This article is about the vice president of the United States. For other uses see Biden (disambiguation). Joe Biden 47th Vice President of the United States Incumbent Assumed office  January 20 2009 President Barack Obama Preceded by Dick Cheney Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations In office January 4 2007  January 3 2009 Preceded by Richard Lugar Succeeded by John Kerry In office June 6 2001  January 3 2003 Preceded by Jesse Helms Succeeded by Richard Lugar In office January 3  January 20 2001 Preceded by Jesse Helms Succeeded by Jesse Helms Chairman of the International Narcotics Control Caucus In office January 4 2007  January 3 2009 Preceded by Chuck Grassley Succeeded by Dianne Feinstein Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary In office January 6 1987  January 3 1995 Preceded by Strom Thurmond Succeeded by Orrin Hatch United States Senator from Delaware In office January 3 1973  January 15 2009 Preceded by Caleb Boggs Succeeded by Ted Kaufman Member of the New Castle County Council In office January 4 1971  January 3 1973 Born Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. November 20 1942 (1942-11-20) (age 68) Scranton Pennsylvania U.S. Political party Democratic Party Spouse(s) Neilia Hunter (19661972) Jill Jacobs (1977present) Children Beau Biden Robert Biden Naomi Biden Ashley Biden Residence Number One Observatory Circle (Official) Wilmington Delaware (Private) Alma mater University of Delaware Syracuse University College of Law Profession Lawyer Religion Roman Catholicism Signature Website whitehouse.gov/vicepresident This article is part of a series about Joe Biden Joe Biden ObamaBiden campaign Biden presidential primaries campaign 2008 Presidential primaries campaign 1988

Political positions  Electoral history Wikinews has related news: Barack Obama elected 44th President of the United States

Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden Jr. (pronunciation: /dosf rabnt badn/; born November 20 1942) is the 47th and current Vice President of the United States serving under President Barack Obama. He was a United States Senator from Delaware from January 3 1973 until his resignation on January 15 2009 following his election to the Vice Presidency.

Biden was born in Scranton Pennsylvania and lived there for ten years before moving to Delaware. He became an attorney in 1969 and was elected to a county council in 1970. Biden was first elected to the Senate in 1972 and became the sixth-youngest senator in U.S. history. He was re-elected to the Senate six times was the fourth most senior senator at the time of his resignation and is the 14th-longest serving Senator in history. Biden was a long-time member and former chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee. His strong advocacy helped bring about U.S. military assistance and intervention during the Bosnian War. He opposed the Gulf War in 1991. He voted in favor of the Iraq War Resolution in 2002 but later proposed resolutions to alter U.S. strategy there. He has also served as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee dealing with issues related to drug policy crime prevention and civil liberties and led creation of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act and Violence Against Women Act. He chaired the Judiciary Committee during the contentious U.S. Supreme Court nominations of Robert Bork and Clarence Thomas.

Biden unsuccessfully sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 1988 and 2008 both times dropping out early in the race. Barack Obama selected Biden to be the Democratic Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 U.S. presidential election. Biden is the first Roman Catholic and the first Delawarean to become Vice President of the United States. As Vice President Biden has been heavily involved in Obama's decision-making process and has held the oversight role for infrastructure spending from the Obama stimulus package aimed at counteracting the late-2000s recession. Contents 1 Early life and education 2 Family and early political career 3 United States Senator 3.1 Judiciary Committee 3.2 Foreign Relations Committee 3.3 Delaware matters 3.4 Characteristics as senator 3.5 Final year 4 Political positions 5 Presidential campaigns 5.1 1988 5.2 2008 6 2008 vice-presidential candidacy 7 Vice Presidency 8 Awards and honors 9 Almanac 10 Writings by Biden 11 See also 12 References 13 External links Early life and education

Biden was born in Scranton Pennsylvania1 the son of Joseph Robinette Biden Sr. (19152002)2 and Catherine Eugenia "Jean" Finnegan (19172010).3 He was the first of four siblings1 in a Catholic family of Irish and English descent (with roots in County Londonderry).4567 He has two brothers James Brian Biden and Francis W. Biden and a sister Valerie (Biden) Owens.8 His great-grandfather Edward F. Blewitt was a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate.9

Biden's father had been very well-off earlier in his life but had suffered several business reverses by the time Biden was born10 and for several years the family had to live with Biden's maternal grandparents the Finnegans.10 When the Scranton area went into economic decline during the 1950s Biden's father could not find enough work.11 In 1953 the Biden family moved to an apartment in Claymont Delaware where they lived for a few years before moving to a house in Wilmington Delaware.10 Joe Biden Sr. then did better as a used car salesman and the family's circumstances were middle class.101112

Biden attended the Archmere Academy in Claymont13 where he was a standout halfback/wide receiver on the high school football team; he helped lead a perennially losing team to an undefeated season in his senior year.1014 He played on the baseball team as well.10 During these years he participated in an anti-segregation sit-in at a Wilmington theatre.15 Academically Biden was undistinguished10 but he was a natural leader among the students.16 He graduated in 1961.13

Biden attended the University of Delaware in Newark where he was more interested in sports and socializing than in studying10 although his classmates were impressed by his cramming abilities.15 He played halfback with the Blue Hens freshman football team14 but he dropped a junior year plan to play for the varsity team as a defensive back enabling him to spend more time with his out-of-state girlfriend.1417 He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts with a double major in history and political science in 19651 ranked 506th of 688 in his class.18

He went on to receive his Juris Doctor from Syracuse University College of Law in 196819 where by his own description he found it to be "the biggest bore in the world" and pulled many all-nighters to get by.1520 During his first year there he was accused of having plagiarized 5 of 15 pages of a law review article. Biden said it was inadvertent due to his not knowing the proper rules of citation and he was permitted to retake the course after receiving a grade of F which was subsequently dropped from his record.20 He was admitted to the Delaware Bar in 1969.19 Biden received five student draft deferments during this period with the first coming in late 1963 and the last in early 1968 at the peak of the Vietnam War.21 In April 1968 he was reclassified by the Selective Service System as not available for service due to having had asthma as a teenager.2122 Biden was not a part of the anti-Vietnam War movement; he would later say that at the time he was preoccupied with marriage and law school and that he "wore sports coats ... not tie-dyed".23 Negative impressions of drinking alcohol in the Biden and Finnegan families and in the neighborhood led to Joe Biden becoming a teetotaler.1024 Biden suffered from stuttering through much of his childhood and into his twenties;25 he overcame it via long hours spent reciting poetry in front of a mirror.16 Family and early political career On August 27 1966 Biden then a law student married Neilia Hunter who was from an affluent background in Skaneateles New York and had attended Syracuse University.11026 They had met in 1964 while on spring break in the Bahamas and he had overcome her parents' initial reluctance for her to be dating a Roman Catholic.27 They had three children Joseph R. "Beau" Biden III (born 1969) Robert Hunter (born 1970) and Naomi Christina (born 1971).1 In 1969 Biden began practicing law in Wilmington Delaware first as a public defender and then with his own firm Biden and Walsh.15 Corporate law however did not appeal to him and criminal law did not pay well.10 He supplemented his income by managing properties.28 He ran as a Democrat for the New Castle County Council on a liberal platform that included support for public housing in the suburban area.15 He won by a solid margin in the usually Republican district15 and served from 1970 to 197219 while continuing his private law practice as well.29 His entry into the 1972 U.S. Senate election in Delaware presented Biden with a unique circumstance. Longtime Delaware political figure and 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 helped convince Boggs to run again with full party support.30 No other Democrat wanted to run against Boggs.15 Biden's campaign had virtually no money and was given no chance of winning.10 It was managed by his sister Valerie Biden Owens (who would go on to manage his future campaigns as well) and staffed by other members of his family and relied upon handed-out newsprint position papers and meeting voters face-to-face;31 the small size of the state and lack of a major media market made the approach feasible.28 Biden did receive some assistance from the AFL-CIO and Democratic pollster Patrick Caddell.15 Biden's campaign issues focused on withdrawal from Vietnam the environment civil rights mass transit more equitable taxation health care the public's dissatisfaction with politics-as-usual and "change".1531 During the summer Biden trailed by almost 30 percentage points15 but his energy level his attractive young family and his ability to connect with voters' emotions gave the surging Biden an advantage over the ready-to-retire Boggs.12 Biden won the November 7 1972 election in an upset by a margin of 3162 votes.31 On December 18 1972 a few weeks after the election Biden's wife and one-year-old daughter were killed in an automobile accident while Christmas shopping in Hockessin Delaware.1 Neilia Biden's station wagon was hit by a tractor-trailer as she pulled out from an intersection; the truck driver was cleared of any wrongdoing.32 Biden's two sons Beau and Hunter were critically injured in the accident but both eventually made full recoveries.1 Biden considered resigning to care for them;12 he was persuaded not to by Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield and others and was sworn into office from one of their bedsides.33 The accident left Biden filled with both anger and religious doubt: "I liked to walk around seedy neighborhoods at night when I thought there was a better chance of finding a fight ... I had not known I was capable of such rage ... I felt God had played a horrible trick on me."34 To be at home every day for his young sons35 Biden began the practice of commuting every day by Amtrak train for 1 hours each way from his home in the Wilmington suburbs to Washington D.C. which he continued to do throughout his Senate career.12 In the aftermath of the accident he had trouble focusing on work and appeared to just go through the motions of being a senator. In his memoirs Biden notes that staffers were taking bets on how long he would last.2636 A single father for five years Biden left standing orders that he be interrupted in the Senate at any time if his sons called.33 In remembrance of his wife and daughter Biden does not work on December 18 the anniversary of the accident.37 Biden's elder son Beau later became Delaware Attorney General and an Army Judge Advocate serving in Iraq;38 his younger son Hunter became a Washington attorney and lobbyist.39 In 1975 Biden met Jill Tracy Jacobs who grew up in Willow Grove Pennsylvania and would become a teacher in Delaware.40 They had met on a blind date with the help of Biden's brother although it turned out that Biden had already noticed her in a local advertisement.40 Biden would credit her with renewing his interest in both politics and life.41 On June 17 1977 Biden and Jacobs married.1 They have one daughter Ashley Blazer (born 1981)1 who later became a social worker.39 The Bidens are Roman Catholics and regularly attend Mass at St. Joseph on the Brandywine in Greenville Delaware.42 United States Senator Drawer of chamber desk XCI occupied by Biden in the U.S. Senate. Note signature at upper center inside of drawer. President John F. Kennedy once occupied the desk in the U.S. Senate.43 Senator Biden Senator Frank Church and President of Egypt Anwar El Sadat after signing EgyptianIsraeli Peace Treaty 1979 Senator Biden with President Jimmy Carter in the Oval Office When Biden took office on January 3 1973 at age 30 (the minimum age to become a U.S. Senator) he became the sixth-youngest senator in U.S. history.44 In 1974 freshman Senator Biden was named one of the 200 Faces for the Future by Time magazine.45 Biden was subsequently elected to six additional terms in the elections of 1978 1984 1990 1996 2002 and 2008 usually getting about 60 percent of the vote.46 He did not face strong opposition; Governor Pierre S. du Pont IV chose not to run against him in 1984.47 Biden spent 28 years as a junior senator due to the two-year seniority of his Republican colleague William V. Roth Jr.. After Roth was defeated for re-election by Tom Carper in 2000 Biden became Delaware's senior senator. He then became the longest-serving senator in Delaware history.48 In May 1999 Biden set the mark for youngest senator to cast 10000 votes.49 In February 1988 after suffering from several episodes of increasingly severe neck pain Biden was taken by long-distance ambulance to Walter Reed Army Medical Center and given lifesaving surgery to correct an intracranial berry aneurysm that had begun leaking;5051 the situation was serious enough that a priest had administered last rites at the hospital.52 While recuperating he suffered a pulmonary embolism which represented a major complication.51 Another operation to repair a second aneurysm which had caused no symptoms but was also at risk from bursting was performed in May 1988.5153 The hospitalization and recovery kept Biden from his duties in the U.S. Senate for seven months.37 Biden has had no recurrences or effects from the aneurysms since then.51 Judiciary Committee Biden was a long-time member of the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary which he chaired from 1987 until 1995 and on which he served as ranking minority member from 1981 until 1987 and again from 1995 until 1997. In this capacity he dealt with issues related to drug policy crime prevention and civil liberties. While chairman Biden presided over the two most contentious U.S. Supreme Court confirmation hearings in history those for Robert Bork in 1987 and Clarence Thomas in 1991.12 In the Bork hearings Biden stated his opposition to Bork soon after the nomination reversing an approval in an interview of a hypothetical Bork nomination he had made the previous year and angering conservatives who thought he could not conduct the hearings dispassionately.54 At the close Biden won praise for conducting the proceedings fairly and with good humor and courage as his 1988 presidential campaign collapsed in the middle of the hearings.5455 Rejecting some of the less intellectually honest arguments that other Bork opponents were making12 Biden framed his discussion around the belief that the U.S. Constitution provides rights to liberty and privacy that extend beyond those explicitly enumerated in the text and that Bork's strong originalism was ideologically incompatible with that view.55 Bork's nomination was rejected in the committee by a 95 vote55 and then rejected in the full Senate by a 5842 margin. In the Thomas hearings Biden's questions on constitutional issues were often long and convoluted sometimes such that Thomas forgot the question being asked.56 Thomas later wrote that despite earlier private assurances from the senator Biden's questions had been akin to a beanball.57 The nomination came out of the committee without a recommendation with Biden opposed.12 In part due to his own bad experiences in 1987 with his presidential campaign Biden was reluctant to let personal matters enter into the hearings.56 Biden initially shared with committee but not the public Anita Hill's sexual harassment charges on the grounds she was not yet willing to testify.12 After she did Biden did not permit other witnesses to testify further on her behalf such as Angela Wright (who made a similar charge) and experts on harassment.58 Biden said he was striving to preserve Thomas's right to privacy and the decency of the hearings.5658 The nomination was approved by a 5248 vote in the full Senate with Biden again opposed.12 During and afterwards Biden was strongly criticized by liberal legal groups and women's groups for having mishandled the hearings and having not done enough to support Hill.58 Biden subsequently sought out women to serve on the Judiciary Committee and emphasized women's issues in the committee's legislative agenda.12 Joe Biden at the World Economic Forum in Jordan in 2003 Biden was involved in crafting many federal crime laws. In 1984 he was Democratic floor manager for the successful passage of the Comprehensive Crime Control Act; civil libertarians praised him for modifying some of the Act's provisions and it was his most important legislative accomplishment at that point in time.47 He later spearheaded the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 also known as the Biden Crime Law and the landmark Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (VAWA) which contains a broad array of measures to combat domestic violence and provides billions of dollars in federal funds to address gender-based crimes. In 2000 the Supreme Court ruled in United States v. Morrison that the section of VAWA allowing a federal civil remedy for victims of gender-motivated violence exceeded Congress's authority and therefore was unconstitutional.59 Congress reauthorized VAWA in 2000 and 2005.60 Biden has said "I consider the Violence Against Women Act the single most significant legislation that Ive crafted during my 35-year tenure in the Senate."61 In 2004 and 2005 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 in a successful effort to improve its services.6263 Biden was critical of the actions of Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr during the 1990s Whitewater controversy and Lewinsky scandal investigations and said "it's going to be a cold day in hell" before another Independent Counsel is granted the same powers.64 Biden voted to acquit on both charges during the impeachment of President Clinton. As chairman of the International Narcotics Control Caucus Biden wrote the laws that created the U.S. "Drug Czar" who oversees and coordinates national drug control policy. In April 2003 he introduced the controversial Reducing Americans' Vulnerability to Ecstasy Act also known as the RAVE Act. He continued to work to stop the spread of "date rape drugs" such as flunitrazepam 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.12 Biden's legislation to promote college aid and loan programs allows families to deduct on their annual income tax returns up to $10000 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.65 Foreign Relations Committee Biden was also a long-time member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. In 1997 he became the ranking minority member and chaired the committee from June 2001 through 2003. When Democrats re-took control of the Senate following the 2006 elections Biden again assumed the top spot on the committee in 2007.66 Biden was generally a liberal internationalist in foreign policy.6768 He collaborated effectively with important Republican Senate figures such as Richard Lugar and Jesse Helms and sometimes went against elements of his own party.6667 Biden was also co-chair of the NATO Observer Group in the Senate.69 A partial list covering this time showed Biden meeting with some 150 leaders from nearly 60 countries and international organizations.70 Biden held frequent hearings as chair of the committee as well as holding many subcommittee hearings during the three times he chaired the Subcommittee on European Affairs.68 During his first decade in the Senate Biden focused on arms control issues.6871 In response to the refusal of the U.S. Congress to ratify the SALT II Treaty signed in 1979 by Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev and President Jimmy Carter Biden took the initiative to meet the Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko educated him about American concerns and interests and secured several changes to address objections of the Foreign Relations Committee.72 When the Reagan administration wanted to interpret the 1972 SALT I Treaty loosely in order to allow the Strategic Defense Initiative to proceed Biden argued for strict adherence to the treaty's terms.68 Biden clashed again with the Reagan administration in 1986 over economic sanctions against South Africa leading to a heated exchange between the senator and Secretary of State George P. Shultz.71 