Jack Reed
D-Rhode Island, Army
Bio: Jack Reed is a champion for middle-class families, and a strong believer that all Americans should have the opportunity to build a better life.
Senator Reed works every day to help make the federal government more efficient, effective, and responsive to the people of Rhode Island. He has a proven record of working on a bipartisan basis to help solve problems and achieve results.
Jack was born and raised in Cranston and grew up on Pontiac Avenue. His father, Joe, was a World War II veteran and Cranston school janitor who worked his way up to become custodial supervisor of the city’s school system. His mother, Mary, was a homemaker who was unable to go to college herself, but made sure her three children studied hard and had the opportunity to pursue a higher education. The Reed family benefited from the GI Bill – which helped countless veterans further their education and put a roof over their heads – and Jack’s parents instilled in him the importance of serving his country and giving back to his community.
Jack grew up attending St. Matthew’s Elementary School in Cranston and graduated from La Salle Academy in Providence. He was nominated for an appointment to the United States Military Academy by U.S. Senator John O. Pastore. On July 3, 1967, Reed reported to West Point to begin cadet training. After graduating from the Military Academy in 1971 near the top of his class and receiving an active duty commission in the Army, Reed earned a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. Reed also went on to earn a law degree from Harvard Law School in 1982.
After graduating from law school, Jack became an attorney in private practice, first working as an associate with the law firm of Sutherland, Asbill, & Brennan before moving back to Providence and working for the firm of Edwards & Angell. He specialized in banking and securities law.
Jack Reed and his wife, Julia Hart Reed, have a daughter, Emily.
Military Bio: One of the highest honors and greatest privileges of Jack’s life was commanding his fellow soldiers. He served in the 82nd Airborne Division as an Infantry Platoon Leader, a Company Commander, and a Battalion Staff Officer. He eventually joined the faculty at West Point, teaching cadets about economics and international relations as an Associate Professor within the Department of Social Sciences. He served as a professor at the U.S. Military Academy until August of 1979 when he resigned from active duty as a Captain. He continued serving in the U.S. Army Reserves until June of 1991, when he left the Reserves with the rank of Major. Over the course of his military career he earned the Army Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Ranger Tab, Senior Parachutist Badge, and Expert Infantry Badge.
Legislation:
- In an effort to help reduce the backlog of veterans’ disability claims, eliminate bureaucratic delays, and deliver benefits to veterans more quickly and efficiently, Reed worked with the VA to make Providence the first Regional VA office in the nation to install a new Veterans Benefit Management System (VBMS).
- Senator Reed helped pass the Military Retirement Restoration Act, which reversed a planned one percent cut to the annual cost of living adjustment (COLA) increase for military retirees 62 years of age and younger, which was set to take effect in 2015.
- As part of his continuing effort to provide suitable housing for disabled and low-income veterans, Senator Reed introduced the HAVEN Act, which authorizes a competitive, five-year, $20 million pilot program to help make home repairs and improvements for disabled or low-income veterans.
- Reed voted to pass the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill, giving substantially more benefits to veterans and their families for college and job training after their service.
- To eliminate the disability claims backlog, Senator Reed supported the Appropriations Committee’s 10-point plan to provide additional resources and accountability to the VA to improve claims processing. This included an additional $294 million for claims operations in the 2014 budget.
- Reed wrote the law to create the Office of Service Member Affairs in the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), and continues to urge the Department of Defense to strengthen the Military Lending Act to further protect service members and their families against abusive financial practices.
- Reed helped enact the Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act, which requires a two-year budget for VA medical programs, ensuring better care for our nations’ veterans.
- To enhance legal and financial protections for members of the military under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA), Senator Reed introduced the Servicemember Housing Protection Act and the SCRA Rights Protection Act. Collectively, these bills would make it easier for service members to work with creditors prior to deployment, extend foreclosure protection to surviving spouses, and protect service members from mandatory arbitration clauses in everyday financial transactions.