Washington, D.C. - Congressman Charles Rangel recently earned high marks for his voting record on protecting the environment by the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) on its 2011 National Environmental Scorecard.  Rangel received a high score of 94 percent, which was calculated as part of a summary that informs the public of the most important environmental legislation of past Congressional Sessions and how their Representatives voted.

"I’m honored to be recognized for protecting our great nation’s natural resources.  The preservation of the environment is especially important in our urban community, where the effects of poor air and water quality are vital public health issues facing my constituents every day," said Rangel. "I was proud to work toward the preservation of the many parks in our District such as Marcus Garvey, Riverbank State, Morningside, Ft. Tyron, St. Nicholas, and Jackie Robinson Park.  We must continue to retain their beauty for years to come."

Earlier this year Rangel also took part in the MillionTreesNYC initiative with the planting of the 500,000th tree, by Mayor Bloomberg at Saint Nicholas Park in Harlem.  MillionTreesNYC is a citywide program aiming to plant and care for one million new trees across the City's five boroughs over the next decade.  The program emphasizes that planting trees helps clean our air, and reduces the pollutants that trigger asthma attacks and exacerbates other respiratory diseases.

During the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator, Lisa Jackson, visited the Manhattan Congressional District to show her support for the environmental improvements taking place.   Also in attendance were several local environment organizations that Rangel has worked with, including WEACT, the West Harlem/Morningside Heights Sanitation Coalition and Fresh Youth Initiatives. 

“I thank the League of Conservation Voters for their continued advocacy on behalf of our environment.  I will continue to work hard for additional legislation to protect our environment while defending current regulations," said Rangel. “Working to preserve the natural resources of this great nation is a task that will not only improve our standard of living in America now, but will create a safer environment for our children’s future.” 

Cornerstone environmental protections emerged from 2011 largely unscathed despite House Republicans' attempt to vote against the environment a shocking number of times.  The Democrats in Congress along with President Barack Obama also made major progress through administrative actions to protect our air and water.

For over 40 years, the National Environmental Scorecard issued by LCV has been the nationally accepted yardstick used to rate members of Congress on environmental, public health and energy issues. The 2011 Scorecard includes 11 Senate and a record 35 House votes on issues ranging from public health protections to clean energy to land and wildlife conservation. The House votes included in the 2011 Scorecard are simply many of the most significant votes taken in a year that saw the House voting more than 200 times on the environment and public health.