Senator Jack Reed (D-RI)

U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) is a senior member of the Armed Services Committee and a former Army Ranger.

A West Point graduate, Time magazine described Reed as "a serious, intellectually honest veteran and an expert on defense issues in the Senate."

Senator Reed has said that his military training and service give him an appreciation for the military's power and its limits. In 2002, he voted against giving President Bush the authority to go to war in Iraq. However, once our combat forces were committed, Reed has consistently urged the President to better manage the war and provide our troops with the resources they need.

He has traveled to Iraq 11 times to get a firsthand look at the situation on the ground. Along with Senator Carl Levin of Michigan, Reed is the co-author of a plan to refocus the mission in Iraq and begin the phased redeployment of U.S. forces.

Jack Reed was born and raised in Cranston, Rhode Island. His father, Joe, was a Cranston school janitor who worked his way up to become custodial supervisor of the city's school system.

He holds advanced degrees from the John F. Kennedy School of Government and Harvard Law School.

Reed served in the Rhode Island State Senate from 1984-90 and the U.S. House of Representatives from 1990-96, before succeeding Claiborne Pell in the United States Senate.

Jack Reed is married to Julia Hart Reed. They make their home in Jamestown, Rhode Island with their one-year old daughter, Emily.