Rangel was censured for violating 11 congressional ethics rules, the first time the House of Representatives took such a harsh step against one of their own, in decades.
After failing to get the punishment downgraded, the House overwhelmingly voted to punish the Harlem Democrat 333 to 79 with a censure.
The move required Rangel, a 20-term incumbent and decorated Korean War veteran, to stand on the floor of the House while Speaker Nancy Pelosi read aloud the resolution admonishing Rangel.
"I leave here knowing I'm an honest guy,” Rangel said after censure. "When history of this has been written, that people would recognize the vote for censure was a very, very, very political vote"
Defiantly, he added "I'm not going to be judged by this Congress" today, but rather, by the totality of his 40-year career.
Reps. Mike McMahon of Staten Island, Mike Arcuri of Utica and John Hall of Westchester - Democrats who all lost their re-elections to Republicans - all voted to censure Rangel.
So did Rep. Steve Israel of Long Island. His neighbor, Republican Rep. Peter King, did not. In fact, King spoke on the floor urging members to downgrade Rangel's punishment from censure to a reprimand.