President Biden, who represented Delaware in the United States Senate for 36 years before becoming the 47th Vice President of the United States, will work to rebuild and restore our communities and enhance leadership in America.
Joseph Robinette Biden Jr., The President of the United States, was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He graduated from the University of Delaware and Syracuse University College of Law. In 1953, Biden’s family moved from Claymont, Delaware to Scranton.
The Family of Joe Biden
After his Senate election, President Biden tragically lost his wife Neilia and daughter Naomi in a car crash, while his sons Hunter and Beau sustained severe injuries. This incident occurred when he was only 29 years old, making him one of the youngest individuals ever elected to the United States Senate.
During his tenure in the Senate, he would persist in doing so. To spend time with his family, he initiated a daily commute from Wilmington to Washington, initially by automobile and later by train. Biden took the oath of office as a U.S. Senator at the hospital bedsides of his sons.
Jill, a lifelong educator, returned to the college community in Virginia to teach as an English professor and earned her doctorate in education. In 1980, Jill married Biden, and their family was completed with the birth of Ashley, the Blazer, in 1977.
We are aware that President Biden’s mission to fight cancer is inspired by the strength, courage, and integrity that his eldest son, Beau Biden, demonstrated every day of his life, even while battling brain cancer before his passing in 2015 as the Attorney General of Delaware.
A Senate Leader
As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee for 16 years, Joe Biden is widely recognized for his spearheading and writing work on the landmark legislation – the Violence Against Women Act, which creates unprecedented resources for survivors of domestic and sexual assault and brings about changes in national dialogue on assault. As a Senator from Delaware for 36 years, Biden has established himself as a leader in facing some of our most challenging domestic and international issues.
He played a pivotal role in shaping U.S. Foreign policy, particularly in the areas of ending apartheid, Southwest Asia, the Middle East, Europe after the Cold War, the destruction of mass weapons, terrorism-related legislation, and forefront issues. He served as a Member Ranking or Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for 12 years.
“America is an idea. An idea that is stronger than any army, bigger than any ocean, more powerful than any dictator or tyrant. It gives hope to the most desperate people on earth, it guarantees that everyone is treated with dignity and gives hate no safe harbor. It instills in every person in this country the belief that no matter where you start in life, there’s nothing you can’t achieve if you work at it. That’s what we believe.”
Joe Biden, April 25, 2019
The 47th Deputy President of the United States
As Vice President Biden, President Biden continued to represent our country abroad and provide leadership on important issues facing our nation. He worked with Congress to fight against cancer and address violence against women, while also leading interagency efforts to reduce gun violence and raise the standards of living for the American middle-class. Additionally, President Biden convened sessions with his Cabinet to address these challenges.
The Biden Administration efficiently implemented the most efficient government program in the history of our country, preventing fraud, abuse, or waste by less than 1%. This program led to 75 uninterrupted months of job growth, saving and creating millions of jobs and preventing another Great Depression. President Biden’s plan also oversaw the implementation of the largest commitment to clean energy in our nation’s history and helped pass the Recovery Act, which was the biggest economic recovery plan in history under President Obama.
The passage of the Affordable Care Act, secured by Vice President Biden and President Obama, also reduced the number of uninsured Americans by 20 million, banning insurance companies from denying coverage due to pre-existing conditions and leaving many individuals uninsured.
He served as the point person for U.S. Diplomacy throughout the Western Hemisphere, leading the effort to bring home 150,000 troops from Iraq and strengthening relationships with our allies in the Asia-Pacific region.
The highest civilian honor of the nation, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, was awarded to President Obama by President Biden at a ceremony in the White House.
A Fresh Beginnin
After leaving the White House, the Bidens continued their efforts to expand opportunities for every American, with the creation of the Biden Foundation, the Biden Cancer Initiative, and the Biden Global Diplomacy and Engagement Center at the University of Delaware.
On April 25, 2019, Joe Biden announced his candidacy for President of the United States. His campaign was built around three pillars, which were the backbone of our country and the battle for the soul of our nation. It was a message that would only gain more resonance in 2020, as we confronted an urgent crisis – the economic pandemic and the existential threat of climate change – and called for racial justice. It was a call for unity and the need to rebuild the middle class, which is the backbone of America.
