Happy Independence Day to my Dominican brothers and sisters. Reproduced below are a few of my thoughts on the holiday, submitted to the Congressional Record earlier this month:

"Today I join with the hundreds of thousands of Dominican residents of my congressional district and across our nation to commemorate February 27th, the 165th anniversary of the Dominican Republic's Day of Independence.  This celebration comes at the tail end of Dominican Heritage Month. 

Dominican Heritage Month gives us the opportunity to acknowledge and applaud the economic, cultural, and social contributions Dominican Americans have made to this great nation.  Dominicans living in our shores have been motivated by the value of hard work and the bonds of family – the same pillars of our society that has built this great nation for over 230 years. 

It also gives us an opportunity to consider the many Dominican achievements, on the island and in the United States.  Many of our hemisphere's first institutions were established on the shores of Quisqueya, including the first cathedral and the oldest university. 

Since the initial wave of Dominican migration in the 1960's to the most recent arrivals of today, Dominicans have worked hard to contribute to our national identity, educating us all on their culture and traditions and enriching the quality of our shared futures.  Their contributions can also be found in every facet of U.S. life – from the many baseball stars in our national pastime, to fashion legend Oscar de la Renta to the thousands of professionals that do battle as soldiers, doctors, lawyers, journalists, educators, and public servants. 

This past year, the Dominican community and I shared the loss of our fallen soldier, Army Sergeant Jose E. Ulloa, who lost his life tragically in Sadr City on August 9, 2008 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.  We also shared the grief of Hurricanes Gustav and Hanna, the deadliest storms of the 2008 hurricane season, along with hurricanes Ike and Fay responsible for approximately 14 deaths and the displacement of more than 20,000 people in the Dominican Republic. 

The Dominican people are known to triumph in the face of tragedy.  They first began their campaign for the independence of the Dominican Republic in 1831 under the leadership of Juan Pablo Duarte, who formed a secret society named The Trinity.  Thirteen years later, he succeeded in commanding a decisive uprising, which resulted in independence for the Dominican Republic. After the long and hard campaign for freedom had ended, a ceremonial musket shot fired on February 27, 1844 marked the Dominican Republic's first official Independence Day.

Join me in marking this celebration of not just the independence and triumphs of the Dominican people, but also the invaluable impact that this small island nation has had on our country and the world."

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It's tax time, again. We'll be updating our constituents with the latest available information on filing their taxes this year. Reproduced below are the nearest IRS Tax Service Centers.

You can find the full listing of volunteer sites here. You may need to rotate the document once counter-clockwise in order to read.

Don't forget the filing deadline, as always, is April 15.

IRS Tax Service Centers
1200 Waters Place
Bronx, NY 10461
212.436.1000
Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm

625 Fulton Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201
718.488.2068
Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm

55 W. 125th Street
New York, NY 10027
212.436.1000
Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm

290 Broadway
New York, NY 10027
212.436.1000
Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm

110 W. 44th Street
New York. NY 10036
212.436.1000
Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm

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...I was pushing for an end to unjust drug laws that target low-level crack cocaine addicts and sellers, hold powder cocaine users to a different standard, and leave major drug kingpins off the hook. Those priorities seem off the mark to me, and I was making that exact case before the House Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, & Homeland Security a year ago, on this very date.

Reproduced below is the press release – dated February 26, 2008 – summing up the hearing.

Read about my views on U.S. drug policy on our Justice page.

Rangel Pushes Bill Against Unjust Crack Sentencing
Calls For End to All Mandatory Minimums at House Subcommittee Hearing
Congressman Charles B. Rangel on Tuesday renewed his call to end mandatory minimum prison sentences for drug offenses and restore judicial discretion in testimony before the House Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, & Homeland Security.

"The current system shows a lack of confidence in our judges," Rangel said at the hearing. "I only hope that once we get our common sense back, we'll do away with mandatory minimums."

Before a packed house of onlookers – many of whom donned bright red pins reading "Crack the Disparity" – Rangel hailed his bill as a solution to the tarnished legacy of stiff crack cocaine penalties.

The current system imposes a 100-to-1 sentencing disparity between powder offenses and crack offenses, mandating the same 5-year sentence for possessing 500 grams of powder as it does for just 5 grams of crack. His bill, the Crack Cocaine Equitable Sentencing Act (HR 460), would eliminate the mandatory minimum for possession of cocaine and set all other crack triggers equal to powder levels.

The Congressman said that eliminating the disparity is a matter of fairness and good sense.

