Top 50 Charles Rangel Quotes (2025 Update)

1. “A quality education grants us the ability to fight the war on ignorance and poverty.”

— Charles Rangel

2. “Immigrants have faced huge obstacles to achieving the American Dream, yet have persevered to overcome them.”

— Charles Rangel

3. “I am a firm believer that upon release, ex-offenders should be afforded a second chance to become productive citizens by providing rehabilitation and education that will help them join the workforce.”

— Charles Rangel

4. “Encouragement of higher education for our youth is critical to the success of our collective future.”

— Charles Rangel

5. “Honoring the sacrifices many have made for our country in the name of freedom and democracy is the very foundation of Veterans Day.”

— Charles Rangel

6. “As a Korean War Veteran, I know too well the troubling nature of war. This is why I will always support a diplomatic answer before military intervention.”

— Charles Rangel

7. “The promise of the American Dream requires that we are all provided an equal opportunity to participate in and contribute to our nation.”

— Charles Rangel

8. “Regardless of the nature of their crime or any rehabilitation that may have occurred, these ex-felons cannot participate in the decision-making process of this great Nation.”

— Charles Rangel

9. “As a Korean War veteran, I know firsthand and understand the sacrifices made by our men and women in uniform.”

— Charles Rangel

10. “The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was indeed a vital instrument of democracy, ensuring the integrity and reliability of a democratic process that we as a Country hold so dear.”

— Charles Rangel

11. “Thousands of people may have been killed by hurricane Katrina and many more could die in its aftermath because of the President’s refusal to heed the calls of governors for help in repairing the infrastructure in their states.”

— Charles Rangel

12. “I’ve been beat up pretty badly. Pretty badly. Yet at the end of the day, everyone says I’m doing a pretty good job.”

— Charles Rangel

13. “For a member to say, ‘I’m a lame duck’ violates political science 101.”

— Charles Rangel

14. “Mississippi gets more than their fair share back in federal money, but who the hell wants to live in Mississippi?”

— Charles Rangel

15. “If you got problems like unemployment, Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare and there’s a guy that’s always been there for you and for your family, then you say ‘He’s a nice guy. I don’t know where he came from or how long he’s been here, but Charlie Rangel’s the man.’ That’s what I’m relying on.”

— Charles Rangel

16. “There were no weapons of mass destruction and Saddam Hussein was not involved in the September 11th attack.”

— Charles Rangel

17. “We owe it to the flood victims of New Orleans to give them truthful answers as to why this event took place and to assure our citizens that tragedies like this will never happen again.”

— Charles Rangel

18. “I am running for re-election no matter who runs.”

— Charles Rangel

19. “Full participation in government and society has been a basic right of the country symbolizing the full citizenship and equal protection of all.”

— Charles Rangel

20. “Well, I really think that shatters the myth of white supremacy once and for all.”

— Charles Rangel

21. “If there’s no relationship with a father who’s absent, nobody talks about it.”

— Charles Rangel

22. “Im sick and tired of politicians beating up on the IRS. We have the best and fairest tax-collection system in the world.”

— Charles Rangel

23. “It’s impossible for us to forecast what’s going to happen ten years from now and make a decision today to say what we’re going to do.”

— Charles Rangel

24. “Respecting our veterans includes providing them the ways and means they so desperately need to reintegrate into our lives and serve us again as productive members of our civilian community.”

— Charles Rangel

25. “The Klan had used fear, intimidation and murder to brutally oppress over African-Americans who sought justice and equality and it sought to respond to the young workers of the civil rights movement in Mississippi in the same way.”

— Charles Rangel

26. “I, for one, would think both about how far we have come as a country and how much further we need to go to erase racism and discrimination from our society.”

— Charles Rangel

27. “If a young fella has an option of having a decent career or joining the army to fight in Iraq, you can bet your life that he would not be in Iraq.”

— Charles Rangel

28. “Meanwhile, our young men and women whose economic circumstances make military service a viable career choice are dying bravely in a war with no end in sight.”

— Charles Rangel

29. “This country was founded upon the principle that we are all endowed with certain inalienable rights to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness – those rights are what make America great, and they belong to each and every one of us.”

— Charles Rangel

30. “As a nation we should commit ourselves not only to the fight against terrorism, but to economic justice, defeat of the AIDS epidemic and vestiges of discriminatory policies of all kinds.”

— Charles Rangel

31. “The challenges African-Americans are facing today are rooted in the system of slavery.”

— Charles Rangel

32. “I really think that most people around the world know how well-intended Americans are.”

— Charles Rangel

33. “Reapportionment is not friendly to a lot of communities and it hasn’t been too friendly to mine.”

— Charles Rangel

34. “We love the ability of the people to influence the actions of decision-makers, of lawmakers and presidents to be removed from or elevated to office by the will of voters, and of the community to connect amongst diverse populations through the ballot box.”

— Charles Rangel

35. “Today many Caribbean workers can be found in the hospital, construction, service and hotel industries, but there is also a growing professional sector.”

— Charles Rangel

36. “My father was absolutely no good.”

— Charles Rangel

37. “The people who couldn’t get out of New Orleans to escape the storm were predominantly Black.”

— Charles Rangel

38. “The victor will be the one who gets the most voters out.”

— Charles Rangel

39. “I don’t know whether the number of any particular Latino group has made or will make any particular difference in the issues that I am concerned with.”

— Charles Rangel

40. “If you are spending too much, you cut back on spending and you raise your revenues. And that’s it.”

— Charles Rangel

41. “Enough is enough. This is how we get started in Vietnam.”

— Charles Rangel

42. “The President is destroying the fabric of America with a combined policy of war, tax cuts for the wealthy, and reductions in spending for domestic needs.”

— Charles Rangel

43. “I have a record that I’m so very, very proud of, and no campaign is going to take that away.”

— Charles Rangel

44. “The United States is historically a nation of immigrants.”

— Charles Rangel

45. “The Iraq war took priority over domestic disaster prevention.”

— Charles Rangel

46. “Without question, conditions in the Haiti are worse since Aristide’s removal, and continue to deteriorate.”

— Charles Rangel

47. “I’m just glad that my community has faith and confidence in me.”

— Charles Rangel

48. “I was motivated to join in large part because my family needed the money. I would like to say how patriotic we were, but really what motivated me was the excitement my mother would get in receiving a check for my older brother.”

— Charles Rangel

49. “Of course things get stagnant; people get too used to their environment, but that’s why I’m in my district every week, at meetings with my constituents.”

— Charles Rangel

50. “I’m in the kitchen and I’m not walking out.”

— Charles Rangel