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JOE BIDEN
"The next
Democratic leader, and this is what the presidential election is all
about, has to challenge the American people, tell them the truth, and trust them." - Joe Biden
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Statistics
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| CAMPAIGN
SLOGAN: "Joe Is Right." |
| FULL
NAME: Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr. |
| DATE
OF BIRTH: November 20, 1942 |
| AGE:
65 |
| ASTROLOGICAL
SIGN: Scorpio |
| SPOUSE:
Jill Tracy Jacobs |
| CHILDREN:
Beau, Hunter, and Ashley |
| PETS:
1 Cat |
| RESIDENCE:
Wilmington, DE |
| RELIGION:
Roman Catholic |
| PROFESSION:
Attorney |
| ALTERNATE
CAREER CHOICE: Architect |
| FAVORITE
BOOK/LAST READ: American Gospel, Irish America/Runaway Jury |
| FAVORITE
FOOD TO COOK/EAT: Pasta |
| TALENTS:
Designing homes & sketching |
| FAVORITE
FITNESS ACTIVITY: Weightlifting |
| WORST
HABIT: "Too many to list!" |
| LAST
MUSIC PURCHASE: Sister's Playlist |
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QUICK
FACT: Joe had a debilitating stutter as a child and would recite
poetry in front of a mirror for hours as a way to relax his muscles
and learn to speak more confidently. Today, Joe often quotes poetry on
the Senate floor.
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| OFFICIAL
WEBSITE: www.joebiden.com |
| E-MAIL:
Joe@JoeBiden.com |
Biography -
Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden,
Jr.
is an American lawyer and
politician. He is a member of the Democratic Party and the incumbent senior
U.S. Senator from Delaware. Biden is currently serving his sixth term and is
Delaware's longest-serving Senator. He is the Chairman of the U.S. Senate
Committee on Foreign Relations in the 110th Congress. Biden has served in
that position in the past, and he has served as Chairman of the U.S. Senate
Committee on the Judiciary.
Biden was born
November 20, 1942 in Scranton, Pennsylvania, the son of Joseph R. Biden, Sr.
and Catherine Eugenia Finnegan. He was the first of four siblings and was
raised in his Irish American mother's Roman Catholic religion. The Biden
family moved to Delaware when Biden was 10 years old, and he grew up in
suburban New Castle County, Delaware, where his father was a car salesman.
In 1961, Biden graduated from Archmere Academy in Claymont, Delaware and, in
1965, from the University of Delaware in Newark, Delaware. He then attended
Syracuse University College of Law, graduated in 1968, and was admitted to
the Delaware Bar in 1969.
In 1966, while in law
school, Biden married Neilia Hunter. They had three children, Joseph R. III
(Beau), Robert Hunter, and Amy. His wife and infant daughter died in an
automobile accident shortly after he was first elected to the U.S. Senate.
His two young sons, Beau and Hunter, were seriously injured in the accident,
but both eventually made full recoveries. Biden was sworn into office from
their bedside. Persuaded not to resign in order to care for them, Biden
began the practice of commuting an hour and a half each day on the train
from his home in the Wilmington suburbs to Washington, DC. In
1977, Biden married Jill Tracy Jacobs. They have one child, Ashley, and are
members of the Roman Catholic Church.
In 1969, Biden began
practicing law in Wilmington, Delaware, and was soon elected to the New
Castle County County Council, where he served from 1970 to 1972. The 1972
U.S. Senate election presented Biden with an unusual opportunity that only
he seemed to recognize. Popular Republican incumbent Senator J. Caleb Boggs
was considering retirement, which would likely have left U.S. Representative
Pete du Pont and Wilmington Mayor Harry G. Haskell, Jr. in a divisive
primary fight. To avoid that, U.S. President Richard M. Nixon was invited to
a meeting to convince Boggs to run again with full Republican support. Boggs
ran, but without much enthusiasm, which combined with the new 18-year old
voters, and a serious underestimation of Biden's campaign abilities,
resulted in the very surprising Biden victory.
