|
Dear Friends,
I write to you with mixed emotions, as this will be the final newsletter I send to you as your Member of Congress.
For the last 22 years, it has been the honor of my lifetime to represent your voice and your vote in our nation’s capital. I am so humbled by the trust that you have placed in me all these years.
It was this community that was there for me when I needed it the most, and it was your constant love and support which ultimately inspired me to run for office as a way of giving back.
Thanks to you, as well as my family and my faith, I was able to move forward and become the first quadriplegic ever elected to Congress.
I am so proud of all that we have accomplished for the people of Rhode Island and the United States.
I have fought to protect and advance the rights of Americans with disabilities, moving our society closer to becoming fully inclusive and accessible for all.
I have led the efforts to strengthen our national security -- and cybersecurity in particular -- and I have supported the hard-working women and men at Electric Boat who build the world’s finest nuclear submarines.
I have spoken up for our nation’s foster youth, who are too often forgotten and left behind, and I’ve worked across the aisle to invest in job training, apprenticeships, and career and technical education.
And I have sought to procure the finest, cutting-edge technologies for our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Guardians, and Marines, so that our servicemembers never have to enter a fair fight.
Looking back, I’ll always be most proud of my vote for President Obama’s Affordable Care Act, which lowered health care costs and secured coverage for millions of uninsured Americans.
And I will never forget the moment that I became the first Member of Congress in a wheelchair to preside over the U.S. House of Representatives, as we marked the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Choosing not to seek re-election to Congress was one of the most difficult decisions of my life. But after two decades of living in two places at the same time, I am ready to chart a new course.
At the start of the new year, I will no longer be in Congress. But I’m not going away. I’m just coming home.
Thank you, Rhode Island, for the opportunity to serve the community that has given me so much. I will always cherish the time that I was blessed to represent you.
Sincerely,
 |
