or Democrats supporting a bill. Instead, we are uniting the Congress to send a message to the President that he should think about what this bill would do for the American people. We wish he would be a partner, not a roadblock, to progress."

“When Senator Ted Kennedy rose from his sick-bed to cast his critical vote in favor of this bill last week, he wasn’t just a Democratic Senator speaking to the Senate, he was a man who demonstrated and embodied compassion for all of the things we believe in," continued Rangel. "He brought this Congress together and we must stay together, for the good of the American people.”

H.R. 6331 will prevent a 10.6 percent pay cut to physicians which was scheduled to take place on July 1, ensuring continued access to their physician for the over 1 million Medicare beneficiaries living in New York City. The bill will provide a 1.1 percent update in physician payments starting January 1, 2009. The law also includes important improvements for beneficiaries, such as Medicare mental health parity, improved preventive coverage, and enhanced low-income assistance. In addition, it provides measures to ensure prompt insurance payment to pharmacies for prescription drugs, and a delay of a Medicaid regulation that will result in lower generic drug reimbursement to pharmacies. It also includes an 18-month delay in implementation of the flawed competitive bidding program for more than 1,300 Durable Medical Equipment suppliers in the New York City area, and tens of thousands more in the other 79 metro areas covered by the bidding program.

The measure will also reduce Medicare Advantage Indirect Medical Education (IME) overpayments and make changes to the private fee for service program that impact network requirements, not payment levels. In addition, these efforts to rein in Medicare Advantage extends Medicare solvency.

H.R. 6331 first passed the House on June 24th by an overwhelming vote of 355-59. It soon passed the Senate 69-30 on July 9.

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Councilmember Gale Brewer, Assemblymember Daniel O’Donnell, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, and State Senator Bill Perkins joined Congressman Charles Rangel to applaud the Department of Housing Preservation and Development’s (HPD) decision to reject the sale of Trinity House, the Mitchell Lama development located at 100 West 92nd Street, New York, NY 10024.

For months, tenants, housing activists and community leaders have been pressing HPD to reject the sale of the historic, 199-unit Mitchell Lama development, which was built in 1969 and owned by the Trinity School.

“Trinity House is a community staple,” said Rep. Rangel, whose 15th Congressional District represents parts of the West Side and all of Upper Manhattan. “It’s a time capsule that contains the diverse, progressive Upper West Side we all grew up in and fell in love with. I commend HPD for rejecting Trinity’s sale on the grounds that it will not preserve affordable housing for future generations.”

Councilwoman Brewer (6th CD) echoed the Congressman’s message.

“I thank Congressman Rangel for providing leadership in our effort to retain affordable housing into the future at Trinity House,” said Council member Brewer. “HPD stepped up to the task of working with the community to give us time to find an alternative to a private developer who will turn vacant units into market rate housing.”

Said Assemblymember O’Donnell (69th AD): “HPD should be lauded for demonstrating its commitment to maintaining affordable housing by rejecting the sale of Trinity House. The rejection makes a strong statement that future offers must include an affordable housing component. HPD clearly recognizes that communities such as the Upper West Side can no longer afford large-scale losses of affordable units.”

BP Stringer added: “I commend HPD for their decision to preserve valuable affordable housing units in Manhattan. My hope is that this will serve as a precedent for all levels of government-HPD, DHCR, and HUD-to work harder to ensure the continued affordability of existing housing.”

“I congratulate the tenants of Trinity on this hard fought victory,” noted Senator Perkins (30th SD). “HPD’s decision is to be applauded and it is a sign of what can be done when communities come together.”

Rangel also indicated his hope that this is the beginning of a new era of government oversight over sales of affordable housing buildings.

“I see this as a step in the right direction for the City of New York and an agency that has not done all that it can for preserving affordable housing,” the Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means said. “Just like HUD stepped up to the plate in the case of Starrett City and rightfully denied the sale of that development, HPD has done the same thing. I hope it will continue to play a more aggressive role in executing its mission of housing preservation.”

“The tenants are elated that HPD has decided to do what we feel is the right thing, to preserve the affordable housing that is so important to the city. We hope that Trinity School will decide to work with us to come to an agreement that will benefit everyone in community,” said Christine Spencer, co-chair of the Trinity House Tenants Association.

“HPD’s decision to reject the sale of Trinity House is a decision to reject the speculation of affordable housing. It is a powerful move that will protect Mitchell-Lama buildings from falling into the hands of predatory buyers. The city’s leadership creates opportunities for tenants to make preservation a reality,” said Amy Chan of Tenants and Neighbors.