Biden became interested in the Yugoslav Wars after hearing about Serbian abuses during the Croatian War of Independence in 1991.68 Once the Bosnian War broke out Biden was among the first to call for the "lift and strike" policy of lifting the arms embargo training Bosnian Muslims and supporting them with NATO air strikes and investigating war crimes.6668 Both the George H. W. Bush administration and Clinton administration were reluctant to implement the policy fearing Balkan entanglement.6768 In April 2003 Biden spent a week in the Balkans and held a tense three-hour meeting with Serbian leader Slobodan Miloevi.73 Biden related that he told Miloevi "I think you're a damn war criminal and you should be tried as one."73 Biden wrote an amendment in 1992 to compel the Bush administration to arm the Bosnians but deferred in 1994 to a somewhat softer stance preferred by the Clinton administration before signing on the following year to a stronger measure sponsored by Bob Dole and Joe Lieberman.73 The 1995 NATO bombing campaign in Bosnia and Herzegovina then led to the Dayton Agreement and a successful NATO peacekeeping effort.68 Biden has called his role in affecting Balkans policy in the mid-1990s his "proudest moment in public life" that related to foreign policy.67 In 1999 during the Kosovo War Biden supported the NATO bombing campaign against Serbia and Montenegro68 and co-sponsored with his friend John McCain the McCain-Biden Kosovo Resolution which called on President Clinton to use all necessary force including ground troops to confront Milosevic over Serbian actions in Kosovo.6774 In 1998 Congressional Quarterly named Biden one of "Twelve Who Made a Difference" for playing a lead role in several foreign policy matters including NATO enlargement and the successful passage of bills to streamline foreign affairs agencies and punish religious persecution overseas.49 Biden gives his opening statement and questions to U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker and General David Petraeus at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Hearing on Iraq September 11 2007 Biden had voted against authorization for the Gulf War in 199167 siding with 45 of the 55 Democratic senators; he said the U.S. was bearing almost all the burden in the anti-Iraq coalition.75 Biden was a strong supporter of the 2001 war in Afghanistan saying "Whatever it takes we should do it."76 Regarding Iraq Biden stated in 2002 that Saddam Hussein was a threat to national security and that there was no option but to eliminate that threat.77 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 voted in favor of the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq justifying the Iraq War.67 While he soon became a critic of the war and viewed his vote as a "mistake" he did not push to require a U.S. withdrawal.6773 He supported the appropriations to pay for the occupation but argued repeatedly that the war should be internationalized that more soldiers were needed and that the Bush administration should "level with the American people" about the cost and length of the conflict.6674 By late 2006 Biden's stance had shifted and he opposed the troop surge of 20076773 saying General David Petraeus was "dead flat wrong" in believing the surge could work.76 Biden was instead a leading advocate for dividing Iraq into a loose federation of three ethnic states.78 In November 2006 Biden and Leslie H. Gelb President Emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations released a comprehensive strategy to end sectarian violence in Iraq.79 Rather than continuing the present approach or withdrawing the plan called for "a third way": federalizing Iraq and giving Kurds Shiites and Sunnis "breathing room" in their own regions.80 In September 2007 a non-binding resolution passed the Senate endorsing such a scheme.79 However the idea was unfamiliar had no political constituency and failed to gain traction.76 Iraqs political leadership united in denouncing the resolution as a de facto partitioning of the country and the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad issued a statement distancing itself.79 In March 2004 Biden secured the brief release of Libyan democracy activist and political prisoner Fathi Eljahmi after meeting with leader Muammar al-Gaddafi in Tripoli.8182 In May 2008 Biden sharply criticized President George W. Bush for his speech to Israel's Knesset in which he suggested that some Democrats were acting in the same way some Western leaders did when they appeased Hitler in the runup to World War II. Biden stated: "This is bullshit. This is malarkey. This is outrageous. Outrageous for the president of the United States to go to a foreign country sit in the Knesset ... and make this kind of ridiculous statement." Biden later apologized for using the expletive. Biden further stated "Since when does this administration think that if you sit down you have to eliminate the word 'no' from your vocabulary"83 Delaware matters Biden receiving a 1997 tour of a new facility at Delaware's Dover Air Force Base Biden was a familiar figure to his Delaware constituency by virtue of his daily train commuting from there12 and generally sought to attend to state needs.46 Biden was a strong supporter of increased Amtrak funding and rail security;46 he hosted barbecues and an annual Christmas dinner for the Amtrak crews and they would sometimes hold the last train of the night a few minutes so he could catch it.2846 (In 2011 Amtrak's Wilmington Station was named the Joseph R. Biden Jr. Railroad Station in honor of the over 7000 trips he made from there.8485) He was an advocate for Delaware military installations including Dover Air Force Base and New Castle Air National Guard Base.86 In 1975 Biden broke from liberal orthodoxy when he took legislative action to limit desegregation busing.47 In doing so he said busing was a "bankrupt idea that violated the cardinal rule of common sense" and that his opposition would make it easier for other liberals to follow suit.47 Three years later Wilmington's federally-mandated cross-district busing plan generated much turmoil and in trying to legislate a compromise solution Biden found himself alienating both black and white voters for a while.87 Since 1991 Biden has served as an adjunct professor at the Widener University School of Law Delaware's only law school where he has taught a seminar on constitutional law.8889 The seminar has been one of Widener's most popular often with a waiting list for enrollment.89 Biden has typically co-taught the course with another professor taking on at least half the course minutes and sometimes flying back from overseas to make one of the classes.9091 Biden was a sponsor of bankruptcy legislation during the 2000s which was sought by MBNA one of Delaware's largest companies and other credit card issuers.12 Biden fought for certain amendments to the bill that would indirectly protect homeowners and forbid anti-abortion felons from using bankruptcy to discharge fines; the overall bill was vetoed by Bill Clinton in 2000 but then finally passed as the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act in 2005 with Biden supporting.12 The downstate Sussex County region is the nation's top chicken-producing area and Biden held up trade agreements with Russia when that country stopped importing U.S. chickens.46 In 2007 Biden requested and gained $67 million worth of projects for his constituents through congressional earmarks.92 Biden sits on the board of advisors of the Close Up Foundation which brings high school students to Washington for interaction with legislators on Capitol Hill.93 Characteristics as senator With a net worth between $59000 and $366000 and almost no outside income or investment income he was consistently ranked as one of the least wealthy members of the Senate.949596 Biden stated that he was listed as the second poorest member in Congress a distinction that he was not proud of but attributed to being elected early in his career.97 Biden realized early in his senatorial career how vulnerable poorer public officials are to offers of financial contributions in exchange for policy support and he pushed campaign finance reform measures during his first term.47 Joseph Biden U.S. Senate photo During his years as a senator Biden amassed a reputation for loquaciousness9899100 with his questions and remarks during Senate hearings being especially known for being long-winded.101102 He has been a strong speaker and debater and a frequent and effective guest on the Sunday morning talk shows.102 In public appearances he is known to deviate from prepared remarks at will.103 According to political analyst Mark Halperin he has shown "a persistent tendency to say silly offensive and off-putting things";102 The New York Times writes that Biden's "weak filters make him capable of blurting out pretty much anything".100 Nor is Biden known for modesty; journalist James Traub has written that "Bidens vanity and his regard for his own gifts seem considerable even by the rarefied standards of the U.S. Senate."76 Political writer Howard Fineman has said that "Biden is not an academic hes not a theoretical thinker hes a great street pol. He comes from a long line of working people in Scrantonauto salesmen car dealers people who know how to make a sale. He has that great Irish gift."28 Political columnist David S. Broder has viewed Biden as having grown since he came to Washington and since his failed 1988 presidential bid: "He responds to real peoplethats been consistent throughout. And his ability to understand himself and deal with other politicians has gotten much much better."28 Traub concludes that "Biden is the kind of fundamentally happy person who can be as generous toward others as he is to himself."76 Final year After ending his second presidential bid in January 2008 Biden focused instead on running for a seventh Senate term against Republican Christine O'Donnell. In late August 2008 he was picked by Obama to be his running mate. Biden nevertheless continued to run for Senate re-election as well as Vice President104 as permitted by Delaware state law.46 On November 4 2008 Biden was re-elected as senator in addition to winning the vice presidency.105 Having won both races Biden made a point of holding off his resignation from the Senate so that he could be sworn in for his seventh term on January 6 2009.106 He became the youngest senator ever to be sworn in for a seventh full term and said "In all my life the greatest honor bestowed upon me has been serving the people of Delaware as their United States senator."106 Biden cast his last Senate vote on January 15 supporting the release of the second $350 billion for the Troubled Asset Relief Program.107 