Jack Reed

Infobox Senator |name=Jack Reed

---

jr/sr=Senior Senator
state=Rhode Island
party=Democratic
term_start=January 7, 1997
alongside=Sheldon Whitehouse
preceded=Claiborne Pell
succeeded=
state2=Rhode Island
district2=2nd
term_start2=January 3, 1991
term_end2=January 3, 1997
preceded2=Claudine Schneider
succeeded2=Robert Weygand
date of birth=birth date and age|1949|11|12
place of birth=Cranston, Rhode Island
dead=alive
occupation= attorney
residence= Cranston, Rhode Island
spouse=Julia Hart
children=Emily Reed
alma_mater=USMA (West Point) and Harvard
religion=Roman Catholic
branch= United States Army
serviceyears=1971 – 1979
rank=Captain
unit=82nd Airborne Division 325 Infantry
battles=
awards=

John Francis "Jack" Reed (born November 12, 1949) is a Democrat and the senior United States senator from Rhode Island.

Early life and family

Reed was born in Cranston, Rhode Island, to Mary Louise Monahan and Joseph Anthony Reed. [ [http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~battle/senators/reed.htm 1 ] ] Reed graduated from the private La Salle Academy in Providence and attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1971. Following graduation, he spent several years in active duty military service. Reed was an Army Ranger and a paratrooper. He served in the 82nd Airborne Division as an Infantry Platoon leader and in the 325th Infantry Regiment [ [http://www.clinton.senate.gov/features/codel/trip_report.cfm Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton: Trip Report ] ] as a Company Commander and later as a Battalion Staff Officer.

Reed attended the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, where he received a Masters in Public Policy. He returned to West Point in 1978 as an Associate Professor in the Department of Social Sciences. [ [http://reed.senate.gov/biography/index.cfm Biography - Senator Jack Reed ] ] He retired from the Army in 1979 after earning the rank of Captain. However, he remained associated with military life until 1991 as a member of the United States Army Reserve.

Reed married professional Senate staffer Julia Hart in a Roman Catholic ceremony in the Catholic chapel on the United States Military Academy campus on April 16, 2005. On January 5, 2007, Mrs. Reed gave birth to a daughter, Emily.

Professional and political experience

After resigning from the Army, Reed enrolled in Harvard Law School. In 1982, he graduated with his Juris Doctor and served as an associate at the Washington, D.C. office of law firm of Sutherland Asbill & Brennan. Afterwards, he returned to Rhode Island and joined Edwards and Angell, a Providence law firm. He worked with this group until 1990.

Reed was elected as a state senator in 1984 and served three terms. In 1990, Reed was elected to the United States House of Representatives. For the next six years, Reed became well known in his state for his positions on education and health care, and when Senator Claiborne Pell announced his retirement in 1996, Reed campaigned to be his replacement and won the election. He was easily reelected to a second term in 2002.

Reed is currently a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and the Senate Appropriations Committee. Americans for Democratic Action has often listed him as a "hero" as they indicate he has one of the most liberal voting records in the Senate. [ [http://www.adaction.org/lifetimesenrhodeisland.html lifetimesenrhodeisland.html ] ]

Reed's name had been mentioned as a potential Vice Presidential running mate for Barack Obama. [ [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/17/washington/17reed.html?ref=us NY Times: A Quiet Dealmaker Works for Pained Homeowners] ] [ [http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/politics/blog/2008/07/vp_picks_an_08_alagorey.html VP picks: Gore, or somebody like him: The Swamp ] ] On July 14, 2008, Reed announced that he was "not interested" in serving as Senator Obama's running mate. [http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/07/15/reed-says-not-interested-in-vp-role/]

Issue Positions

Since his election to Congress, Reed has consistently voted in a similar manner to other New England Democrats, following an overall liberal ideology.

Healthcare

Reed has been an advocate of preventive healthcare. He has generally followed the Democratic line by supporting increased Medicare funding, enrolling more Americans into programs that help the uninsured, allowing prescription drugs to be imported from Canada, and negotiating bulk medication purchases for Medicare in order to lower costs. However, in 2003, he stated that individual states should be allowed to negotiate these bulk purchases on their own [http://www.ontheissues.org/senate/jack_reed.htm] .