The Trinity House decision comes at a time when community activists and elected officials have stepped up their campaigns to save hundreds of affordable housing units in the city. In recent months, Congressman Rangel's office has worked with groups like the Urban Homesteading Assistance Board (UHAB), Tenants and Neighbors and Harlem Tenants United to urge landlords to support Harlem's Mother Zion apartments and other project-based Section 8 buildings.

Community Board Seven Chair Helen Rosenthal reiterated the community board's commitment to working with HPD and elected officials.

“The Board has unanimously supported the rejection of the sale of Trinity House,” said Rosenthal. “Our Board will fight to maintain the Mitchell-Lama homes in our district and beyond,” she said.

Rangel has also used his position as head of the Ways and Means Committee to fight for more federal tax credits to build new units for low-income and working class New Yorkers.

“Property values may have soared, but many people across this city and nation live on fixed incomes or have not seen their salaries increase,” said Rangel. “Elected officials, at all levels of government, are working to ensure that hardworking families who help keep the social and economic fabric of our communities whole are not pushed out.”

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Congressman Charles Rangel released the following joint statement on the recent verdict in the Sean Bell case with several elected officials including Rep Gregory Meeks W. Meeks, Rep. Edolphus Towns, Rep. Yvette D. Clarke, Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kirkpatrick, New York State Senate Democratic Leader Malcolm A. Smith, New York City Council Member Thomas White, Jr. and New York City Council Member Leroy Comrie.

"A year and a half ago, three police officers fired a total of 50 bullets at three unarmed and innocent young men, killing Sean Bell and severely wounding Joseph Guzman and Trent Benefield.  This incident occurred in the morning of what was supposed to be Sean Bell's wedding day.  The past seventeen months have been extremely difficult for Nicole Paultre Bell, Sean Bell's widow, his daughters, and his parents, William and Valerie Bell.

It appeared that the evidence presented by the prosecution during a six week trial was compelling and conclusive.  Yet, the verdict rendered by Judge Arthur Cooperman this morning acquitted all three officers of all charges.

We do not accept that this is the end of this case.  We have joined with the families and their attorneys in filing complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice requesting an investigation of violations of the civil rights of Sean Bell, Joseph Guzman, and Trent Benefield.  Indeed, this afternoon the U.S. Department of Justice announced that it's Civil Rights Division, the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation's New York Field Division will conduct an independent review of the facts and circumstances surrounding the Nov. 25, 2006, shooting of Sean Bell and two of his friends.

Although we understand and share the frustration that many New Yorkers are feeling at this moment, we caution against giving into that frustration.  Instead, we urge all who are disappointed with the decision to channel their energy into monitoring this review and utilizing their right to peaceful assembly to seek a redress of their grievances over today's decision.

In the near future the Tri-Level Legislative Taskforce, formed in the wake of the Bell shooting and which held city-wide public hearings on the excessive use of police force, will release its final recommendation.

We must all remain committed to creating a justice system that is fair to all and building police-community relations that respect the lives and well-being of all.

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Following the astounding report that 1 in 100 American adults are currently incarcerated, Congressman Rangel joined calls by members of Congress for fair, sensible, and immediate reform to the criminal justice system.

Congressman Rangel has introduced a series of bills meant to restore credibility to the system and end its racially disproportionate skew. The recently released Pew Report announced that 1 in 15 Black adults and 1 in 34 Hispanic adults are in prison – numbers far greater than the overall, national average.

"These numbers serve to bring an urgency to our campaign and to confirm to naysayers what we've known all along: We've got to do more," Rangel said. "We've got to do more by way of no-entry or diversion initiatives, sentencing reform, and drug treatment and prevention. We owe it to those kids, those kids who are floundering in failing schools, dropping out in record rates, and caught in a life of poverty and hopelessness."

Congressman Rangel's Crack Cocaine Equitable Sentencing Act would eliminate the 100-to-1 sentencing disparity between crack cocaine and powder cocaine offenses, and his Second Chance for Ex-Offenders Act offers expungement to first-time offenders who serve out their sentences, remain substance-abuse free, earn an education, and complete a year of community service, in turn reducing recidivism.

The House and Senate have already passed with bipartisan majorities the Second Chance Act of 2007, which provides resources for prisoner reentry in an effort to tamp down recidivism rates. It is now up to President Bush to sign it into law and to do so swiftly.

"This is a matter of common sense. The facts have made it abundantly clear," Rangel said. "This country is in desperate need of reform, and the time for it is now.

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