Biden resigned from the Senate later that day; in emotional farewell remarks on the Senate floor where he had spent most of his adult life Biden said "Every good thing I have seen happen here every bold step taken in the 36-plus years I have been here came not from the application of pressure by interest groups but through the maturation of personal relationships."108 Delaware's Democratic governor Ruth Ann Minner announced on November 24 2008 that she would appoint Biden's longtime senior adviser Ted Kaufman to succeed Biden in the Senate.109 Kaufman said he would only serve two years until Delaware's special senate election in 2010.109 Biden's son Beau ruled himself out of the 2008 selection process due to his impending tour in Iraq with the Delaware Army National Guard.110 He was a possible candidate for the 2010 special election but in early 2010 said he would not run for the seat.111 Political positions Biden's official Senate photo in the mid-late 2000s Main article: Political positions of Joe Biden A method that political scientists use for gauging ideology is to compare the annual ratings by the Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) with the ratings by the American Conservative Union (ACU).112 Biden has a lifetime liberal 72 percent score from the ADA through 2004 while the ACU awarded Biden a lifetime conservative rating of 13 percent through 2008.113 Using another metric Biden has a lifetime average liberal score of 77.5 percent according to a National Journal analysis that places him ideologically among the center of Senate Democrats.114 The Almanac of American Politics rates congressional votes as liberal or conservative on the political spectrum in three policy areas: economic social and foreign. For 20052006 Biden's average ratings were as follows: the economic rating was 80 percent liberal and 13 percent conservative the social rating was 78 percent liberal and 18 percent conservative and the foreign rating was 71 percent liberal and 25 percent conservative.115 This has not changed much over time; his liberal ratings in the mid-1980s were also in the 7080 percent range.47 Various advocacy groups have given Biden scores or grades as to how well his votes align with the positions of each group. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) gives him an 86 percent lifetime score with a 91 percent score for the 110th Congress.116 Biden received a 91 percent voting record from the National Education Association (NEA) showing a pro-teacher union voting record.117 Biden opposes drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and supports governmental funding to find new energy sources.118 Biden believes action must be taken on global warming. He co-sponsored the Sense of the Senate resolution calling on the United States to be a part of the United Nations climate negotiations and the Boxer-Sanders Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act the most stringent climate bill in the United States Senate.119 Biden cites high health care and energy costs as two major threats to the prosperity of American businesses and believes that addressing these issues will improve American economic competitiveness. Biden was given a 100 percent approval rating from AFL-CIO indicating a heavily pro-union voting record. Biden is opposed to the privatization of Social Security and was given an 89 percent approval rating from the Alliance for Retired Americans (ARA) an organization of retired union members. Presidential campaigns Biden has twice run for the Democratic nomination for President first in 1988 and again in 2008. He first considered running in 1984 after he gained notice for giving speeches to party audiences that simultaneously scolded and encouraged Democrats.120 He chose not to run in 1992 in part because he had voted against the resolution authorizing the Gulf War.46 He considered joining the Democratic field of candidates for the 2004 presidential race but in August 2003 decided otherwise saying he did not have enough time and any attempt would be too much of a long shot.121 In May 2004 Biden urged Republican Senator John McCain to run as vice president with presumptive Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry saying the cross-party ticket would help heal the "vicious rift" in U.S. politics.122 During this time Biden was also widely discussed as a possible Secretary of State in a Democratic administration.123 1988 Main article: Joe Biden presidential campaign 1988 Biden's 1988 campaign logo In 1987 Biden ran as a Democratic presidential candidate formally declaring his candidacy at the Wilmington train station on June 9 1987.124 When the campaign began Biden was considered a potentially strong candidate because of his moderate image his speaking ability on the stump his appeal to Baby Boomers his high profile position as chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee at the upcoming Robert Bork Supreme Court nomination hearings and his fundraising appeal.125126 He raised $1.7 million in the first quarter of 1987 more than any other candidate.125126 Biden received considerable attention in the summer of 1986 when he excoriated Secretary of State George P. Shultz at a Senate hearing because of the Reagan administration's support of South Africa which continued to practice the apartheid system.127 By August 1987 Biden's campaign whose messaging was confused due to staff rivalries128 had begun to lag behind those of Michael Dukakis and Dick Gephardt125 although he had still raised more funds than all candidates but Dukakis and was seeing an upturn in Iowa polls.126129 In September 1987 the campaign ran into trouble when he was accused of plagiarizing a speech that had been made by Neil Kinnock leader of the British Labour Party.130 Kinnocks speech included the lines: "Why am I the first Kinnock in a thousand generations to be able to get to university Then pointing to his wife in the audience Why is Glenys the first woman in her family in a thousand generations to be able to get to university Was it because all our predecessors were thick" While Bidens speech included the lines: "I started thinking as I was coming over here why is it that Joe Biden is the first in his family ever to go to a university Then pointing to his wife in the audience Why is it that my wife who is sitting out there in the audience is the first in her family to ever go to college Is it because our fathers and mothers were not bright Is it because I'm the first Biden in a thousand generations to get a college and a graduate degree that I was smarter than the rest" Though Biden had cited Kinnock as the source for the formulation many times before he made no reference to the original source at the August 23 Iowa State Fair debate in question or in another appearance.131132 While political speeches often appropriate ideas and language from each other Biden's use came under more scrutiny because he somewhat distorted his own family's background to match Kinnock's.12132 A few days later Biden's plagiarism incident in law school came to public light.20 It was also revealed that when earlier questioned by a New Hampshire resident about his grades in law school Biden had falsely stated that he had graduated in the "top half" of his class that he had attended law school on a full scholarship and that he had received three degrees in college. He had in fact earned a single B.A. with a double major in history and political science had received a half scholarship to law school based on financial need with some additional assistance based in part upon academics and had graduated 76th of 85 in his law school class.133 The Kinnock and school revelations were magnified by the limited amount of other news about the nomination race at the time134 when most of the public were not yet paying attention to any of the campaigns; Biden thus fell into what The Washington Post writer Paul Taylor described as that year's trend a "trial by media ordeal".135 Biden lacked a strong demographic or political group of support to help him survive the crisis.129136 He withdrew from the nomination race on September 23 1987 saying his candidacy had been overrun by "the exaggerated shadow" of his past mistakes.137 After Biden withdrew from the race it was revealed that the Dukakis campaign had secretly made a video highlighting the BidenKinnock comparison and distributed it to news outlets.138 Also later in 1987 the Delaware Supreme Court's Board of Professional Responsibility cleared Biden of the law school plagiarism charges regarding his standing as a lawyer saying Biden had "not violated any rules".139 2008 Main article: Joe Biden presidential campaign 2008 Biden's 2008 campaign logo Biden campaigning at a Creston Iowa house party July 2007 Biden declared his candidacy for president on January 31 2007 although he had discussed running for months prior140 and first made a formal announcement to Tim Russert on Meet the Press on January 7 stating he would "be the best Biden I can be."141 In January 2006 Delaware newspaper columnist Harry F. Themal wrote that Biden "occupies the sensible center of the Democratic Party."142 Themal concludes that this is the position Biden desires and that in a campaign "he plans to stress the dangers to the security of the average American not just from the terrorist threat but from the lack of health assistance crime and energy dependence on unstable parts of the world."142 During his campaign Biden focused on the war in Iraq and his support for the implementation of the Biden-Gelb plan to achieve political success. He touted his record in the Senate as the head of major congressional committees and his experience on foreign policy. Despite speculation to the contrary143 Biden rejected the notion of accepting the position of Secretary of State focusing only on the presidency. At a 2007 campaign event Biden said "I know a lot of my opponents out there say I'd be a great Secretary of State. Seriously every one of them. Do you watch any of the debates 'Joe's right Joe's right Joe's right.'"144 Other candidates' comments that "Joe is right" in the Democratic debates were converted into a Biden campaign theme and ad.145 In mid-2007 Biden stressed his foreign policy expertise compared to Obama's saying of the latter "I think he can be ready but right now I don't believe he is. The presidency is not something that lends itself to on-the-job training."146 Biden also said that Obama was copying some of his foreign policy ideas.76 Biden was noted for his one-liners on the campaign trail saying of Republican then-frontrunner Rudy Giuliani at the October 30 2007 debate in Philadelphia "There's only three things he mentions in a sentence: a noun and a verb and 9/11."147 Overall Biden's debate