Jack Reed | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Official portrait, 2020 | |
| Ranking Member of theSenate Armed Services Committee | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Roger Wicker |
| In office January 3, 2015 – February 3, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Jim Inhofe |
| Succeeded by | Jim Inhofe |
| Chair of theSenate Armed Services Committee | |
| In office February 3, 2021 – January 3, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Jim Inhofe |
| Succeeded by | Roger Wicker |
| United States Senator fromRhode Island | |
| Assumed office January 3, 1997 Serving with Sheldon Whitehouse | |
| Preceded by | Claiborne Pell |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromRhode Island's2nd district | |
| In office January 3, 1991 – January 3, 1997 | |
| Preceded by | Claudine Schneider |
| Succeeded by | Robert Weygand |
| Member of theRhode Island Senate from the 12th district | |
| In office January 1, 1985 – January 1, 1991 | |
| Preceded by | Robert Moretti |
| Succeeded by | John O'Leary |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John Francis Reed (1949-11-12)November 12, 1949 (age 75) Cranston, Rhode Island, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | |
| Signature |  |
| Website | Senate website Campaign website |
| Military service | |
| Branch | |
| Service years |
|
| Rank | Major |
| Unit | |
John Francis Reed (born November 12, 1949) is an American lawyer and politician serving as theseniorUnited States senator fromRhode Island, a seat he was first elected to in1996. A member of theDemocratic Party, he was theU.S. representative forRhode Island's 2nd congressional district from 1991 to 1997. Reed graduated from theUnited States Military Academy andHarvard University, serving in theU.S. Army as an active officer from 1971 to 1979. He is the dean ofRhode Island's congressional delegation since 1999 upon the death ofJohn Chafee.
Reed was born inCranston, Rhode Island, the son of Mary Louise (née Monahan) and Joseph Anthony Reed.[1] His father's family was Anglo-American but had become Catholic, and his mother's family was Irish-American.[2] Reed graduated fromLa Salle Academy and theUnited States Military Academy atWest Point, where he received aBachelor of Science degree in 1971. After graduating, he spent several years in active duty military service. Reed earned theRanger Tab and was aparatrooper. He served as a paratrooper in the 2nd Battalion,504th Parachute Infantry Regiment,82nd Airborne Division where he was a platoon leader,company commander and battalion staff officer.
Reed attended theJohn F. Kennedy School of Government atHarvard University, where he received aMaster of Public Policy. He returned to West Point in 1978 as an associate professor in the Department of Social Sciences.[3] He left active duty in 1979 after earning the rank of captain. He served in theUnited States Army Reserve until 1991, and retired as a major. After leaving active duty, Reed enrolled inHarvard Law School, where he became a member of the Board of Student Advisers. In 1982, he graduated with hisJuris Doctor and worked as an associate at theWashington, D.C. office of law firm ofSutherland Asbill & Brennan. Afterward, he returned to Rhode Island and worked for the Providence law firm Edwards and Angell until 1990.
Reed was elected as astate senator in 1984 and served three terms.[4]
Reed is aRoman Catholic.[5][6] He 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, their daughter, Emily, was born.
In 1990, Reed was elected to theUnited States House of Representatives, receiving 59% of the vote in the general election.[4] For the next six years, he focused on education and health care.
When SenatorClaiborne Pell, the longest-serving senator in Rhode Island's history and the 13th longest-serving senator in US history, announced his retirement in 1996, Reed declared his candidacy. Reed won the Democratic primary with 86% of the vote and beat the Republican nominee,Rhode Island General Treasurer Nancy Mayer, 63% to 35%.
Reed ran for a second term. He was unopposed in the Democratic primary and his Republican opponent was Robert Tingle, a casinopit manager and the unsuccessful Republican nominee for the state's 2nd congressional district in 2000. Reed won by 78% to 22%.
Reed ran for a third term. He won the Democratic primary with 87% of the vote. In the general election, he faced a rematch with Tingle, again winning in a landslide, 73% to 27%.
Reed ran for a fourth term. Polling showed him leading prospective Republican opponents by margins of between 29% and 65%. Unopposed in the Democratic primary, Reed faced former congressional nominee and formerRhode Island Republican Party Chairman Mark Zaccaria in the general election. Reed won in another landslide, 71% to 29%.
Reed ran for a fifth term. He won the Democratic primary unopposed. In the general election, he faced investment consultant Allen R. Waters and won in yet another landslide, 67% to 33%.
