9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
When Senator Harkin was retiring,[br]and I was in the House and running for

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
the Senate, he called me over and he said,[br]"Tammy, I'm handing the reins over to you."

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
(laughing)

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
♪ (music) ♪

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
It has just sort of fallen to me to

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
champion ADA issues, being a wheelchair user.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
And then, Senator Harkin was retiring[br]and I was in the House

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
and running for the Senate,[br]he called me over

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
and he said,[br]"Tammy, I'm handing the reins over to you."

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
(laughter) "I'm handing the torch to you.[br]You need to be the torch bearer

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
and you need to really represent[br]the entire disability community

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
because you, frankly, would't be here[br]had the disability community

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
not been there[br]before you even became disabled."

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
And he was absolutely right.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
I find myself being the go-to person[br]on a lot of the ADA issues

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
as they come up in Congress.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
♪ (music) ♪

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
I said, yes, I was honored.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
I mean, to be able to be handed[br]the mantle from

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Tome Harkin is quite the honor.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
And you know,[br]I don't know that I can fill his shoes,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
but I try everyday to make sure[br]I do my best to represent the community,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
but also to just fight for basic common--

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
and this is what I did in the Army,[br]I fought for freedom,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
I fought for people's rights.[br]And this is just a basic human right,