I'm referring specifically to Congressman Charlie Rangel's (NY-13) incessant foot dragging on
Fast Track. For well over a year now, I and numerous others of Rangel's constituents have been contacting his office regularly, inquiring as to his position on the
Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) in general, and on
Fast Track authority in particular.
Time after time after time, we've been told by his staffers: "The Congressman is still studying the issue." Or "The Congressman is soliciting comments from his constituents as he evaluates the proposal." Or "The Congressman is committed to the principle of fair trade, and is waiting to see how the bill develops before taking a position." In other words: "Blah blah blah blah blah."
As recently as late last week, I phoned Rangel's office yet again - and got essentially the very same runaround. These kinds of responses would be at least somewhat understandable...IF we were still in May 2014. But we're not. It's now May 2015. The vote on Fast Track in the House of Representatives is coming up imminently - yet even this late in the game, there's still no unambiguous, declarative public statement from Rangel.
He's stalling. Why?
Is he playing coy in order to sell his vote to the highest bidder? Is he leveraging his support for some kind of sweetheart deal for after he leaves Congress in 2017?
By this point, I no longer care. I've run out of patience with this guy. I call upon all my fellow Kossacks who live in New York's 13th Congressional District - West Harlem, Morningside Heights, Washington Heights, Inwood, and portions of the northern Bronx (you know who you are) - to join me in putting pressure on Rangel.
Here's the phone number to his office on Capitol Hill:
(202) 225-4365
And here's a link to his email webform:
Charlie Rangel Email Contact Webform
Let's make Rangel's phone ring off the hook. Let's clog his email inbox. Then let's do it again. And again. And again...until we make it impossible for him to remain on the fence a moment longer.
It is time. Let's do this. That is all.
MM