"At the time these stiff penalties were enacted, they were seen as the well-intentioned cure to a frightening epidemic," Rangel said in statement following the hearing. "But instead of reducing drug addiction and crime, those laws have swelled our prisons, fueled a racial divide that jails young Black men at disproportionate rates, left a generation of children fatherless, and driven up the costs of a justice system focused more on harsh punishment than rehabilitation."

Rangel has been a leading voice on sensible drug policy and criminal justice, recently praising the Supreme Court for granting judges greater flexibility in drug sentencing and the Sentencing Commission for retroactively lowering its inflated sentencing guidelines.

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Our Flashback Series takes a look at a press release, opinion editorial, article, photo, or video published on this date in the past.

Did you spot me? I was seated beside my dear friend, Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez. Here are my thoughts on the night of President Obama's first address to Congress:

"President Obama took the oath of office to lead our nation at a time of great challenge and opportunity.  He wasted no time, calling for immediate action to confront the economic crisis, and shepherding a comprehensive economic recovery package through Congress.  The benefits provided in the recovery package go directly to millions of families struggling to make ends meet.  We provided one of the most expansive packages of tax cuts to middle- and lower-income families in the history of our great nation and put in place the most significant enhancement of Federal benefits for the unemployed since the New Deal. 

Tonight, President Obama further detailed how this recovery package serves as a down payment on future economic growth through investments in infrastructure, education, health information technology and renewable energy production.  While it is easy to dwell on the challenges we face, I believe these investments leave us poised once again to achieve greatness and lead the world in new technological developments that will recharge our economic engine. 

Indeed, the course charted by President Obama during his first month in office is nothing short of revolutionary.  In a stark contrast with recent years, President Obama has done everything possible to reach across the aisle and build bipartisan support for solutions to address the challenges we face.  These hard economic times have forced us as a nation to assume new responsibilities at the Federal level.  Because of the overwhelming nature of this crisis, we are now discussing issues like comprehensive health reform to make sure that everyone has affordable care that meets their needs, and expanding educational opportunities so that today’s students can be tomorrow’s leaders and developing innovative new technologies to keep our country competitive internationally.  We are making an unprecedented investment in the production and use of renewable energy as an alternative to fossil fuels so that we can reduce our dependence on foreign oil.  This development alone should be enough to start rekindling the flame of American innovation that fueled our economic growth during the 20th Century. 

However, investments in technology alone will not turn our economy around.  We must also invest in American workers and families to restore some of the economic security they have lost in recent years.  We can take pride in the actions of this Congress and the leadership of President Obama to advance policies that will help those who are less fortunate and have been hit hardest by the downturn.  We have already put into place a landmark, bipartisan SCHIP reauthorization and expansion to help millions of children in working families get the health care they need and deserve.   In doing so, we overcame political hurdles of the past to enact beneficial reforms for the future.  We will now focus on further reforming our nation’s health care system to tackle skyrocketing costs and help provide greater access to quality care. 

Following President Obama’s lead, I am certain that the weeks, months, and years ahead will include spirited debates, but these are discussions we cannot, and should not shy away from.  President Obama has rightly identified health care, tax reform and Social Security as priorities to ensure the long-term fiscal health of our nation, and Congress is ready to deliver.  As we move forward, we must embrace President Obama’s call for bipartisanship, for the American people are looking for their government to come together to serve the nation and its needs. Addressing these challenges takes time and leadership, but the cost of inaction is simply too great to let politics get in the way of progress."

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President Obama's address before a joint session of Congress is tonight at 9 PM. I'll be seated in the House gallery. See if you can spot me!

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Yesterday, I had the great privilege of gathering with my colleagues and my President at the White House to hash out solutions to this country's deficit issues.

I've reproduced below the exchange between President Obama and myself on bipartisanship and tax policy moving forward. We are dedicated to regaining the surpluses of the past, all the while getting our fiscal house in order and providing for our citizens the services they most critically need.

You can read a full transcript of the event's question-and-answer session here.

THE PRESIDENT: Charlie, you're right here ... [Sen.] Kent [Conrad} talked about revenue. You were
participating in the tax reform panel.

REPRESENTATIVE RANGEL: First let me thank you for bringing us together. The Secretary
of Treasury provided a lot of leadership...certainly recogniz[ing]...that we do something. [The] thought of the tax structure, people thought it was relatively easy to dramatically reduce the rates that make us internationally competitive. The problems, of course, was the different views they have in how you handle the individual raise.