In February 2025, Reed expressed his intent to run for a sixth term.[7]
In 2008, Reed was mentioned as a potential vice presidential running mate forBarack Obama.[8][9] On July 14, 2008, Reed announced that he was "not interested" in becoming Obama's running mate.[10]
Reed has consistently been mentioned as a possibleSecretary of Defense.[11][12] In late 2010, he turned down Obama's offer to succeedRobert Gates as Secretary of Defense. The position was ultimately filled byLeon Panetta.[13] After Obama was reelected in 2012 and Panetta announced his decision to retire, Reed was again mentioned as a possible nominee for the position, as well as forDirector of the Central Intelligence Agency. Once again, he denied interest in either position.[14][15][16]
When Panetta's successorChuck Hagel announced his resignation in December 2014, Reed was again said to be on Obama's shortlist. Despite the Republican takeover of the Senate in the2014 elections, it was said that Reed's confirmation would be a "foregone conclusion".[17][18] He again denied interest,[19] with a spokesman saying, "Senator Reed loves his job and wants to continue serving the people of Rhode Island in the United States Senate. He has made it very clear that he does not wish to be considered for Secretary of Defense or any other cabinet position. He just asked the people of Rhode Island to hire him for another six-year term and plans on honoring that commitment."[18]
On November 24, 2014, Ted Nesi ofWPRI-TV gave some reasons that Reed might be uninterested in cabinet positions, citing his "safe seat", his status as one of the most popular politicians in the state, his fondness for working in the Senate and his passion for housing policy. He concluded that "no matter how many times Reed's aides privately groan about another flareup of defense secretary speculation, they surely appreciate that each recurrence is a sign of the senator's positive reputation in Washington and Obama's esteem for him."[20]
Reed's committee assignments for the 118th Congress are as follows:[21]
The following is an incomplete list of legislation that Reed has sponsored:
Since his election to Congress, Reed has consistently voted in a similar manner to other New England Democrats, holding generally liberal positions on social and economic issues. He has voted with his party 94.7% of the time.[23] Reed was rated among the Top 10 most popular senators in a Morning Consult poll from April 2024.[24]
Reed strongly supportsabortion rights, and has rejected proposals to limitlate-term abortion, ban such procedures from occurring on military installations, and deny minors the right to cross state lines to obtain abortions.[25]
Reed supports affirmative action. He has voted to expand such policies and to set aside money for women and minorities from the highway fund. He also supportedLGBTQ rights, voting against a proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage and in favor of measures that prevent job discrimination and hate crimes against LGBTQ people.[25]
Reed has generally supportedfair trade policies over similar ones advocatingfree trade. He voted against renewing presidential authority to "fast-track" normalized trade relations. Reed opposed theDominican Republic–Central America Free Trade Agreement and similar free trade proposals forChile,Singapore,Peru, andOman, but voted in favor of normalizing trade relations withChina. He has also been a strong supporter of unionizing workers, and has criticized government and business interference with these groups. Reed supports increasing theminimum wage and unemployment compensation.[25]
Reed serves on theSenate Banking Committee, which has held hearings intoJP Morgan Chase bank's activities. He has accepted campaign contributions from its CEOJamie Dimon.[26]
During theIran-Israel war of 2025, Reed said: "Israel's alarming decision to launch airstrikes on Iran is a reckless escalation that risks igniting regional violence".[27]
In July 2019, Reed and Minnesota SenatorAmy Klobuchar sent a letter to ActingHomeland Security SecretaryKevin McAleenan requesting an explanation of the actions theDepartment of Homeland Security took in response to "unexpected behavior" of voting equipment inDurham County, North Carolina during the 2016 presidential election and writing that it was "critical that we learn as much as we can about the extent of the attacks we faced in 2016, and that these lessons be shared as widely as possible so that our nation is fully prepared for the 2020 elections."[28]
Reed supports limiting American oil use and expanding alternative energy. He opposesArctic National Wildlife Refuge drilling and federal subsidies foroil exploration, while favoring a 40% reduction in oil use by 2025 and funding for hydrogen automobiles. Reed has voted to end discussions onCorporate Average Fuel Economy standards, and has been an outspoken proponent of stronger restrictions of mercury use, as well as an end to commercial whaling.[29]
Reed supportsgun control. He also supports a national assault weapon ban.[30] Reed has voted against limiting lawsuits on gun manufacturers and has favored expanding gun control. He also voted against loosening background checks at gun shows.
