Congressman Jim Langevin (LAN'-jih-vin) is a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, on which he chairs the Cyber, Innovative Technologies, and Information Systems Subcommittee and serves on the Subcommittees on Seapower and Projection Forces and Strategic Forces. He is a senior member of the Committee on Homeland Security and serves on its Subcommittees on Intelligence & Counterterrorism and Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, & Innovation.
Langevin was one of four legislators appointed to serve on the Cyberspace Solarium Commission
, and he co-founded the Congressional Cybersecurity Caucus, which he still co-chairs, to increase awareness around the need for stronger cybersecurity. A national leader on securing our nation’s technology infrastructure against cyber threats, Langevin has authored or co-authored dozens of pieces of cybersecurity legislation, including most recently the National Cyber Director Act.
As a member of the Congressional Equality Caucus, I am proud to fight for full equality for LGBT Americans in Congress. We must rid the law of all forms of discrimination, and while there have been great strides in this regard, more must be done. I’m cosponsoring several anti-discrimination bills this Congress, including the Equality Act, which would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity in public spaces.
I was proud to watch Rhode Island, in the spring of 2013, pass legislation that legalized same-sex marriage. It was an affirmation for so many loving couples who had previously been denied the same rights as their heterosexual counterparts. Just two months after Rhode Island’s enactment of marriage equality, I applauded the Supreme Court’s groundbreaking decision in United States v. Windsor to strike down a portion of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) that denied federal benefits to legally married same-sex couples. I was proud to support this decision by cosigning a brief filed with the Court in favor of repealing DOMA. I was then thrilled when the Supreme Court ruled in Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015 that the Constitution guarantees same-sex couples the right to marry, requiring all states to recognize and license same-sex marriages. These victories represent major steps in the right direction, but more must be done to ensure full equality.
Transgender Americans have faced discrimination on many fronts, drawing media attention to the struggle for equality and respect. On July 26, 2017, President Trump sent out a series of tweets announcing a ban on transgender Americans serving in the military. I was appalled by this declaration, which would reverse an inclusive policy put in place by the Obama Administration in 2016. The individuals who wear our country’s uniform serve with honor, and to disrespect them is not only reprehensible, but also a threat to our national security. The President’s hateful speech was abhorrent, and his reasoning – supposed high medical costs – is unfounded. I will continue to support all of our servicemembers, who demonstrate a love for their country that every one of us should admire.