I don't think there's any committee in the House that would be more anxious to bring forth a
product, whether it's in health care, tax reform, or Social Security, to bring forth something in a
bipartisan way. And I think this is a dramatic first step to see where we're going. As I said, I don't want to seem to be corny, but it would appear as though...if America recognized the crisis, that they're not looking for a Democratic or Republican solution. And in order for us to be politically successful, they're going have to believe that it was done in a bipartisan way.

So I think this initiative is a strong first step. I only hope at the end of the day we can come out,
maybe not in total agreement, but certainly in a bipartisan way.

THE PRESIDENT: Just a quick thought on taxes, Charlie. My instinct is, is that you're absolutely right that the individual tax rate is always the hardest thing. There's some philosophical differences between the parties on this and I understand that. On the corporate side, I at least have always maintained that if we try to think in the same ways that we thought about it in 1986, and if you closed loopholes, you could actually lower rates.

REPRESENTATIVE RANGEL: No question about it.

THE PRESIDENT: And that's an area where there should be the potential for some bipartisan agreement, because I think, on the books, the rates in the United States are high. In practice, depending on who it is that you can, what kind of accountant you can hire, they're not so
high. And that's an area where we can work on. Simplification, same thing. I don't think
there's anybody out here who thinks that we are making it customer-friendly for the taxpayer.
And that's an area where we can make some great progress.

REPRESENTATIVE RANGEL: Well, if you're looking for a fight and a partisan fight, any
loophole you close is a tax increase. We have to get over that and make certain that the vast
majority of businesses recognize it's in their best interest to do the right thing as relates to
those who've taken unfair advantage of the government.

THE PRESIDENT: Well, you were here in '86 – it's been done before. We might be able to
get it done this time.

REPRESENTATIVE RANGEL: Well, under your leadership, I'm looking forward to it.
(Laughter)

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Thank you.

My office phones have been ringing off the hook all day with calls from constituents thanking me for my vote and my work on behalf of the Economic Recovery package.

Keep them coming. We always love hearing from you.

If you want to note your views online, just post your comments below, on this very blog entry. Or you can visit our Economy, Working-Class Families, Health Care, Education, or Taxes pages to read my positions and share yours.

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Here's video of me, posing that question to my colleagues, about (perhaps) the most important economic calamity to face this country in 80 years.

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...Fidel Castro resigned as president of Cuba, and we wrote about it. Reproduced below is an opinion editorial – dated February 19, 2008 – that makes the case for renewed diplomacy and the lifting of restrictions on Americans' fundamental right to travel.

Read about my views on our policy towards Cuba on our Foreign Policy page.

In Cuba, Another Opportunity for Change In U.S. Policy
The announced resignation of Fidel Castro as president of Cuba represents the end of an era, and an opportunity for the United States to change its failed politics-driven policy toward the island. With Castro's resignation, Cuba will change and have the chance to chart a new course for itself, under new leadership. It's now imperative that we, in this country, do the same.

There's no winning with the current policy. But change could bring a lift of the travel ban, a flurry of humanitarian aid, the sale of much-needed food, medicines, and other goods, as well as an exchange of ideas and culture that might thaw its frozen-over civil society. We gain so much by tossing away our 1960s-tinted glasses. With fresh eyes, we can look anew at our neighbor 90 miles south as a place where regular Americans enjoy enormous popularity and the ability to influence events towards a more open and democratic society. Our embargo has failed, and so we can test the effectiveness of active contacts between our people in bringing about positive results.

Raúl Castro, the likely successor, has made promising overtures to our government, gestures this administration outright ignores. He has opened up unprecedented dialogue with his people, allowing a praiseworthy amount of discussion and dissent. At 76, Raúl is not quite of the younger generation, but he does represent new leadership. We cannot secure a foothold of influence in Cuba's imminent transition if we refuse to speak to anyone in its government. We currently have no one's ear – worse yet, we choose to petulantly insult and threaten, when we do – and that is too dangerous a position in which to find ourselves.

Respect must be mutual. A disregard for Cuba's sovereignty weakens our moral high ground and provides opponents of progress with the fodder to obfuscate our argument. We cannot pick and choose their leaders for them, but we can provide assistance as evidence of our friendship and concern for the people and for the future of the country. That need not require that we set aside our dearly held principles, either. Everything can be raised and addressed – human rights, the freeing of political prisoners, the return of certain appropriated property. We can and we must deal with them, but we first need to be willing to dialogue.