Biden took office on
January 3, 1973, at age 30, becoming the fifth-youngest U.S. Senator in
United States history. He has since won additional terms easily, defeating
James H. Baxter, Jr. in 1978, John M. Burris in 1984, M. Jane Brady in 1990,
and Raymond J. Clatworthy in 1996 and 2002, usually with about 60 percent of
the vote. In February 1988,
Biden was hospitalized for two brain aneurysms which kept him from the U.S.
Senate for seven months He is now Delaware's longest-serving U.S. Senator ever. In the
small state of Delaware, Biden is highly regarded, mostly because of his
frequent presence and attention to local needs. Because of his daily
commute, he is a strong and knowledgeable advocate for Amtrak. He also
watches closely the interests of the Dover U.S. Air Force Base and the
downstate chicken processing industry.
Biden is a long-time
member of the U.S.
Senate Committee on the Judiciary, which he chaired from 1987 until 1995
and served as ranking
minority member from 1981 until 1987 and again from 1995 until 1997. In
this capacity, he has become one of the more experienced Senators on drug
policy, crime prevention, and civil
liberties. While chairman, Biden presided over two of the more
contentious U.S. Supreme Court confirmation hearings ever, Robert
Bork in 1987 and Clarence
Thomas in 1991.
Since 1991, Biden has served
as an adjunct professor at the Widener University School of Law, where he
teaches a seminar on constitutional law.
Biden has been
instrumental in crafting significant federal crime laws over the last
decade, including the Violent
Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, also known as the Biden
Crime Law. He also authored the landmark Violence
Against Women Act of 1994 (VAWA), which contains a broad array of ground
breaking measures to combat domestic violence and provides billions of
dollars in federal funds to address gender-based crimes. Although part of
this legislation later was struck down as unconstitutional, it was
reauthorized in 2000 and 2005. In March 2004 Biden enlisted major American
technology companies in diagnosing the problems of the Austin, Texas based
National Domestic Violence Hotline, and to donate equipment and expertise to
it.
As chairman of the International
Narcotics Control Caucus, Biden wrote the laws that created the nation's
"Drug
Czar," who oversees and coordinates national drug control policy.
In April 2003 he introduced the controversial Reducing Americans'
Vulnerability to Ecstasy Act, the RAVE
Act. He continues to work to stop the spread of so called, "date
rape" drugs, such as Rohypnol,
and drugs such as Ecstasy
and Ketamine.
In 2004 he worked to pass a bill outlawing steroids
like androstenedione,
the drug used by many baseball players.
Biden's legislation to
promote college aid and loan programs allows families to deduct on their
annual income-tax returns up to $10,000 per year in higher-education
expenses. His Kids 2000 legislation established a public/private
partnership to provide computer centers, teachers, Internet
access, and technical training to young people, particularly to low-income
and at-risk youth. Throughout his career
Biden has vehemently opposed tort reform, while continuously joining Senate
Republicans to support stricter bankruptcy laws.
Biden is also
long-time member of the U.S.
Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and has gained considerable
expertise in foreign
policy, national
security, and arms
control. In 1997, he became the ranking
minority member and chaired the committee from June 2001 through 2003.
His efforts to combat hostilities in the Balkans
in the 1990s brought national attention and influenced presidential policy:
traveling repeatedly to the region, he made one meeting famous by calling
Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic a "war criminal." He
consistently argued for lifting the arms embargo, training Bosnian Muslims,
investigating war crimes and administering NATO air strikes. Biden's
subsequent "lift and strike" resolution was instrumental in
convincing President Bill
Clinton to use military force in the face of systematic human
rights violations.
Following the September
11, 2001 attacks, Biden was supportive of the Bush administration
efforts, calling for additional ground troops in Afghanistan
and agreeing with the administration's assertion that Saddam
Hussein needed to be eliminated. The Bush administration rejected an
effort Biden undertook with Senator Richard
Lugar to pass a resolution authorizing military action only after the
exhaustion of diplomatic efforts. In October 2002, Biden supported the final
resolution of support for war in Iraq.
He has long supported the Bush Administration's war effort and
appropriations to pay for it, but has argued repeatedly that more soldiers
are needed, the war should be internationalized, and the Bush administration
should "level with the American people" about the cost and length
of the conflict.
In November 2006,
Biden and Leslie
Gelb, President Emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations, released a
comprehensive strategy to end sectarian violence in Iraq.
