President Joe Biden

President Joe Biden
Name	Joe Biden
Birth name	Joseph Robinette Biden Jr.
Birth date	November 20, 1942
Birth place	Scranton, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Party	Democratic Party
Spouse	Jill Biden
Children	Naomi Biden, Beau Biden, Hunter Biden, Ashley Biden
Offices	46th President of the United States, 47th Vice President of the United States

President Joe Biden is an American politician who has served as the 46th President of the United States since January 20, 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously represented Delaware in the United States Senate and served as the 47th Vice President of the United States under Barack Obama. His public career intersects with many major figures and events including Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, the Affordable Care Act, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Early life and education

Born in Scranton, Pennsylvania and raised partly in Claymont, Delaware, Biden is the son of Joseph R. Biden Sr. and Catherine Eugenia "Jean" Finnegan. He attended Archmere Academy before earning a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Delaware where he studied History and Political science. Biden later attended Syracuse University College of Law, receiving a Juris Doctor. Early influences included figures such as John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and local politicians from Delaware County, Pennsylvania and Wilmington, Delaware.

Legal and political career

After law school, Biden worked as a counselor at the New Castle County law firm and served on the New Castle County Council before running for national office. He won election to the United States Senate in 1972, becoming one of the youngest senators in U.S. history and serving on committees such as the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. During his Senate tenure Biden engaged with legislation and hearings related to the Anita Hill testimony, the Iraq War, the Bosnian War, and issues involving federal crime policy and international treaties such as arms control agreements with the Soviet Union and later the Russian Federation.

2008–2016: Senate leadership and vice presidency

In the late 2000s Biden sought the Democratic presidential nomination in the 2008 United States presidential election before being selected by Barack Obama as his running mate. As Vice President from 2009 to 2017, Biden worked on initiatives tied to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, and foreign policy matters involving NATO, Iraq War troop withdrawal, the Iran nuclear deal negotiations that led to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, and responses to crises in Libya and Ukraine. He also engaged with domestic policy through the Cancer Moonshot initiative and partnerships with figures like Michelle Obama, Eric Holder, and Nancy Pelosi.

2019–2020: 2020 presidential campaign

After the presidency of Donald Trump and high-profile events including the 2016 United States presidential election and the Impeachment of Donald Trump, Biden launched a campaign for the Democratic nomination in the 2020 United States presidential election. His campaign emphasized issues referenced by leaders such as Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Pete Buttigieg, Kamala Harris, and organizations like MoveOn.org and the Democratic National Committee. Biden secured the nomination and campaigned on restoring alliances with NATO, rejoining agreements like the Paris Agreement, addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, and expanding the Affordable Care Act—positions debated against opponents such as Bernie Sanders in primaries and Donald Trump in the general election.

Presidency (2021–present)

As president, Biden has overseen administration actions on the COVID-19 pandemic including vaccine distribution involving partners like Pfizer–BioNTech, Moderna, and Janssen Vaccines. He signed legislation and executive orders impacting the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, infrastructure investment via the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and actions related to the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. His foreign policy has engaged with leaders and entities including Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, European Union, and United Nations bodies in response to events such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine (2022) and tensions in the South China Sea. He appointed justices to the Supreme Court of the United States and nominated officials confirmed by the United States Senate, interacting frequently with congressional leaders like Chuck Schumer and Kevin McCarthy.

Political positions and governance

Biden's policy positions draw from and contrast with platforms advanced by Franklin D. Roosevelt, Lyndon B. Johnson, and contemporary Democrats such as Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. On health policy he supports expansion measures connected to the Affordable Care Act; on climate he rejoined the Paris Agreement and promoted investments aligned with Renewable energy firms and initiatives supported by experts from National Renewable Energy Laboratory and agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency. On foreign affairs his approaches have involved multilateral institutions such as NATO, World Health Organization, and World Bank, and he has used sanctions in coordination with partners like the European Union and G7 in response to actions by states including the Russian Federation and Iran. He has also addressed immigration through changes to policy involving Department of Homeland Security and worked on criminal justice reforms debated alongside advocacy groups and legislators including Cory Booker and Kamala Harris.

Personal life and legacy

Biden's family life has intersected publicly with tragedies and careers: the deaths of his first wife Neilia Hunter Biden and daughter Naomi Christina Biden in 1972, the later death of son Beau Biden in 2015, and the public career of son Hunter Biden. His marriage to Jill Biden has included her work as an educator at institutions like Northern Virginia Community College and advocacy alongside figures such as education advocates. Histories and biographies situate him among other long-serving senators-turned-presidents like Woodrow Wilson and John F. Kennedy for comparative study. Biden's legacy will be assessed in relation to economic measures, public health responses, judicial appointments, and foreign policy decisions involving actors such as Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and institutions like NATO and the United Nations.

Category:Presidents of the United States Category:1942 births Category:Living people