[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 95 (Tuesday, July 10, 2001)]
[House]
[Page H3831]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES CAN SERVE IN HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OR ANY 
               FIELD OF ENDEAVOR WITH JUST MINOR CHANGES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Langevin) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, just a few weeks ago, I was up here 
speaking as the proud sponsor of a resolution honoring Erik 
Weihenmayer, a young man who inspires not only people with disabilities 
but all of us struggling to overcome our own obstacles and challenges. 
As the first blind person to summit Mount Everest, he illustrates the 
immense power of the human spirit. However, while it is important to 
pay homage to such remarkable people, I believe it is equally important 
that we honor those who make such special achievements possible.
  Tonight I would like to pay tribute to the gentleman from Illinois 
(Speaker Hastert); the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Gephardt), the 
minority leader; the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ney); and the gentleman 
from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the ranking member of the Committee on House 
Administration; the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Kennedy); the 
Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Small Business and all 
their dedicated staff, as well as those who manage the floor activity 
on a daily basis. They have all provided tremendous support to me as a 
freshman Member of the United States Congress.
  My experience illustrates the compassionate understanding one can 
receive from his colleagues and employers once they are aware of his or 
her needs. I have been overwhelmed by just how considerate and flexible 
my colleagues have been in ensuring that I can work effectively in 
Congress.
  When I dreamed of running for this office, I was not sure how 
accessible the congressional buildings would be, but from the moment I 
was elected in November of last year, the hardworking engineers, 
architects, design managers, and my fellow Members of Congress made it 
clear that they would do whatever was necessary to make my office, the 
committees on which I serve, and the House floor accessible. One of the 
products of this generous response to my needs, in fact, is the lectern 
and microphone that I am using right now. It took months to design and 
build this remarkable podium which can be easily raised and lowered and 
is truly a work of art.
  I gratefully recognize all the time and resources that were dedicated 
to making this lectern, to installing additional voting machines on the 
floor, and placing ramps in my committee rooms and providing accessible 
office space. What everyone involved in this process may not realize, 
however, is that beyond enabling me to better serve my constituents, 
they have also opened the doors for people with disabilities to serve 
in this Chamber in the future.
  As I have said many times before, I may be the first quadriplegic 
elected to the United States Congress but most certainly I will not be 
the last. The invaluable message that has been delivered in making this 
Chamber accessible is that any one of the nearly 53 million people with 
disabilities in this country can become a Member of the United States 
Congress or can serve in any other field of endeavor with just minor 
changes.
  Mr. Speaker, people with disabilities are an integral but 
underutilized part of our workforce. With minor accommodations they can 
become an even more important part of our society and be involved in 
strengthening America's communities, businesses, and government. That 
is why I am so thankful to President Bush, who has highlighted the need 
to make workplaces, housing, education, technology, and our society in 
general, more accessible to all Americans. The President's new Freedom 
Initiative is an important proposal which calls for funding of a broad 
range of programs that together can help create countless new 
opportunities for many Americans who continually face unnecessary 
obstacles because of their disabilities.
  Mr. Speaker, I am eager to work with President Bush to make this new 
Freedom Initiative a reality. To this end, I recently sent a letter co-
signed by 23 of my colleagues to the House appropriators seeking their 
support in providing funds for the President's proposals. This is an 
issue on which we can all come together regardless of party background 
and help open doors for millions of people who are eager to conquer new 
challenges.
  Mr. Speaker, once again, I extend my heartfelt thanks to the dozens 
of people who have made my tenure in Congress possible. Ensuring that 
some day every workplace in America will be able to respond to the 
special needs of employees in the same way is one of my top priorities 
in Congress. When that happens, we will all benefit from the remarkable 
talents and contributions of the millions of Americans with 
disabilities who are eager to pursue their dreams just as I have.

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