Political Quotes

“Jim Langevin of Rhode Island, thank you. Thank you for the courage that you have shown. I don't know how many of you know Jim Langevin's story. Involved in the police boys club, 16 years of age, at a police station in Rhode Island. Someone was cleaning his gun. It went off by mistake, accidentally, ricocheted off the wall, and went into Mr. Langevin's spine. At 16 years of age, he was rendered unable to walk. Some people could have given up. Some people could have lamented that accident which rendered them unable to walk and have limited mobility. Jim Langevin, of course, as we all see, did not do that. Jim Langevin decided that he was going to succeed and persevere and overcome. And Jim Langevin sits in the chair today presiding over the people's House. Think of what an extraordinary example that is to every person of whatever age who has a mobility impairment for whatever reasons, injured in Iraq, Afghanistan, or someplace at the point of the spear, comes back to this country. My friend Walt Minnick and Mike Simpson just introduced me to a young fellow who in May was injured in Afghanistan and lost both his legs. What an example Jim Langevin must be to him and to millions of others who are similarly situated. The promise of the Americans with Disabilities Act in July of 1990 was that we would open up the doors of opportunity in a country that prides itself on being the land of opportunity.”