James Langevin

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James Langevin (1964-) is a member of the U.S. House of Representatives (D-Rhode Island), elected in 2000. He has special interests in national security and health care. In more general contexts, he is on the House Committee on the Budget, Langevin is the first quadriplegic to serve in the House.

He first entered politics in 1986, when he was elected a Delegate to Rhode Island's Constitutional Convention and served as its secretary, and, in 1988, was elected to the Rhode Island House of Representatives. In 1994, Langevin defeated a Republican incumbent to become Secretary of State. He introduced electoral reforms and established the state's Public Information Center. With Brown University, he published a controversial report ""Access Denied: Chaos, Confusion, and Closed Doors," which examined the General Assembly's compliance with the Open Meetings Law and documented routine and widespread violations. Part of the controversy involved the report not mentioning that there had been significant improvement since the passage of an Open Meetings Act in 1976. Research was done by students advised by political science professor Ross Cheit, who was not a coauthor. [1]

National Security

Within this context, he is a member of both the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Armed Services Committee. He had been on the House Homeland Security Committee, where he chaired the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats, Cybersecurity and Science and Technology, but took a leave of absence to rejoin Armed Services; he still is part of broad-ranging Cybersecurity efforts.

He voted against the Authorization for the Use of Military Force for the Iraq War.

Armed Services

On the Armed Services committee, he is on the Subcommittee on Seapower and Expeditionary Forces and Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee and chairs the Strategic Forces Subcommittee.

Intelligence and special operations

His intelligence assignements are with Subcommittee on Terrorism, Human Intelligence, Analysis and Counterintelligence, and the Subcommittee on Technical and Tactical Intelligence.

Cybersecurity

Langevin is Co-Founder and Co-Chairman of the bipartisan House Cybersecurity Caucus. He co-chaired the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Commission on Cyber Security for the 44th Presidency,[2] and is supporting implementation of its recommendations.

Healthcare

Stem cell research is one of his priorities, supporting the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act expanding the federal policy on embryonic stem cell research. He was with President Obama in March 2009 at the signing of an Executive Order lifting the Bush Administration's restrictions on embryonic stem cell funding.[3] A Catholic, he has, however, voted against legislation that would assist in abortion; he did support emergency contraception.

In 2004, he submitted a plan for universal health care based on the existing Federal Employee Health Benefits Program and would offer affordable health coverage to all Americans.[4] The FEHPB is a managed competition system with multiple payors.

The Providence Journal reported that he was responsive at an emotional town hall meeting on health care in August 2009, "unlike Rep. Barney Frank, who on Tuesday night sparred with protesters at a similar event in nearby Dartmouth, Mass., Langevin remained unfazed by even the loudest shouts. One by one, he methodically answered questions –– or at times, sidestepped them –– as a Powerpoint presentation rattled off a list of myths and facts about the legislation." [5] He said he hoped to see a public option in the final bill.

Education

  • undergraduate degree, Rhode Island College
  • Master's Degree in Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University

References