performances were an effective mixture of humor and sharp and surprisingly disciplined comments.148 Biden made remarks during the campaign that attracted controversy. On the day of his January 2007 announcement he spoke of fellow Democratic candidate and Senator Barack Obama: "I mean you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy I mean that's a storybook man."149 This comment undermined his campaign as soon as it began and significantly damaged his fund-raising capabilities;148 it later took second place on Time magazine's list of Top 10 Campaign Gaffes for 2007.150 Biden had earlier been criticized in July 2006 for a remark he made about his support among Indian Americans: "I've had a great relationship. In Delaware the largest growth in population is Indian-Americans moving from India. You cannot go to a 7-Eleven or a Dunkin' Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent. I'm not joking."151 Biden later said the remark was not intended to be derogatory.151152 Overall Biden had difficulty raising funds struggled to draw people to his rallies and failed to gain traction against the high-profile candidacies of Obama and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton;153 he never rose above single digits in the national polls of the Democratic candidates. In the initial contest on January 3 2008 Biden placed fifth in the Iowa caucuses garnering slightly less than one percent of the state delegates.154 Biden withdrew from the race that evening saying "There is nothing sad about tonight.... I feel no regret."155 Despite the lack of success Biden's stature in the political world rose as the result of his campaign.148 In particular it changed the relationship between Biden and Obama. Although the two had served together on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee they had not been close with Biden having resented Obama's quick rise to political stardom76156 and Obama having viewed Biden as garrulous and patronizing.157 Now having gotten to know each other during 2007 Obama appreciated Biden's campaigning style and appeal to working class voters and Biden was convinced that Obama was "the real deal".156157 2008 vice-presidential candidacy Main articles: Barack Obama presidential campaign 2008 and Democratic Party (United States) vice presidential candidates 2008 Wikinews has related news: US candidate Barack Obama announces Joe Biden as his running mate via text message Since shortly following Biden's withdrawal from the presidential race Obama had been privately telling Biden that he was interested in finding an important place for him in a possible Obama administration.158 Biden declined Obama's first request to vet him for the vice presidential slot fearing the vice presidency would represent a loss in status and voice from his senate position but subsequently changed his mind.76159 In a June 22 2008 interview on NBC's Meet the Press Biden confirmed that although he was not actively seeking a spot on the ticket he would accept the vice presidential nomination if offered.160 In early August Obama and Biden met in secret to discuss a possible vice-presidential relationship158 and the two hit it off well personally.156 On August 22 2008 Barack Obama announced that Biden would be his running mate.161162 The New York Times reported that the strategy behind the choice reflected a desire to fill out the ticket with someone who has foreign policy and national security experienceand not to help the ticket win a swing state or to emphasize Obama's "change" message.163 Other observers pointed out Biden's appeal to middle class and blue-collar voters as well as his willingness to aggressively challenge Republican nominee John McCain in a way that Obama seemed uncomfortable doing at times.164165 In accepting Obama's offer Biden ruled out to him the possibility of running for president again in 2016158 (although comments by Biden a year later seemed to back off that stance).166 Joe Biden speaking at the August 23 2008 vice presidential announcement in Springfield Illinois while presidential nominee Barack Obama listens Biden is nominated as the Democratic vice presidential candidate during the third night of the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver Colorado. After his selection as a vice presidential candidate Biden was criticized by his own Roman Catholic Diocese of Wilmington Bishop Michael Saltarelli over his stance on abortion which goes against the church's pro-life beliefs and teachings.167 The diocese confirmed that even if elected vice president Biden would not be allowed to speak at Catholic schools.168 Biden was soon barred from receiving Holy Communion by the bishop of his original hometown of Scranton Pennsylvania because of his support for abortion rights;169 however Biden did continue to receive Communion at his local Delaware parish.168 Scranton became a flash point in the competition for swing state Catholic voters between the Democratic campaign and liberal Catholic groups who stressed that other social issues should be considered as much or more than abortion and many bishops and conservative Catholics who maintained abortion was paramount.170 Biden said he believed that life began at conception but that he would not impose his personal religious views on others.171 Bishop Saltarelli had previously stated regarding stances similar to Biden's: "No one today would accept this statement from any public servant: I am personally opposed to human slavery and racism but will not impose my personal conviction in the legislative arena. Likewise none of us should accept this statement from any public servant: I am personally opposed to abortion but will not impose my personal conviction in the legislative arena.'"168 Biden's vice presidential campaigning gained little media visibility as far greater press attention was focused on the Republican running mate Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin.100172 During one week in September 2008 for instance the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism found that Biden was only included in five percent of the news coverage of the race far less than for the other three candidates on the tickets.173 Biden nevertheless focused on campaigning in economically challenged areas of swing states and trying to win over blue-collar Democrats especially those who had supported Hillary Rodham Clinton.76100 Biden attacked McCain heavily despite a long-standing personal friendship; he would say "That guy I used to know hes gone. It literally saddens me."100 As the financial crisis of 20072010 reached a peak with the liquidity crisis of September 2008 and the proposed bailout of United States financial system became a major factor in the campaign Biden voted in favor of the $700 billion Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 which passed the Senate 7425.174 On October 2 2008 Biden participated in the campaign's one vice presidential debate with Palin. Polling from CNN Fox and CBS found that while Palin exceeded many voters' expectations Biden had won the debate overall.175176177 On October 5 Biden suspended campaign events for a few days after the death of his mother-in-law.178 During the final days of the campaign Biden focused on less-populated older less well-off areas of battleground states especially in Florida Ohio and Pennsylvania where polling indicated he was popular and where Obama had not campaigned or performed well in the Democratic primaries.179180181 He also campaigned in some normally Republican states as well as in areas with large Catholic populations.181 Under instructions from the Obama campaign Biden kept his speeches succinct and tried to avoid off-hand remarks such as one about Obama being tested by a foreign power soon after taking office which had attracted negative attention.179180 Privately Obama was frustrated by Biden's remarks saying "How many times is Biden gonna say something stupid"182 Relations between the two campaigns became strained for a month until Biden apologized on a call to Obama and the two built a stronger partnership.182 Publicly Obama strategist David Axelrod said that any unexpected comments had been outweighed by Biden's high popularity ratings.183 Nationally Biden had a 60 percent favorability rating in a Pew Research Center poll compared to Palin's 44 percent.179 On November 4 2008 Obama was elected President and Biden Vice President of the United States.184 The Obama-Biden ticket won 365 Electoral College votes to McCain-Palin's 173185 and had a 5346 percent edge in the nationwide popular vote.186 Vice Presidency Vice President-elect Biden with Vice President Dick Cheney at Number One Observatory Circle November 13 2008 Biden is sworn into office by Associate Justice John Paul Stevens January 20 2009 Biden became the 47th Vice President of the United States on January 20 2009 when he was inaugurated alongside President Barack Obama. He succeeded Dick Cheney. Biden is the first United States Vice President from Delaware187 and the first Roman Catholic to attain that office.188 Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens administered the oath of office to Biden.189 As Biden headed to Delaware's Return Day tradition following the November 2008 election and the transition process to an Obama administration began Biden said he was in daily meetings with Obama and that McCain was still his friend.190 The U.S. Secret Service codename given to Biden is "Celtic" referencing his Irish roots.191 Biden chose veteran Democratic lawyer and aide Ron Klain to be his vice-presidential chief of staff192 and Time Washington bureau chief Jay Carney to be his director of communications.193 Biden intended to eliminate some of the explicit roles assumed by the vice presidency of Cheney194 who had established himself as an autonomous power center.76 Otherwise Biden said he would not model his vice presidency on any of the ones before him but instead would seek to provide advice and counsel on every critical decision Obama would make.195 Biden said he had been closely involved in all the cabinet appointments that were made during the transition.195 Biden was also named to head the new White House Task Force on Working Families an initiative aimed at improving the economic well being of the middle class.196 As his last act as Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee Biden went on a trip to Iraq Afghanistan and Pakistan during the second week of January 2009 meeting with the leadership of those countries.197 President Obama walking with Vice President Biden at the White House February 3 2009 In the early months of the Obama administration Biden assumed the role of an important behind-the-scenes counselor.198 One role was to adjudicate