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.
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 – a program that 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.
In the last 20 years, two-thirds of all net new jobs in this country were generated by small businesses, and today over half of all U.S. workers either own or work for a small business. Senator Reed believes that our country’s strength is its ability to foster opportunities to innovate new business ideas – whether from the boardroom or the kitchen table – to grow into full-fledged enterprises that generate good-paying jobs and vitality in our communities.
Senator Reed understands the importance of small businesses. They support local employment, boost economic activity, and preserve neighborhoods and cultures across our state. To assist small businesses, Senator Reed supports the bipartisan Marketplace Fairness Act, which ensures that online and traditional brick-and-mortar stores have to follow the same rules when it comes to things like state sales taxes, because neighborhood stores won’t have a level playing field until this legislation is passed.
Senator Reed has also worked to reauthorize the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs through 2017. These important federal programs offer small businesses the potential to explore and expand their commercial footprint and encourage entrepreneurism, innovative research, and development throughout Rhode Island. He is also a strong backer of the Defense Procurement Technical Assistance program, which helps small Rhode Island defense firms compete and win contracts to supply our military.