Rather than continuing the present approach or withdrawing, the plan calls
for "a third way that can achieve the two objectives most Americans
share: to bring our troops home without leaving chaos behind. The idea is to
maintain a unified Iraq by federalizing it and giving Kurds, Shiites, and
Sunnis breathing room in their own regions."
(See http://blogs.usatoday.com/onpolitics/2007/05/from_foods_to_m.html.)
(See http://www.vote-smart.org/bio.php?can_id=53279.)
(See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Biden.)
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Platform
Issues -
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| Afghanistan: |
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If
we should be surging forces anywhere, it is to Afghanistan. That
country is not lost, but it is on the brink of a major comeback by the
Taliban, Al Qaeda, warlords and drug traffickers. Our necessary
investment in blood and treasure risks being squandered -- we need an
infusion of military and economic assistance and a plan to wean that
country away from drugs. |
| Climate
Change: |
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The
United States, as the strongest nation in the world, must return to a
leadership role to solve global warming. Containing greenhouse gas
emissions within our own borders is a necessary and important start -
but it is not enough. Biden has led a bipartisan coalition calling
on the President to return to negotiations for a new climate change
treaty. Developing countries - China, India, Mexico, Korea and Brazil
- will soon be the greatest source of greenhouse gas pollution. They
must be a part of the solution. But
we cannot exert pressure on these countries until we take meaningful
action to limit greenhouse gas emissions here at home. Biden
supports a "cap and trade" approach to regulating emissions
and investment in technologies that can significantly reduce
greenhouse gas emissions.
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| Crime: |
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Biden is the
author of the most innovative and far-reaching criminal justice
proposals in recent history including the Violence Against Women Act
which established that national domestic violence hotline and the
Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act which was responsible
for putting more than 100,000 police officers on the streets. Biden has fought to protect support for state and local law
enforcement. But the Bush administration and Republicans in Congress
slashed billions in federal assistance for state and local law
enforcement and completely eliminated the COPS hiring program. Cities
have been forced to reduce the size of their police forces.
Biden's
priority is restoring the nearly $2 billion dollars that has been cut
from state and local law enforcement.
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| Darfur: |
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This
administration rightly called what's going on in Darfur genocide, but
it has failed to match its words with deeds. Biden has been
calling for NATO to declare and police a "No Fly Zone" over
Darfur; for an international peacekeeping mission we should impose if
Khartoum says no; and serious sanctions against the regime which is
aiding and abetting the slaughter of innocents. |
| Education: |
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Over
the past two decades we have made incredible strides in updating our
education system. Fifteen years ago it would have been hard to imagine
students linked through a high-tech video and high-speed internet
network to other students and teachers across the country or teachers
interacting with parents via email. New technology holds promise for
our education system that we're only beginning to discover. But
nothing is more essential than quality educators and engaged parents. Biden believes that to fulfill the promise to leave no child
behind we have to direct adequate resources to update schools, reduce
class size and school size, reward quality educators, and improve
teacher pay. |
| Energy: |
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Biden
believes that domestic energy policy is at the center of our foreign and economic
policies. Most of the world's oil is concentrated in
nations that are either hostile to American interests or vulnerable to
political upheaval and terrorism. Our oil dependence undercuts the
advance of freedom and limits our options and influence around the
world because oil rich countries pursuing policies we oppose can stand
up to us and undermine the resolve of our allies. Profits from the
sale of oil help fuel the fundamentalism we are fighting. High energy
prices hurt business' bottom line.
Biden's
first priority is energy security. He believes we can strengthen
security by reducing our oil consumption by increasing fuel
efficiency, transitioning to farm-grown fuels like ethanol and
biodiesel, and expanding the use of renewable energy. Biden would make a substantial national commitment by
dramatically increasing investment in energy and climate change
research and technology so that that United States becomes the world
leader in developing and exporting alternative energy. |
| Healthcare: |
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Biden
believes that we have to address our out-dated health care
system. The next president will have to deal with two challenges:
containing the growing costs of health care and providing access to
the 47 million Americans who don't have health insurance.
We need to take three steps to contain the cost of health
care: modernize the system, simplify the system and reduce errors. Biden
supports the transition to secure electronic records so that people
can provide their doctors and nurses with vital medical information in
real time. He believes there should be a uniform, efficient system to
submit claims.
