Jack Reed
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Jack Reed
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 7, 1997 Serving with Sheldon Whitehouse |
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| Preceded by | Claiborne Pell |
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| In office January 3, 1991 – January 3, 1997 |
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| Preceded by | Claudine Schneider |
| Succeeded by | Robert Weygand |
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| Born | November 12, 1949 Cranston, Rhode Island |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Julia Hart |
| Children | Emily Reed |
| Residence | Cranston, Rhode Island |
| Alma mater | West Point (B.S.) Harvard Kennedy School (M.P.P.) Harvard Law School (J.D.) |
| Occupation | attorney |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Military service | |
| Service/branch | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1971 – 1979 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit | 82nd Airborne Division 325 Infantry |
John Francis "Jack" Reed (born November 12, 1949) is the senior United States senator from Rhode Island and a member of the Democratic Party. Prior to his election, Reed was a three-term member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Rhode Island's 2nd congressional district from January 3, 1991 to January 3, 1997. In the 1996 U.S. Senate election, Reed was elected to succeed Claiborne Pell, with over 63% of the vote. He was subsequently re-elected in 2002 and again in 2008.
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[edit] Early life and family
Reed was born in Cranston, Rhode Island, to Mary Louise Monahan and Joseph Anthony Reed.[1] Reed graduated from La Salle Academy and 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[2] 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 of Public Policy. He returned to West Point in 1978 as an Associate Professor in the Department of Social Sciences.[3] He resigned 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.
[edit] 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, and to a third in 2008.
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.[4]
Reed's name had been mentioned as a potential Vice Presidential running mate for Barack Obama.[5][6] On July 14, 2008, Reed announced that he was "not interested" in serving as Senator Obama's running mate.[7]
[edit] 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.
[edit] 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.[8]
[edit] 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.[8]
[edit] 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.[8]
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 occurring on military installations, and the ability of minors to cross state lines to obtain abortions.[8]
[edit] 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 percent 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.
[edit] 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.[8]
[edit] 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.[8]
[edit] 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
- Committee on Armed Services
- Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
[edit] Electoral history
2008 Rhode Island United States Senate Election
| Jack Reed (D) (inc.) 73% |
| Robert G. Tingle (R) 26% |
2002 Rhode Island United States Senate Election
| Jack Reed (D) (inc.) 78% |
| Robert G. Tingle (R) 22% |
1996 Rhode Island United States Senate Election
| Jack Reed (D) 63.3% |
| Nancy Mayer (R) 35% |
| Donald W. Lovejoy (I) 1.7% |
[edit] Notes
- ^ Roots web: John Francis “Jack” Reed
- ^ Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton: Trip Report
- ^ Biography: Senator Jack Reed
- ^ lifetimesenrhodeisland.html
- ^ NY Times: A Quiet Dealmaker Works for Pained Homeowners
- ^ VP picks: Gore, or somebody like him: The Swamp
- ^ http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/07/15/reed-says-not-interested-in-vp-role/
- ^ a b c d e f http://www.ontheissues.org/senate/jack_reed.htm
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Jack Reed |
- Mulligan, John E. "Soldiering On", Washingtonian, September 1, 2008.
- United States Senator Jack Reed, official U.S. Senate site
- Jack Reed for United States Senate official campaign site
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
- Campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission
- Campaign contributions at OpenSecrets.org
- Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
- Issue positions and quotes at On The Issues
- Profile at SourceWatch Congresspedia
- War Puts Military Veteran Candidates in the Spotlight Greg Giroux, CQ Politics, February. 10, 2006
| United States House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Claudine Schneider |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Rhode Island's 2nd congressional district 1991 – 1997 |
Succeeded by Robert Weygand |
| United States Senate | ||
| Preceded by Claiborne Pell |
United States Senator (Class 2) from Rhode Island 1997 – present Served alongside: John Chafee, Lincoln Chafee, Sheldon Whitehouse |
Incumbent |
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