Jack Reed

Too many Rhode Islanders are struggling with their energy bills. I am fighting to bring down energy costs, diversify energy sources, and accelerate development of renewables. That’s why I fought Trump’s shortsighted offshore wind stop-work orders and continue opposing his costly Iran war.
I helped craft the historic Inflation Reduction Act to strengthen energy independence and safeguard our environment. In this law, I created the Green & Resilient Retrofits Program to deliver millions in federal grants and loans for energy efficient upgrades in RI affordable housing developments. I also champion assistance for families to boost their energy efficiency and lower bills through the Weatherization Assistance Program, created provisions to help low-income RIers purchase and install energy efficient appliances to unlock hundreds of dollars in savings each year, and protect and advocate for increased investment through LIHEAP funding. More must be done to lower energy bills. I’m fighting to build on billions of dollars I’ve delivered to boost RI’s grid; strengthen progress we made in the Inflation Reduction Act; keep more energy here at home by reducing oil and gas exports; grow energy sources to enhance sustainability; and help families make smart upgrades to lower their bills.

I am deeply concerned about the potential cost-raising impacts that data centers pose to our communities. We cannot allow the unchecked proliferation of these facilities. That’s why I’m fighting for the adoption of legislative provisions that would ensure developers are bearing any increased costs incurred, and that they are held accountable for adverse impacts on the grid, water system, and more. Earlier this year, I proactively pressed our region’s grid operator to ensure that ratepayers are not saddled with costly data center growth. Instead, the corporations who stand to profit most from these facilities should be holding the bill for cost hikes and negative impacts on the public. I’ll keep fighting for forward-looking changes that protect ratepayers and prioritize lower energy costs for average consumers, not big business and major corporations.

Rhode Island’s coastal communities are already experiencing the negative impacts of climate change and worsening severe weather events. This troubling trend poses significant threats to our environment, economy, and national security. To fight back, I have delivered over $716 million in federal investments over the last six years to bolster clean water infrastructure; protect coastal communities, beaches, and waterways; and clean up pollution. I plan to build on this progress. For example, the Southeast New England Program – or SNEP – which I created through my seat on the Appropriations Committee, has been instrumental in protecting and restoring coastal watersheds in RI and our region, delivering over $70 million for our state to address climate impacts, prepare for future sea-level rise, and boost resilience. SNEP also helps make key green infrastructure upgrades to reduce flooding while creating new greenspaces and resilient urban pathways. I am working to permanently authorize this competitive grant program to prioritize the long-term environmental health and resilience of our state and its coastline while advancing a proven method for selecting transformative projects that have made effective environmental upgrades across the Ocean State for more than a decade.

The federal government must play an active role in partnering with states and municipalities to get toxic chemicals out of our water. That’s why I pushed the Biden Administration to move forward with federal standards to limit PFAS in drinking water nationwide and have helped deliver federal investments for RI to advance testing, monitoring, and mitigation efforts. I also worked to classify PFAS chemicals for Superfund cleanup projects and ensure Americans are well-aware of the dangers of toxic chemicals. Through my role on the Senate Armed Services Committee, I have championed initiatives to reduce PFAS exposure and combat contamination, launch multi-year assessments by the CDC, ban DOD from using PFAS-contaminated firefighting foam, and fund research into realistic substitutes, which have key implications for civilian firefighters and others. I am also a leading voice on the dangers of microplastics and have partnered with Rhode Island colleges, universities, and environmental organizations like Save the Bay to call for increased research funding and public awareness campaigns.

We have made a lot of progress in combatting the overdose crisis in Rhode Island and more must be done to strengthen public health, increase access to wraparound services, and make recovery a reality. I’ve consistently fought to deliver billions of dollars for State Opioid Response grants across the nation; increase access to life-saving drugs like naloxone; boost interdiction efforts to prevent drugs from reaching our communities; and use my platform to raise awareness about the dangers of illicit drugs like fentanyl and xylazine. I have long partnered with frontline providers in RI who have been national leaders in identifying evidence-based harm reduction, treatment, and prevention strategies to stop overdoses and save lives. Investing in these strategies has helped realize the progress we have seen but also underscores the need for continued work on the federal level to continue our positive momentum. That is why I am fighting back against the Trump Administration’s efforts to roll back effective harm reduction strategies, throttle critical research on substance use, and slash the federal infrastructure that has helped us make great strides over the last few years.

Since 2020, I have helped direct over $1.5 billion in federal research investments to Rhode Island to help advance the discovery of modern treatments, cutting-edge diagnostics, and life-saving cures. I’m building on these investments and actively fighting unconstitutional efforts to inject political appointees into what must be an apolitical decision-making process for federal research grants.
To improve RI’s research infrastructure, I fought to make our state eligible for the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) to target increased investments to states like ours that traditionally net less science funding than others. This has helped bring home more than $90 million in research investments to Ocean State institutions while also promoting economic growth and attracting talented students and researchers to our state.
To bolster this progress, I helped secure the funding to bring the new $125 million Narragansett Dawn research vessel to URI and make upgrades on campus to host the cutting-edge ship. Additionally, I was instrumental in helping to relocate NOAA’s Marine Operations Center-Atlantic headquarters to Newport, bringing more research assets and jobs here to RI while increasing partnerships with local colleges and universities to further cement our state’s leadership in the Blue Economy.