disputes between Obama's "team of rivals".76 The president compared Biden's efforts to a basketball player "who does a bunch of things that dont show up in the stat sheet."198 Biden played a key role in gaining Senate support for several major pieces of Obama legislation and was a main factor in convincing Senator Arlen Specter to switch from the Republican to Democratic party.159 Biden lost an internal debate to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton regarding his opposition to sending 21000 new troops to the war in Afghanistan.199200 His skeptical voice was still considered valuable within the administration159 however and later in 2009 Biden's views achieved more prominence within the White House as Obama reconsidered his Afghanistan strategy.201 Biden made visits to Iraq about once every two months76 including trips to Baghdad in August and September 2009 to listen to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and reiterate U.S. stances on Iraq's future;202 by this time he had become the administration's point man in delivering messages to Iraqi leadership about expected progress in the country.159 Biden's January 2010 visit to Iraq in the midst of turmoil over banned candidates from the upcoming Iraqi parliamentary election resulted in 59 of the several hundred candidates being reinstated by the Iraqi government two days later.203 Biden was in charge of the oversight role for infrastructure spending from the Obama stimulus package intended to help counteract the ongoing recession and stressed that only worthy projects should get funding.204 During this period Biden was satisfied that no major instances of waste or corruption had occurred159 (and when he gave up the role in February 2011 he said that the number of fraud incidents with stimulus monies had been less than one percent).205 Biden with President Barack Obama September 2009 In late April 2009 Biden's off-message response to a question during the beginning of the swine flu outbreak that he would advise family members against travelling on airplanes or subways led to a swift retraction from the White House.206 The remark revived Biden's reputation for gaffes207 and led to a spate of late-night television jokes themed on him being a loose-talking buffoon.201208209 In the face of persistently rising unemployment through July 2009 Biden acknowledged that the administration had "misread how bad the economy was" but maintained confidence that the stimulus package would create many more jobs once the pace of expenditures picked up.210 The same month Secretary of State Clinton quickly disavowed Biden's remarks disparaging Russia as a power but despite any missteps Biden still retained Obama's confidence and was increasingly influential within the administration.211 On March 23 2010 a microphone picked up Biden telling the president that his signing of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was "a big fucking deal" during live national news telecasts. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs replied via Twitter "And yes Mr. Vice President you're right..."212 Senior Obama advisor Valerie Jarrett said that Biden's loose talk "is part of what makes the vice president so endearing ... We wouldn't change him one bit."211 Former Senate colleague Lindsey Graham said "If there were no gaffes there'd be no Joe. He's someone you can't help but like."201 Biden's most important role within the administration has been to question assumptions and playing a contrarian role.76201 Obama said that "The best thing about Joe is that when we get everybody together he really forces people to think and defend their positions to look at things from every angle and that is very valuable for me."159 Another senior Obama advisor said Biden "is always prepared to be the skunk at the family picnic to make sure we are as intellectually honest as possible."159 On June 11 2010 Biden represented the United States at the opening ceremony of the World Cup attended the England v. U.S. game which was tied 1-1 and visited Egypt Kenya and South Africa.213 Biden Obama and the U.S. national security team gathered in the White House Situation Room to monitor the progress of the May 2011 U.S. mission to kill Osama bin Laden. Biden took the lead in notifying Congressional leaders of the successful outcome.214 Biden campaigned heavily for Democrats in the 2010 midterm elections maintaining an attitude of optimism in the face of general predictions of large-scale losses for the party.215 In October 2010 Biden stated that Obama had asked him to remain as his running mate for the 2012 presidential election.215 Following large-scale Republican gains in the elections and the departure of White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel Biden's past relationships with Republicans in Congress became more important.216217 He led the successful administration effort to gain Senate approval for the New START treaty.216217 In December 2010 Biden's advocacy within the White House for a middle ground followed by his direct negotiations with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell were instrumental in producing the administration's compromise tax package that revolved around a temporary extension of the Bush tax cuts.217218 Biden then took the lead in trying to sell the agreement to a reluctant Democratic caucus in Congress217219 which was passed as the Tax Relief Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization and Job Creation Act of 2010. In March 2011 Obama detailed Biden to lead negotiations between both houses of Congress and the White House in resolving federal spending levels for the rest of the year and avoid a government shutdown.220 By May 2011 a "Biden panel" with six congressional members was trying to reach a bipartisan deal on raising the U.S. debt ceiling as part of an overall deficit reduction plan.221222 Awards and honors Vice President Biden visiting Camp Bondsteel in Kosovo May 2009 Biden has received honorary degrees from the University of Scranton (1976)223 Saint Joseph's University (1981)224 Widener University School of Law (2000)89 Emerson College (2003)225 his alma mater the University of Delaware (2004)226 Suffolk University Law School (2005)227 and his other alma mater Syracuse University (2009).228 Biden received the Chancellor Medal from his alma mater Syracuse University in 1980.229 In 2005 he received the George Arents Pioneer MedalSyracuse's highest alumni award229"for excellence in public affairs."230 In 2008 Biden received the Best of Congress Award for "improving the American quality of life through family-friendly work policies" from Working Mother magazine.231 Also in 2008 Biden shared with fellow Senator Richard Lugar the Hilal-i-Pakistan award from the Government of Pakistan "in recognition of their consistent support for Pakistan."232 In 2009 Biden received The Golden Medal of Freedom award from Kosovo that region's highest award for his vocal support for their independence in the late 1990s.233 Biden is an inductee of the Delaware Volunteer Firemen's Association Hall of Fame.234 He was named to the Little League Hall of Excellence in 2009.235 Almanac U.S. Senators are popularly elected and take office January 3 for a six year term (except when appointed to fill existing vacancies). Public offices Office Type Location Began office Ended office notes County Council Legislature Wilmington January 4 1971 January 3 1973 New Castle County U.S. Senator Legislature Washington D.C. January 3 1973 January 3 1979 U.S. Senator Legislature Washington D.C. January 3 1979 January 3 1985 U.S. Senator Legislature Washington D.C. January 3 1985 January 3 1991 U.S. Senator Legislature Washington D.C. January 3 1991 January 3 1997 U.S. Senator Legislature Washington D.C. January 3 1997 January 3 2003 U.S. Senator Legislature Washington D.C. January 3 2003 January 3 2009 U.S. Senator Legislature Washington D.C. January 6 2009 January 15 2009 resigned to be sworn in as Vice President Vice President Executive Washington D.C. January 20 2009 United States Congressional service Dates Congress Majority President Committees Class/District 19731975 93rd Democratic Richard M. Nixon Gerald R. Ford Judiciary Foreign Relations class 2 19751977 94th Democratic Gerald R. Ford Judiciary Foreign Relations class 2 19771979 95th Democratic Jimmy Carter Judiciary Foreign Relations class 2 19791981 96th Democratic Jimmy Carter Judiciary Foreign Relations class 2 19811983 97th Republican Ronald W. Reagan Judiciary Foreign Relations class 2 19831985 98th Republican Ronald W. Reagan Judiciary Foreign Relations class 2 19851987 99th Republican Ronald W. Reagan Judiciary Foreign Relations class 2 19871989 100th Democratic Ronald W. Reagan Judiciary Foreign Relations class 2 19891991 101st Democratic George H. W. Bush Judiciary Foreign Relations class 2 19911993 102nd Democratic George H. W. Bush Judiciary Foreign Relations class 2 19931995 103rd Democratic William J. Clinton Judiciary Foreign Relations class 2 19951997 104th Republican William J. Clinton Judiciary Foreign Relations class 2 19971999 105th Republican William J. Clinton Judiciary Foreign Relations class 2 19992001 106th Republican William J. Clinton Judiciary Foreign Relations class 2 20012003 107th Republican Democratic George W. Bush Judiciary Foreign Relations class 2 20032005 108th Republican George W. Bush Judiciary Foreign Relations class 2 20052007 109th Republican George W. Bush Judiciary Foreign Relations class 2 20072009 110th Democratic George W. Bush Judiciary Foreign Relations class 2 2009a 111th Democratic George W. Bushb class 2 a Even though at the time he was the Vice President-elect Biden was sworn in for his seventh term in office as the senior senator from Delaware on January 6 2009. Fourteen days later he was sworn in as Vice President of the United States. b Although the 111th Congress' President is Barack Obama Biden did not serve as a Senator under Obama due to him serving as Vice President instead. Main article: Electoral history of Joe Biden Election results Year Office Election Votes for Biden % Opponent Party Votes % 1970 County Councilman General 10573 55% Lawrence T. Messick Republican 8192 43% 1972 U.S. Senator General 116006 50% J. Caleb Boggs Republican 112844 49% 1978 U.S. Senator General 93930 58% James H. Baxter Jr. Republican 66479 41% 1984 U.S. Senator General 147831 60% John M. Burris Republican 98101 40% 1990 U.S. Senator General 112918 63% M. Jane Brady Republican 64554 36% 1996 U.S. Senator General 165465 60% Raymond J. Clatworthy Republican 105088 38% 2002 U.S. Senator General 135253 58% Raymond J. Clatworthy Republican 94793 41% 2008 U.S. Senator General 257484 65% Christine O'Donnell Republican 140584 35% 2008 Vice President General 69456897 53% Sarah Palin Republican 59934786 46% Writings by Biden Joe Biden speaking to the Service Employees International Union January 2007 Biden Jr. Joseph R. (2007). Promises to Keep. Random House. ISBN 978-1400065363.  