James R. Langevin papers (MSS-0087)

Biographical/Historical Note

James R. Langevin was born in 1964 in Rhode Island. In 1980, when he was 16, Langevin was paralyzed due to an accidental gunshot while working with the Warwick, Rhode Island Police Department in the Boy Scout Explorer program He attended Bishop Hendricken High School in Warwick, RI and went on to graduate from Rhode Island College in 1990. And, in 1994, he graduated from Harvard Kennedy School.

In 1986, Langevin was elected a Delegate to Rhode Island’s Constitutional Convention, serving as its secretary. He was then elected a member of the Rhode Island General Assembly in 1988 and served as a state representative until 1994. In 1994, he was elected Secretary of State of Rhode Island. In 2000, Langevin made a successful run for the United States House of Representatives, becoming the first quadriplegic to serve in the House. He took office in 2001, representing Rhode Island’s 2nd Congressional District, holding the office until 2023 when he decided not to seek reelection.

While in Congress, Langevin served on the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on Homeland Security, and was a founding member and co-chair of both the Cybersecurity Caucus and Bipartisan Disabilities Caucus. Additionally, he co-chaired the Career and Technical Education Caucus, as well as the Foster Youth Caucus. He was also a member of the Afterschool Caucus, Congressional Arts Caucus, Congressional Coalition on Adoption, Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus, Congressional Taiwan Caucus, and the Congressional Ukrainian Caucus.

Langevin supported and advocated for universal health care, introducing the first bipartisan universal healthcare bill in the House of Representatives, the American Health Benefits Program (AHBP) of 2009. Additionally, he oversaw the successful passage of the Lifespan Respite Care Act in 2006, as well as its reauthorization in 2020. Another one of his top priorities was advancing the science of stem cell research. Additionally, he oversaw the establishment and creation of a Senate confirmed National Cyber Director in the Executive Office of the President. He also advocated for people with disabilities, co-sponsoring the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act, which was passed in 2009 as part of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act, also co-sponsored by Langevin. On July 26, 2010, Langevin became the first wheelchair user to preside over the House of Representatives.