Charles Rangel, a Voice for the Poor in Tax Debates, Dies at 94

Charles Rangel, the dapper, voluble US congressman from New York’s Harlem district who for four decades used his perch on the House tax-writing committee to advocate for inner cities and the people who live there, has died. He was 94.

The former congressman died on Monday, according to a statement from the City College of New York, where he had served as statesman-in-residence. No cause of death was given.

From 1974, when he became the first Black member of the House Ways and Means Committee, Rangel championed tax legislation to foster low-income housing and urban development, encourage trade with ...