Economy and Jobs

Reed has generally supported fair trade policies over similar ones advocating free trade. He voted against renewing presidential authority for 'fast tracking' normalized trade relations. He also opposed CAFTA and similar free trade proposals for Chile, Singapore, Peru, and Oman. However, Reed voted in favor of normalizing trade relations with China. He has also been a strong supporter of unionizing workers, and he has criticized government and business interference with these groups. He also supports increasing the minimum wage and unemployment compensation [http://www.ontheissues.org/senate/jack_reed.htm] .

Civil Rights and Abortion

The senator has compiled a record that shows he is in favor of affirmative action. He has voted to expand such policies and to set aside money for women and minorities from the highway fund. Reed also has supported gay rights, voting against a proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, while voting in favor of measures that prevent job discrimination and hate crimes against homosexuals [http://www.ontheissues.org/senate/jack_reed.htm] .

Reed has also consistently voted against proposals to change the Constitution to ban flag desecration and has criticized wiretapping policies. He is strongly pro-choice, and he has rejected proposals to limit partial birth abortion, such procedures from occuring on military installations, and the ability of minors to cross state lines to obtain abortions [http://www.ontheissues.org/senate/jack_reed.htm] .

Energy and the Environment

Reed supports limiting American oil use and expanding alternative energy. He opposes ANWR drilling and federal subsidies for oil exploration, while favoring a 40% reduction in oil use by 2025 and funding for hydrogen automobiles. However, he voted to end discussions on CAFE standards. Reed has also been an outspoken proponent of stronger restrictions of mercury use, as well as an end to commercial whaling.

Gun Control

The senator has continuously voted against limiting lawsuits on gun manufacturers and has favored expanding gun control. He voted to increase background checks. [http://www.ontheissues.org/senate/jack_reed.htm]

Immigration

Although he voted for the 1996 Immigration Reform Bill, Reed has generally supported allowing illegal immigrants and foreign workers to enter the path to citizenship. He supports Guest Worker programs and allowing immigrants to have access to Social Security. He rejected the idea of establishing English as the nation's official language and has been critical of the effort to fence the US-Mexican border [http://www.ontheissues.org/senate/jack_reed.htm] .

enate Committee Assignments

*Committee on Appropriations
**Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
**Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
**Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development
**Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
**Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
**Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
**Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
*Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
**Subcommittee on Financial Institutions
**Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community Development
**Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance, and Investment (Chairman)
*Committee on Armed Services
**Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities (Chairman)
**Subcommittee on Strategic Forces
*Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
**Subcommittee on Children and Families
**Subcommittee on Retirement and Aging

Electoral history

2002 Rhode Island United States Senate Election

1996 Rhode Island United States Senate Election

Notes

External links

*Mulligan, John E. " [http://www.washingtonian.com/articles/people/9131.html Soldiering On] ", "Washingtonian", September 1, 2008.
* [http://reed.senate.gov/ United States Senator Jack Reed] , official U.S. Senate site
* [http://www.jackreed2008.com/ Jack Reed for United States Senate] official campaign site
* [http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jack_Reed Profile] at SourceWatch Congresspedia
* [http://www.cqpolitics.com/2006/02/military_veteran_candidates_in.html War Puts Military Veteran Candidates in the Spotlight] Greg Giroux, "CQ Politics", February. 10, 2006

USRepSuccessionBox
state=Rhode Island
district=2
before=Claudine Schneider
years=1991 – 1997
after=Robert WeygandU.S. Senator box
state=Rhode Island |class=2
before=Claiborne Pell
start=1997
alongside=John Chafee, Lincoln Chafee, Sheldon Whitehouse

Persondata
NAME= Reed, Jack
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Reed, John Francis "Jack"
SHORT DESCRIPTION=United States senator from Rhode Island
DATE OF BIRTH=November 12, 1949
PLACE OF BIRTH= Cranston, Rhode Island
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=