Jack Reed

Reed Hopes to Keep Student Loan Interest Down

Catherine Welch — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 12:12:57 +0000

On Capitol Hill Thursday the Senate will vote on a bill by Senator Jack Reed that blocks a rate hike on student loans. What’s called “The Student Loan Affordability Act” would keep the interest rate on federal student loans from doubling for two years.

Reed said that’s how long it will take Congress to come up with a long-term solution.

The Push to Turn Blackstone Heritage Corridor into a National Park

Catherine Welch — Fri, 31 May 2013 19:48:53 +0000

The U.S. Secretary of the Interior was in Rhode Island Friday touring parts of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor. The visit highlighted a push to make the corridor part of the National Park System.

Rhode Island Congressmen Voice Disapproval of IRS

Flo Jonic — Tue, 28 May 2013 12:16:25 +0000

Rhode Island’s two U.S. senators are weighing in on the IRS scandal. The agency charged with collecting taxes has been targeting conservative groups for special attention in their applications for tax-exempt status.

Sen. Jack Reed Proposes Changes to Student Loan Interest Rates

Catherine Welch — Fri, 10 May 2013 05:23:00 +0000

Staring down a July 1^st deadline, lawmakers on Capitol Hill are looking at ways to control the costs of federal student loans. Senator Jack Reed is behind a measure that would overhaul how student loan interest rates are calculated.

Reed and a handful of democrats in Congress are pushing legislation that offers adjustable rates and caps the maximum interest rates on federal loans. The bill also allows borrowers stuck with high interest rates to refinance.

Scott MacKay Two-Way with Senator Jack Reed

Scott MacKay — Tue, 07 May 2013 04:00:00 +0000

A bill allowing states to charge sales tax for online shopping (passed/failed) in the senate. Rhode Island senator Jack Reed supported the bill, and he sat down with Rhode Island Public Radio’s Scott MacKay to talk about a variety of issues including the impact online sales have on Rhode Island’s economy.

May Breakfast with Jack Reed and 1,000 of his friends

Scott MacKay — Mon, 06 May 2013 20:17:07 +0000

If ever there was a Rhode Island tradition that never wanes, it is `May Breakfast,’ that old fixture where church fellowship meets scrambled eggs, bacon and coffee. It has an old-timey feel, even when it resembles a political ``time’’ as any gathering of pols was once referred as, especially when the eats were accompanied by a campaign dollar or two.

Rhode Island Republicans Eye Reed's Seat

Ian Donnis — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 11:15:07 +0000

The state Republican chairman says the GOP plans to field a candidate when Senator Jack Reed seeks re-election next year. A fundraiser on Monday, featuring Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, helped pour even more money into Reed’s campaign war chest.

Reed is considered to have one of the safest seats in the US Senate, and he’s sitting on a war chest of about $2 million. Reed, a Democrat, plans to seek his fourth term next year.

Smiley: RI GOP Intends to Field a Candidate Against Reed Next Year

Ian Donnis — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 20:54:03 +0000

State GOP chairman Mark Smiley says his party "absolutely" intends to run a candidate against US senator Jack Reed next year.

A few politically active Republicans privately say they consider a challenge against Reed -- or the other Democrats in Rhode Island's congressional delegation -- an utter waste of time. Resources would be better used, they say, in trying to build the 11-member GOP presence in the 113-member General Assembly.

Tracing the Long Road to Same-Sex Marriage in Rhode Island

Scott MacKay — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 12:40:08 +0000

Change happens slowly in politics. Except when it doesn’t. Rhode Island Public Radio political analyst Scott MacKay explains the forces behind Rhode Island’s reversal on gay marriage.

The Ocean State is poised to become the 10th state in the nation to recognize same sex marriages and join our five New England neighbors in the vanguard of the movement for equal treatment for gay citizens.

Chafee: Internet Sales Tax a Matter of Fairness

Flo Jonic — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 14:42:32 +0000

Senator Jack Reed and Governor Lincoln Chafee are urging Congress to pass the Marketplace Fairness Act. The bill would require online merchants to pay state sales taxes. Chafee and Reed say it’s a matter of fairness.

Reed and Chafee stood side by side in a West Warwick furniture store to urge Congress to allow a vote on the Marketplace Fairness Act. Chafee said the bill – which would require online merchants to pay state sales taxes – would add $70 million a year to the state treasury.