Reed has been an advocate of preventive healthcare. Like many other Democrats, he supports increasingMedicare 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.[25] Reed does not supportMedicare for All. Instead, in 2019 he proposed the Choose Medicare Act, which he claims increases "access, competition, and choice."[31]
Even though he voted for the 1996 Immigration Reform Bill, Reed has generally supported allowing undocumented immigrants and foreign workers to enter the path to citizenship. He supportsGuest Worker programs and giving immigrants access toSocial Security. He opposed establishing English as the nation's official language and has been critical of the effort to fence theUS-Mexican border.[25] He is the author of theReed Amendment, which permits former U.S. citizens to be denied entry to the country if they are believed to haverenounced their citizenship for tax reasons.[32] On February 23, 2010, Reed co-sponsored theDREAM Act, a piece of legislation that would allow undocumented students living in the United States from a very young age to gain legal status.[33]
In October 2018, Reed was one of 20 senators to sign a letter to then Secretary of StateMike Pompeo urging him to reverse the rollback of a policy that granted visas to same-sex partners of LGBTQ diplomats who had unions that were not recognized by their home countries, writing that too many places around the world have seen LGBTQIA+ individuals "subjected to discrimination and unspeakable violence, and receive little or no protection from the law or local authorities", and that the US refusing to let LGBTQIA+ diplomats bring their partners to the US would be tantamount to upholding "the discriminatory policies of many countries around the world."[34]
Reed supports transgender rights. He opposes a ban in the military that prevents military recruits and transgender troops from transitioning to another gender.[35]
Reed was one of 23 US senators to vote againstH.J. Resolution 114, which authorized PresidentGeorge W. Bush to use force againstIraq in 2002.[36] In 2007, he elaborated on his sentiments, saying, "It was a flawed strategy that diverted attention and resources away from hunting downOsama bin Laden's terrorist network." LikeDavid Petraeus, Reed said he believed the real problems in Iraq were political and unrelated to the military.[37]
In 2018, Reed was one a few Democrats to support U.S. backing of theSaudi-led coalitionfighting in Yemen.[38] By 2019 he reversed his position, saying that he wanted to end U.S. support for the coalition.[38] A network of progressive groups, includingDemand Progress,Working Families Party, andChapo Trap House, urged Reed to ensure that the 2020National Defense Authorization Act withdrew support for the war.[39][38]
On October 1, 2020, Reed co-signed a letter to thenSecretary of StateMike Pompeo that condemnedAzerbaijan’s offensive operations against theRepublic of Artsakh, denouncedTurkey’s role in theNagorno-Karabakh conflict and called for an immediate ceasefire.[40] Reed said, "Armenians have a right to defend themselves when attacked."[41]
Reed supported PresidentJoe Biden's decision towithdraw all U.S. troops from Afghanistan by September 2021. He said that "the president made a difficult, but the best of many poor choices."[42]
In June 2024, Reed joined SenatorsMitt Romney,Jerry Moran, andAngus King in proposing a framework to mitigate theexistential risk from artificial general intelligence. They said the framework "would apply to only the very largest and most advanced models" and would guard against threats to humans posed by AI.[43]
United States House of Representatives 2nd district Democratic primary election in Rhode Island, 1990
United States House of Representatives 2nd district election in Rhode Island, 1990
United States House of Representatives 2nd district Democratic primary election in Rhode Island, 1992
United States House of Representatives 2nd district election in Rhode Island, 1992
United States House of Representative 2nd district election in Rhode Island, 1994
United States Senate Democratic primary election in Rhode Island, 1996
United States Senate election in Rhode Island, 1996
United States Senate election in Rhode Island, 2002
United States Senate Democratic primary election in Rhode Island, 2008
United States Senate election in Rhode Island, 2008
United States Senate election in Rhode Island, 2014
United States Senate election in Rhode Island, 2020
Grand-Officer of theOrder of Prince Henry,Portugal (June 1, 1998)[44]
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromRhode Island's 2nd congressional district 1991–1997 | Succeeded by |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by Claiborne Pell | Democratic nominee forU.S. Senator fromRhode Island (Class 2) 1996,2002,2008,2014,2020 | Most recent |
| U.S. Senate | ||
| Preceded by | U.S. Senator (Class 2) from Rhode Island 1997–present Served alongside:John Chafee,Lincoln Chafee,Sheldon Whitehouse | Incumbent |
| Preceded by | Ranking Member of theSenate Armed Services Committee 2015–2021 | Succeeded by Jim Inhofe |
| Chair of theSenate Armed Services Committee 2021–2025 | Succeeded by | |
| Preceded by | Ranking Member of theSenate Armed Services Committee 2025–present | Incumbent |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded by | Order of precedence of the United States as United States Senator | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | United States senators by seniority 6th | |
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Chairs of theUnited States Senate Committee on Armed Services | ||
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| Military Affairs Committee (1816–1947) | | |
| Naval Affairs Committee (1816–1947) | ||
| Armed Services Committee (1947–present) | ||
| Class 1 | | |
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| Class 2 | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