The obstacles of the past should play no part in the construction of our futures. We have to get beyond that tragic incident in 1996, when U.S. civilian planes were shot down near Cuba. That day in late February represents one of the saddest days in U.S.-Cuba relations: Americans were killed, and so, too, were the hopes of progressives making headway towards normalization. Up until that very setback, the Clinton administration was on the cusp of a breakthrough to a new policy of engagement that by now would have influenced change as the Cuban people recognized what they were missing under their leadership.

New and forward thinking in Miami now yearns for that breakthrough. A younger generation – unborn during Castro's revolution, thoroughly American but intent on visiting what family remains in Cuba – has grown weary of the restrictions and embargos of the past. Polls find that majorities of Cuban Americans approve the sale of medicines (70 percent), the sale of foods (62 percent), unrestricted travel (55 percent), and a revocation of President Bush's stringent 2003 policy (64 percent). The embargo now garners the lowest percentage of approval since it began decades ago.

Our standing in the world has taken a critical blow, thanks to our stubborn inability to amend failed policy. Hugo Chavez of Venezuela has exploited our position to weaken our credibility among other countries in the hemisphere. We have shunned our allies in the Caribbean, like the great Michael Manley of Jamaica, simply because he was friendly with Cuba. We allow China to increase its influence in the world and exploit oil discovered on the island nation's shores. We will likely one day need these countries – including Cuba – to be on our side, but a policy and politics of obstinate silence cuts against that interest.

Cubans and Americans have had a love affair for decades. The affinity between the two peoples has developed naturally, from our shared musical influences to our predilection for baseball. There is very little that keeps us apart – namely, the American and Cuban governments. In a way, they have colluded in an age-old battle of wills that does no good to either side. But Cuba's government has signaled a changing of the guard that should encourage us to review and change a policy that has failed towards one that will have the promise of success.

This is not the time for dancing in the streets. It is a time for a sober and contemplative shift in our thinking.

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Our Flashback Series takes a look at a press release, opinion editorial, article, photo, or video published on this date in the past.

215,000. That's the number of jobs that – with the stroke of a pen today – were saved or created in New York alone, thanks to the signing into law of the Economic Recovery Package. 7,800 of those saved are in my very district.

Those are hundreds of thousands of lives, and families, and mortgages, and meals, and car payments, and medicines, we just safeguarded in the new year.

Other New York Numbers
$1,120,684,723 worth of safer, better roads and bridges.
$2,774,508,711 of total infrastructure monies.
461,816 pell grant recipients.
295,000 college tax credits.

Oh, one other significant number:
0, the number in the minority party who voted in favor of the recovery package.

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With brand new Democratic majorities in the House and Senate – and the unprecedented, historic inauguration of our 44th President fresh in our memories – the time has come for change and renewal. That's why my office is proud to unveil a new and improved Web site, one that will cater to the needs of our district's residents in a far more accessible and high-tech manner.

The following blog entry serves as a primer to our newest, most exciting features:

• Our tagging feature allows you to browse items on our site by topic. The side bar to the left contains a tag cloud, providing you the links to those common tags used by the site. So, if you're interested in health care, this link will generate a listing of those press releases, opinion editorials, articles, blog entries, photos, and videos regarding health care.
  

• Want to know my positions on those most salient issues of the day? Our site now features fifteen issue pages that tackle those topics: describing my position on the topic, listing relevant bills I have introduced or am supporting, listing every item on the site tagged to that issue, and asking you to provide feedback. So, if you're a Civil Rights activist, take a look at our Civil Rights page for every possible resource our site has to offer regarding that topic.
  

• Interactivity is important to us. That's why we have a brand new poll feature that asks that you voice your opinion on recent developments in Congress. Our issue pages allow you to agree or disagree with my position and to explain your views in a comment form. Tell us what you think here – about anything and everything.
  

• This very blog allows you to comment freely on any post, as long as it follows the rules stipulated on our blog policy page. Please bookmark our blog or subcribe to an rss feed of it, because we will be updating frequently, and we want you to stay informed about your government. You'll find recurring themes in my blog entries – such as the publication of the 'Letter of the Month,' articles we think you might enjoy, and updates on everything District 15, Washington, and beyond.

• Our In Focus page, linked off of our homepage, highlights a particular issue or legislative accomplishment we would like to bring to your attention. Our Hot Topics section informs viewers of the latest developments out of Congress.
  

To stay connected, find us on Facebook, MySpace, Flickr, and YouTube.

Y si hablas espa ñol, visita nuestra página en español.

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