One of the most respected voices on national security and civil
liberties, Senator Joseph R. Biden, Jr. has earned national
and international recognition as a policy innovator, effective
legislator and party spokesman on a wide range of key issues.
He is the top Democrat on both the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee and the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime,
and is a central player on some of the most important issues
facing the nation, from crime prevention and constitutional
law to international relations and arms control.
A strong leader on anti-crime and drug policy, Senator Biden has been
instrumental in crafting virtually every major piece of crime legislation over
the last decade, including the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of
1994, also known as the Biden Crime Law, which dramatically increased funds
spent on law enforcement. Additionally, Senator Biden is the author of the
landmark Violence Against Women Act of 2000 (VAWA 2000) which contains a broad
array of ground-breaking measures to combat domestic violence and provides
billions of dollars in federal funds to address gender-based crimes. Biden, who
serves as Chairman of the International Narcotics Control Caucus, also wrote the
law creating the nation's "Drug Czar" who oversees and coordinates national drug
control policy. Today, Senator Biden continues to work to stop the spread of
new drugs such as Ecstacy, Ketamine and Rohypnol, the "date rape" drug.
As the Ranking Member of the Foreign Relations Committee,
Biden is the Democratic party's chief spokesman on national
security and foreign policy issues. Senator Richard Lugar,
who currently chairs the Foreign Relations Committee, said:
"Senator Biden has a very strong commitment to a bipartisan
foreign policy and serves as a good example for everyone in
Congress. He has a very broad, comprehensive view of the world.
He's a good listener, but he's also a strong and effective
advocate of his position."
In addition to his leadership on foreign policy, crime and drug control
issues, Senator Biden is widely recognized for his work in environmental
protection and education policy. His work over the past 20 years has led to
the end of federal control and the return to Delawareans of more than 1,180
acres of beach shoreline along the Delaware coast. In 2000, Biden's
decades-long efforts culminated with establishment of Delaware's first and only
National Wild and Scenic River -- the White Clay Creek Watershed -- which will
be preserved and saved from development for future generations.
To help Americans struggling to afford the rising costs of college tuition,
Biden has been a staunch supporter of college aid and loan programs and has
offered legislation to allow families to deduct up to $10,000 per year in higher
education expenses on their annual income tax returns. And to prepare today's
students to meet the technology challenges of tomorrow, Biden has undertaken
bold initiatives in the Senate to close the "digital divide" and ensure that all
students have access to the on-ramp of the information super highway. Senator
Biden's "Kids 2000" legislation, signed into law by the President in October of
2000 establishes a public/private partnership to help provide computer centers,
teachers, Internet access and technical training to young people across the
nation, particularly to low-income and at-risk youth.
Senator Biden grew up in New Castle County, Delaware. He graduated from the
University of Delaware in 1965, and from the Syracuse University College of Law
in 1968. Prior to his election to the Senate, Biden practiced law in
Wilmington, Delaware and served on the New Castle County Council from 1970 to
1972. Since 1991, Biden has been an adjunct professor at the Widener University
School of Law, where he teaches a seminar on constitutional law.
Senator Biden lives in Wilmington, Delaware, and commutes
to Washington, DC when the Senate is in session. He is married
to the former Jill Jacobs, and is the father of three children:
Beau, Hunter and Ashley. The Biden's also have two daughters-in-law,
Kathleen and Hallie, and three granddaughters: Naomi, Finnegan
and Roberta Mabel.
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One of the most respected voices on national security and civil
liberties, Senator Joseph R. Biden, Jr. has earned national
and international recognition as a policy innovator, effective
legislator and party spokesman on a wide range of key issues.
He is the top Democrat on both the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee and the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime,
and is a central player on some of the most important issues
facing the nation, from crime prevention and constitutional
law to international relations and arms control.