Also paperback edition Random House 2008 ISBN 978-0-8129-7621-2. Biden Jr. Joseph R. (July 24 2001) (PDF). Administrations Missile Defense Program and the ABM Treaty: Hearing Before the Committee on Foreign Relations U.S. Senate. U.S. Government Printing Office. ISBN 0756719593. http://www.fas.org/spp/starwars/program/sfr240701.pdf.  Biden Jr. Joseph R. (February 12 2002) (PDF). Examining The Theft Of American Intellectual Property At Home And Abroad: Hearing before the Committee On Foreign Relations U.S. Senate. U.S. Government Printing Office. ISBN 0756741777. http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgidbname107senatehearings&docidf:78178.pdf.  Biden Jr. Joseph R. (August 1 2002) (PDF). Hearings to Examine Threats Responses and Regional Considerations Surrounding Iraq: Hearing before the Committee on Foreign Relations U.S. Senate. U.S. Government Printing Office. ISBN 0756728231. http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgidbname107senatehearings&docidf:81697.pdf.  Biden Jr. Joseph R. (September 2003). Strategies for Homeland Defense: A Compilation by the Committee on Foreign Relations U.S. Senate. Diane Publishing. ISBN 0756726239.  Biden Jr. Joseph R. (July 8 2001) (PDF). Putin Administration's Policies toward Non-Russian Regions of the Russian Federation: Hearing before the Committee on Foreign Relations U.S. Senate. U.S. Government Printing Office. ISBN 0756726247. http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgidbname107senatehearings&docidf:75011.pdf.  Biden Jr. Joseph R. (September 5 2001) (PDF). Threat of Bioterrorism and the Spread of Infectious Diseases: Hearing before the Committee on Foreign Relations U.S. Senate. U.S. Government Printing Office. ISBN 0756726255. http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgidbname107senatehearings&docidf:75040.pdf.  Biden Jr. Joseph R. (February 27 2002) (PDF). How Do We Promote Democratization Poverty Alleviation and Human Rights to Build a More Secure Future: Hearing before the Committee on Foreign Relations U.S. Senate. U.S. Government Printing Office. ISBN 0756724783. http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgidbname107senatehearings&docidf:77983.pdf.  Biden Jr. Joseph R. (January 2003). Political Future of Afghanistan: Hearing before the Committee on Foreign Relations U.S. Senate. Diane Publishing. ISBN 0756730392.  Biden Jr. Joseph R. (January 2003). International Campaign Against Terrorism: Hearing before the Committee on Foreign Relations U.S. Senate. Diane Publishing. ISBN 0756730414.  Biden Jr. Joseph R. (2002). Halting the Spread of HIV/AIDS: Future Efforts in the U.S. Bilateral & Multilateral Response: Hearings before the Comm. on Foreign Relations U.S. Senate. Diane Publishing. ISBN 0756734541.  Biden Jr. Joseph R.; Jesse Helms (April 2000). Hague Convention On International Child Abduction: Applicable Law And Institutional Framework Within Certain Convention Countries Report To The Senate. Diane Publishing. ISBN 0756722500.  Nicholson William C. (ed.); with a foreword by Joseph Biden (2005). Homeland Security Law and Policy. C. C Thomas. ISBN 0398075832.  See also USA Congressional staff edits to Wikipedia References a b c d e f g h i "Timeline of Biden's life and career". San Francisco Chronicle. Associated Press. August 23 2008. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgif/n/a/2008/08/22/politics/p222636D16.DTL. Retrieved September 6 2008. dead link "Joseph Biden Sr. 86 father of the senator" (fee required). The Philadelphia Inquirer: p. B4. 2002-09-03. http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/ArchivespproductPI&ssitephilly&pmultiPI&pthemerealcities&pactionsearch&pmaxdocs200&ptopdoc1&ptextdirect-00F5D5B2EC83D6A9E&pfielddirect-0documentid&pperpage10&psortYMDdate:D&strackvalGooglePM.  Chase Randall (2010-01-09). "Vice President Biden's mother Jean dies at 92". Associated Press. WITN-TV. http://www.witn.com/nationalworld/headlines/81062772.html. Retrieved 2011-01-11.  "Profile: Joe Biden". BBC News. August 23 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7574085.stm. Retrieved October 24 2008.  "Number two Biden has a history over Irish debate". The Belfast Telegraph. November 9 2008. http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sunday-life/number-two-biden-has-a-history-over-irish-debate-14048948.html. Retrieved January 22 2008.  Mauriello Tracie (August 24 2008). "In Scranton celebration for local boy who made good". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08237/906705-470.stm. Retrieved June 15 2011.  www.suite101.com/content/joe-bidens-ancestry-irish-catholic-heritage-a67735 "Joe Biden's Ancestry: Irish Catholic Heritage". Genealogy by Suite 101. September 8 2008. www.suite101.com/content/joe-bidens-ancestry-irish-catholic-heritage-a67735. Retrieved June 15 2011.  "Joe Biden Biography". 4Biden.com - Joe Biden For President 2008. http://www.4biden.com/news/joe-biden-biography/. Retrieved August 19 2008.  Krawczeniuk Borys (August 24 2008). "Remembering his roots". 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Language Log. http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/myl/languagelog/archives/004131.html.  Lim Christine; M.J. Stephey (December 9 2007). "Top 10 Campaign Gaffes". Time. http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/top10/article/03058316862041690170169079000.html. Retrieved August 20 2008.  a b "Biden's Comments Ruffle Feathers Senator Forced To Explain His Remarks About Indian-Americans". CBS News. July 7 2006. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/07/07/politics/main1785303.shtml. Retrieved August 24 2008.  The Indian-American activist who was on the receiving end of Biden's comment stated that he was "100 percent behind (Biden) because he did nothing wrong." See Distaso John (July 10 2006). "Indian-American activist defends Sen. Biden". New Hampshire Union Leader. http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspxheadlineIndian-American+activist+defends+Sen.+Biden&articleId0108a2f4-0530-4860-b010-5b076007bff6. Retrieved February 1 2008.  "Conventions 2008: Sen. Joseph Biden (D)". National Journal. 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The New York Times. http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/23/at-white-house-bidens-expletive-caught-on-open-mic/hp. Retrieved March 23 2010.  "Biden visits South Africa as World Cup begins". CNN. June 12 2010. http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/06/12/south.africa.biden/index.htmlhptSbin. Retrieved June 13 2010.  "Osama Bin Laden dead; President Obama addresses nation". Times Herald-Record. NewsCore. May 2 2011. http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/articleAID/20110501/NEWS/110509984. Retrieved May 17 2011.  a b Stolberg Sheryl Gay (October 12 2010). "Vice President Tries to Energize Democrats". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/13/us/politics/13biden.htmlr2. Retrieved October 14 2010.  a b Lee Carol E.; Bresnahan John (December 9 2010). "Joe Biden expands role as White House link to Congress". Politico. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1210/46173.html. Retrieved December 10 2010.  a b c d Cooper Helene (December 11 2010). 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"Biden Honored for Making a Difference for Working Families". Press release. http://biden.senate.gov/press/pressreleases/release/iddca94360-b4ac-4bed-a41e-b7c27f42b4a1. Retrieved November 26 2008. dead link Haider Zeeshan (October 28 2008). "Pakistan gives awards to Biden Lugar for support". Reuters. http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE49R5I120081028. Retrieved November 26 2008.  "Biden ends Balkans tour heads to Lebanon". Agence France-Presse. May 22 2009. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jtMFK8wLcamElXQlmEBh0CEBE9dQ. Retrieved May 23 2009.  "Hall of Fame". Delaware Volunteer Firemen's Association. http://www.dvfassn.com/awards.cfmid2. Retrieved September 16 2008.  "Hall of Excellence". Little League Baseball. http://www.littleleague.org/learn/museum/hallofexcellence.htm. Retrieved April 10 2010.  Books referenced Barone Michael; Cohen Richard E. (2008). The Almanac of American Politics. Washington: National Journal. ISBN 9780-89234-116-0.  Heilemann John; Halperin Mark (2010). Game Change: Obama and the Clintons McCain and Palin and the Race of a Lifetime. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 0-06-173363-6.  Moritz Charles ed (1987). Current Biography Yearbook 1987. New York: H. W. Wilson Company.  Wolffe Richard (2009). Renegade: The Making of a President. New York: Crown Publishers. ISBN 0-307-46312-5. </ref> External links Government of the United States portal Biography portal Find more about Joe Biden on Wikipedia's sister projects: Definitions from Wiktionary Images and media from Commons Learning resources from Wikiversity News stories from Wikinews Quotations from Wikiquote Source texts from Wikisource Textbooks from Wikibooks White House biography Vice Presidential campaign website via barackobama.com Senate campaign website (archived) Biography at WhoRunsGov.com at The Washington Post Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress Voting record maintained by The Washington Post Biography voting record and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart Congressional profile at GovTrack.us Issue positions and quotes at On The Issues Financial information at OpenSecrets.org Staff salaries trips and personal finance at LegiStorm.com Campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission Appearances on C-SPAN programs Collected news and commentary at The New York Times Joe Biden at the Open Directory Project Works by or about Joe Biden in libraries (WorldCat catalog) Joe Biden at the Internet Movie Database In the Words of Joe Biden - slideshow by Life magazine  Joe Biden succession and navigation boxes Party political offices Preceded by James Tunnell Democratic Party nominee for United States Senator from Delaware (Class 2) 1972 1978 1984 1990 1996 2002 2008 Succeeded by Chris Coons Preceded by John Edwards Democratic Party Vice Presidential candidate 2008 Succeeded by Most recent United States Senate Preceded by Caleb Boggs United States Senator (Class 2) from Delaware 19732009 Served alongside: William Roth Tom Carper Succeeded by Ted Kaufman Preceded by Richard Lugar Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations 20072009 Succeeded by John Kerry Preceded by Jesse