Biden
believes the path toward a 21st century health care system starts with
the most vulnerable in our society. He would expand health insurance
for children and relieve families and businesses of the burden of
expensive catastrophic cases. He supports states that are pursuing
innovative alternatives to make sure that everyone has access to
health care and believes we should use data from these states to
evaluate what works best in providing affordable access to health care
for all.
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| Higher
Education: |
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Biden
believes that high school students should be engaged in planning and
saving for college earlier in their careers so that students in their
senior year are not overwhelmed by the process of applying to college
and figuring out how to pay for it. He would expand national service
programs to high school students so that they can earn money for
college by participating in public service while they are in high
school. Biden believes that every American should have access to higher
education. In order to compete in a global economy the American
workforce has to protect its edge in education. A college degree is
more valuable than ever - and more expensive. As
a parent, Biden knows how tuition costs drain family savings. He
would expand help for families by increasing the tax deduction for
tuition payments. He would expand Pell grants to cover the average
tuition at public colleges for low income families.
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| Homeland
Security: |
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This
Administration and the Republican led Congress have refused to make
the necessary investment in our homeland security. Our ports, chemical
plants, railways and other critical infrastructure are not secure. Our
local police agencies are stretched too thin, and our first responders
still cannot talk to each other in the event of an emergency of
natural disaster.
The 9/11
Commission gave us a blue print for what we need to protect against
terrorist attacks here at home. To be sure, implementing it will cost
more. But we can easily afford it - if we change our priorities. This
year, the budget for the Department of Homeland Security is $35
billion; at $60 billion, the tax cut for millionaires is nearly double
that amount. Biden would
take back one year of the tax cuts for Americans who make over a
million dollars a year, and put this money in a dedicated Homeland
Security and Public Safety Trust Fund to implement the 9/11 Commission
recommendations and invest in law enforcement.
(Read More http://www.joebiden.com/issues/?id=0004.)
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| Iraq: |
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President Bush
does not have a strategy for victory in Iraq. His strategy is to
prevent defeat and to hand the problem off to his successor. As a
result, more and more Americans understandably want a rapid
withdrawal, even at the risk of trading a dictator for chaos and a
civil war that could become a regional war. Both are bad alternatives.
There is a third way that can
achieve the two objectives most Americans share: to bring our troops
home without leaving chaos behind. The idea is to maintain a unified
Iraq by federalizing it and giving Kurds, Shiites and Sunnis breathing
room in their own regions.
(Read More http://www.joebiden.com/issues/?id=0009.)
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| Jobs: |
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To protect jobs,
compete in a global economy and strengthen families Biden believes
the next President must first address two things: energy security and
health care. This is not our father's economy - America now competes
in a global economy. The price of
energy is set by the global marketplace. Developing our own sources of
energy aren't enough to protect us from high prices that cost
businesses and families -- we must invest in using energy more
efficiently and become the leader in energy innovation. By 2008, the
average Fortune 500 company will spend as much on health care as it
will make in profit. In other countries their competitors will not
have to bear these costs. America will continue to dominate the global economy by
putting energy security and health care reform at the top of the
agenda.
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(See http://www.joebiden.com.)
(See http://www.issues2000.org.)
JO BIDEN QUOTES
"I know what
defines an American from the neighborhood I was raised in, the influence of
my faith, and my life experiences."
"Like every American, I have
had my share of loss and pain and trial, but they have helped me learn
about so many incredibly decent Americans who came to my aide."
"What I'm most proud of in my
entire career was writing the Violence Against Women's Act because it
is evidence we can change people's lives, but the change is always one
person at a time."
"No civil right is of value to
Americans if their streets are not safe, if they cannot send their
kids safely to school, if they are unable to walk out of their house
in their neighborhood."
"I truly believe
the American public is waiting for leaders to come along who have the
experience to say what they will do to restore America's leadership in
the world.”
(See http://www.joebiden.com.)
We thank the following resources:
Joe Biden Official Website
http://www.joebiden.com
USA Today
http://www.usatoday.com
Project Vote Smart
http://www.vote-smart.org
Wikipedia
http://www.wikipedia.com
On the Issues
http://www.issues2000.org
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