Inclusion and Independence: Jim Langevin

At the young age of 16, Jim Langevin was working with the Warwick, Rhode Island Police Department in the Boy Scout Explorer program. A gun accidentally went off and a bullet struck our guest, leaving him paralyzed. But something happened after that. The outpouring of support from his community inspired him to change the world by becoming a public servant. He attended Rhode Island college and earned a Master's degree in public administration from Harvard University. About eight years after his injury, he was elected to the Rhode Island House of Representatives in 1988 and was elected in 1994 to be the youngest Secretary of State in the nation, serving Rhode Island in that capacity until 2000. In 2000, he successfully ran for a seat in the U S Congress becoming the first quadriplegic in history to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives.

20 years later, he is a senior member of the House of Representatives where he now serves in several leadership roles. He is a senior member of the House Armed Services committee through which he serves as chair of the emerging threats and capabilities subcommittee. He's also a senior member of the House committee on Homeland security and the co-founder and chair of the bipartisan congressional cybersecurity caucus. He's been a powerful advocate for inclusion and independence for people with disabilities. Co-chairing the bi-partisan disability caucus and for medical research in all its viable forms.