Helms Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations 20012003 Succeeded by Richard Lugar Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations 2001 Succeeded by Jesse Helms Preceded by Chuck Grassley Chairman of the International Narcotics Control Caucus 20072009 Succeeded by Dianne Feinstein Preceded by Strom Thurmond Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary 19871995 Succeeded by Orrin Hatch Honorary titles Preceded by John Tunney Youngest Member of the United States Senate 19731979 Succeeded by Bill Bradley Political offices Preceded by Dick Cheney Vice President of the United States 2009present Incumbent United States order of precedence Preceded by Any visiting heads of state Order of Precedence of the United States as Vice President Succeeded by Governor of the state in which the event is held Preceded by Barack Obama as President Succeeded by Otherwise John Boehner as Speaker of the House of Representatives United States presidential line of succession Preceded by None 1st in line Vice President Succeeded by John Boehner as Speaker of the House of Representatives v d eJoe Biden Political activities Electoral history of Joe Biden  United States Senate elections 1972  Presidential campaign 1988  Presidential campaign 2008  United States Senate election in Delaware 2008  Obama-Biden 2008  Political positions Books authored Promises to Keep: On Life and Politics Family Jill Jacobs Biden (spouse)  Beau Biden (son)  Hunter Biden (son)  Ashley Biden (daughter) v d eJoe Biden's Office of the Vice President Position Appointee Position Appointee Chief of Staff to the Vice President Bruce Reed Chief of Staff to the Second Lady Catherine Russell Counsel to the Vice President Cynthia Hogan Director of Administration for the Office of the Vice President Moises Vela Counselor to the Vice President Mike Donilon Domestic Policy Adviser to the Vice President Terrell McSweeny Assistant to the Vice President for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Liaison Evan Ryan Chief Economist and Economic Policy Adviser to the Vice President Jared Bernstein Assistant to the Vice President and Director of Communications Jay Carney Press Secretary to the Vice President Elizabeth Alexander Deputy Chief of Staff to the Vice President Alan Hoffman Deputy Press Secretary to the Vice President Annie Tomasini Deputy National Security Adviser to the Vice President Brian McKeon Director of Legislative Affairs Sudafi Henry Residence Manager and Social Secretary for the Vice President and Second Lady Carlos Elizondo Director of Communications for the Second Lady Courtney ODonnell National Security Adviser to the Vice President Tony Blinken v d eVice Presidents of the United States John Adams  Thomas Jefferson  Aaron Burr  George Clinton  Elbridge Gerry  Daniel D. Tompkins  John C. Calhoun  Martin Van Buren  Richard Mentor Johnson  John Tyler  George M. Dallas  Millard Fillmore  William R. King  John C. Breckinridge  Hannibal Hamlin  Andrew Johnson  Schuyler Colfax  Henry Wilson  William A. Wheeler  Chester A. Arthur  Thomas A. Hendricks  Levi P. Morton  Adlai E. Stevenson I  Garret Hobart  Theodore Roosevelt  Charles W. Fairbanks  James S. Sherman  Thomas R. Marshall  Calvin Coolidge  Charles G. Dawes  Charles Curtis  John Nance Garner  Henry A. Wallace  Harry S. Truman  Alben W. Barkley  Richard Nixon  Lyndon B. Johnson  Hubert Humphrey  Spiro Agnew  Gerald Ford  Nelson Rockefeller  Walter Mondale  George H. W. Bush  Dan Quayle  Al Gore  Dick Cheney  Joe Biden v d eCurrent members of the Cabinet of the United States Obama   Biden Chu   Clinton   Daleyc   Donovan   Duncan   Gates   Geithner   Goolsbeec   Holder   Jacksonc   Kirkc   LaHood   Lewc   Locke   Napolitano Ricec   Salazar   Sebelius   Solis   Shinseki   Vilsack c - cabinet-level; a - acting v d eCabinet of President Barack Obama (since 2009)  Cabinet Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (2009present) Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner (2009present) Secretary of Defense Robert Gates (2009present) Attorney General Eric Holder (2009present) Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar (2009present) Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack (2009present) Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke (2009present) Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis (2009present) Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius (2009present) Secretary of Education Arne Duncan (2009present) Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan (2009present) Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood (2009present) Secretary of Energy Steven Chu (2009present) Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki (2009present) Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano (2009present)  Cabinet-level Vice President Joe Biden (2009present) White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel (20092010)  William Daley (2011present) Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Lisa Jackson (2009present) Director of the Office of Management and Budget Peter Orszag (20092010)  Jacob Lew (2010present) Trade Representative Ron Kirk (2009present) Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice (2009present) Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers Christina Romer (20092010)  Austan Goolsbee (2010present) See also: Confirmations of Barack Obama's Cabinet v d eUnited States presidential election 1988 Republican Party Convention  Primaries  Primary results Nominee: George H.W. Bush VP Nominee: Dan Quayle Candidates: Bob Dole   Pete du Pont   Ben Fernandez   Alexander Haig   Jack Kemp   Paul Laxalt   Pat Robertson   Donald Rumsfeld   Harold Stassen Democratic Party Convention  Primaries  Primary results Nominee: Michael Dukakis VP Nominee: Lloyd Bentson Candidates: Bruce Babbitt   Joe Biden (campaign)   David Duke   Dick Gephardt   Al Gore (campaign)   Gary Hart (campaign)  Jesse Jackson (campaign)   Lyndon LaRouche   Patricia Schroeder   Paul Simon  Third party and independent candidates Libertarian Party Nominee: Ron Paul (campaign) VP Nominee: Andre Marrou Candidates: Jim Lewis   Russell Means New Alliance Party Nominee: Lenora Fulani Populist Party Nominee: David Duke Prohibition Party Nominee: Earl Dodge Socialist Equality Party Nominee: Edward Winn Socialist Party USA Nominee: Willa Kenoyer VP Nominee: Ron Ehrenreich Socialist Workers Party Nominee: James Warren Workers World Party Nominee: Larry Holmes VP Nominee: Gloria La Riva Independents and other candidates Lyndon LaRouche   Eugene McCarthy Other 1988 elections: House  Senate  Gubernatorial v d eUnited States presidential election 2008 United States elections 2008  Candidates (Comparison)  Debates  Congressional support  Fundraising  Ballot access  Timeline  Super Tuesday  Potomac primary  Super Tuesday II  General polls  Statewide general polls  International polls  International reaction Democratic Party Convention  Primary polls  General polls  Debates  Primaries  Primary results  Superdelegates Nominee: Barack Obama (campaign positions) VP nominee: Joe Biden (positions) Candidates: Evan Bayh (campaign)  Joe Biden (campaign)  Hillary Rodham Clinton (campaign)  Chris Dodd (campaign)  John Edwards (campaign)  Mike Gravel (campaign)  Keith Russell Judd  Dennis Kucinich (campaign)  Dal LaMagna  Bill Richardson (campaign)  Tom Vilsack (campaign) Republican Party Convention  Primary polls  General polls  Debates  Primaries  Primary results Nominee: John McCain (campaign positions) VP nominee: Sarah Palin (positions) Candidates: Sam Brownback  John Cox  Jim Gilmore (campaign)  Rudy Giuliani (campaign)  Mike Huckabee (campaign)  Duncan Hunter (campaign)  Alan Keyes (campaign)  Ray McKinney  Ron Paul (campaign)   Mitt Romney (campaign)  Tom Tancredo (campaign)  Fred Thompson (campaign)  Tommy Thompson (campaign) Draft movements Democratic Party: Al Gore   Mark Warner (movement)   Republican Party: Newt Gingrich  Condoleezza Rice (movement)  Independent: Michael Bloomberg (movement)  Third party and independent candidates Constitution Party Convention Nominee: Chuck Baldwin (campaign)  VP nominee: Darrell Castle Candidates: Daniel Imperato  Alan Keyes (campaign) Green Party Convention Nominee: Cynthia McKinney (campaign positions)  VP nominee: Rosa Clemente Candidates: Elaine Brown  Jesse Johnson  Kent Mesplay  Kat Swift Libertarian Party Convention Nominee: Bob Barr (campaign positions)  VP nominee: Wayne Allyn Root Candidates: Mike Gravel (campaign)  Daniel Imperato  Steve Kubby  Wayne Allyn Root  Mary Ruwart  Doug Stanhope American Party Nominee: Diane Beall Templin America's Independent Party Nominee: Alan Keyes (campaign)  VP nominee: Brian Rohrbough Boston Tea Party Nominee: Charles Jay New American Independent Party Nominee: Frank McEnulty Peace and Freedom Party Nominee: Ralph Nader (campaign)  VP nominee: Matt Gonzalez Candidates: Gloria LaRiva  Cynthia McKinney (campaign)  Brian Moore (campaign) Prohibition Party Nominee: Gene Amondson Reform Party Nominee: Ted Weill  VP nominee:Frank McEnulty Socialism and Liberation Party Nominee: Gloria La Riva Socialist Party Nominee:Brian Moore (campaign)  VP nominee: Stewart Alexander Candidates: Eric Chester Socialist Workers Party Nominee: Rger Calero  Alternate nominee: James Harris   VP nominee: Alyson Kennedy Independent / Other Earl Dodge  Bradford Lyttle  Frank Moore  Joe Schriner  Jonathon Sharkey Other 2008 elections: House  Senate  Gubernatorial v d eGovernment of Delaware U.S. Senators U.S. Representatives (Delegations) Governors Lt. Governors Attorneys General State Senators State Representatives Judges Mayors General Assembly Counties Hundreds Politics Elections Politicians Lawyers History v d eChairmen of the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary Chase  Crittenden  Burrill  Smith  Van Buren  Berrien  Rowan  Marcy  Wilkins  Clayton  Grundy  Wall  Berrien  Ashley  Butler  Bayard  Trumbull  Edmunds  Thurman  Edmunds  Hoar  Pugh  Hoar  Platt  Clark  Culberson  Nelson  Brandegee  Cummins  Norris  Ashurst  Van Nuys  McCarran  Wiley  McCarran  Langer  Kilgore  Eastland  Kennedy  Thurmond  Biden  Hatch  Leahy  Hatch  Leahy  Hatch  Specter  Leahy v d eChairmen of the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations Buchanan  Rives  Archer  Allen  Sevier  Hannegan  Benton  King  Foote  Mason  Sumner  Cameron  Hamlin  Eaton  Burnside  Edmunds  Windom  Miller  Sherman  Frye  Davis  Cullom  Bacon  Stone  Hitchcock  Lodge  Borah  Pittman  George  Green  Fulbright  Sparkman  Church  Percy  Lugar  Pell  Helms  Biden  Helms  Biden  Lugar  Biden  Kerry Persondata Name Biden Joe Alternative names Short description Politician Date of birth November 20 1942 Place of birth Scranton Pennsylvania Date of death Place of death