Biography
Throughout his career, Congressman Jim Langevin (LAN'-jih-vin) has made Rhode Island’s priorities his own and fought to open the doors of government to its rightful owners - the people of this great nation.
Recognized as a national and party leader on national security, health care and stem cell research, Congressman Jim Langevin has dedicated his many years of public service at the federal and state levels to the hard-working citizens of Rhode Island.
Langevin serves on the House Armed Services Committee, where he is the Ranking Member of the Emerging Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee, and serves on the subcommittees on Seapower and Projection Forces, and Strategic Forces. As a supporter of the critical national security work done by Rhode Island’s defense industry, he has worked in committee to double production of the extraordinary Virginia Class Submarines built in Quonset, meeting military needs and creating hundreds of new jobs.
At the request of Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, he is serving his third term on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and he is a member of the Subcommittee on Technical and Tactical Intelligence. Langevin strongly believes that good intelligence is the nation’s first line of defense against terrorism and other national security threats.
As part of the Democratic Leadership team, Langevin serves as both a Democratic Regional Whip for New England and a member of House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer’s Senior Whip Team. In these roles, he is responsible for educating other Democratic members on key issues and helping to craft the party’s strategy and legislative agenda.
Securing our nation’s technology infrastructure against cyber attack is a top priority for Langevin, both within and beyond his committee work. As the Co-Founder and Co-Chairman of the bipartisan Congressional Cybersecurity Caucus, he has taken on a leadership role in raising awareness of cybersecurity issues in Congress and fostering dialogue and debate on the critical questions surrounding this topic. In addition, Langevin is working to implement the recommendations of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Commission on Cyber Security for the 44th Presidency, which he co-chaired. Top national security officials have warned about our vulnerabilities, and Langevin is working closely with the Administration to ensure that the Commission’s recommendations are considered as a national security agenda is developed.
As co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Career and Technical Education Caucus, Langevin advocates to improve and increase access to training that gives students and workers the skills that best fit the needs of expanding industries. Among efforts to boost Rhode Island’s workforce, he has launched a competition to introduce high school students to the rapidly growing cybersecurity field and has helped obtain funding to start other workforce development initiatives.
Advancing the science of stem cell research continues to be another of Langevin’s top priorities. He is recognized as a national leader who works tirelessly to educate and encourage his colleagues to embrace this promising medical research in all of its forms. Langevin championed the passage of legislation to expand the federal policy on embryonic stem cell research. He proudly joined President Obama in early 2009 as he signed an Executive Order lifting the Bush Administration’s restrictions on embryonic stem cell funding and he will continue to work with his colleagues in Congress to give the President’s order the force of law.
Langevin has been an outspoken proponent of universal health care. He has put forward his own proposals and has worked hard to help pass the Affordable Care Act into law to extend coverage to all Americans. In 2004, Langevin introduced the American Health Benefits Program, which was based on the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program and would offer affordable health care to all.
In the 112th Congress (2011-12), Langevin has prioritized rebuilding the economy and creating quality jobs by holding his Rhode Island’s Skilled Economy (RISE) tour throughout the district. His bill to preserve and enhance the benefits of the Wood and Pawcatuck Rivers to Rhode Island’s economy passed the House of Representatives in 2012. Langevin also authored an important foster youth financial security provision that was included in a larger bill signed into law in 2011.
State Service
Langevin first ran for office in 1986, when he was elected a Delegate to Rhode Island’s Constitutional Convention and served as its secretary. Two years later, he won election to the Rhode Island House of Representatives, where he established a reputation as a hard-working reformer committed to good government.
In 1994, Langevin defeated a Republican incumbent to become the nation’s youngest Secretary of State. He transformed the office into “the people’s partner in government” and took on the challenge of reforming Rhode Island’s outdated election system. Langevin also established the state’s Public Information Center and, with Brown University, published “Access Denied,” which examined the General Assembly’s compliance with the Open Meetings Law and documented routine and widespread violations.
In 1998, Langevin easily won re-election to his second term as Secretary of State, achieving the largest plurality of any general officer in this century, and in 2000, he made a successful run for the U.S. House of Representatives, where he has served the Second Congressional District ever since.
Personal Biography
Born April 22, 1964, Langevin is the first quadriplegic to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives.
At the age of 16, Langevin was injured while working with the Warwick Police Department in the Boy Scout Explorer program. A gun accidentally discharged and a bullet struck Langevin, leaving him paralyzed. The tremendous outpouring of support from his community inspired Langevin to give something back and enter public service.
Langevin graduated from Rhode Island College and earned a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He resides in Warwick, Rhode Island.
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