So as we grow closer to the 2020 presidential election, I would like to address one candidate in particular and take a look at his accomplishments. And that is Joe Biden, the Democratic nominee. And while most candidates are not all good or all bad, I would like to take an in-depth look at what I consider to be the positive aspects of his career as a politician.
Education
He studied at the University of Delaware before receiving his law degree from Syracuse University.
Introduction to Politics
He first entered politics as a member of the New Castle County Council in 1970 where he fought against a massive ten-lane highway project that threatened to pave over Wilmington's neighborhoods.
As a Senator(Overview)
Biden ran for US Senate in 1972 and won. He became the fifth-youngest senator in history. He was also well-known for his passionate speeches.
Pregnancy Discrimination Act
In 1977, Biden cosponsored a a bill to become law to overturn the Supreme Court's ruling in General Electric Company v. Gilbert, which found that Title VII's ban on sex discrimination in the workplace did not include discrimination based on pregnancy. This law amended Title VII to explicitly include protections for pregnant workers who experienced discrimination at work.
Pioneering Climate Change Legislation
Joe is credited with pioneering some of the earliest climate change legislation in U.S. history.
Following some high-profile hearings on climate change, Joe Biden introduced climate change legislation in 1986. That one died right there in the Senate, but he didn't give up there.
The following year a version of Biden's legislation survived as an amendment to a State Department funding bill. The upshot of Biden's Global Climate Protection Act was to call on the president to set up a task force to plan how to mitigate global warming.
Biden's amendment became law when Reagan signed the Foreign Relations Authorization Act on Dec. 12, 1987.
Americans with Disabilities Act
Biden himself is a person with a disability, and he has dealt with a stutter for a good portion of his life. He has help passed a few laws in regards to disability rights, one he mentions often is Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
The law prohibits discrimination based on disability. It makes discrimination in employment, transportation, government services and places of public accommodation illegal. In addition, the ADA requires most employers to provide reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities, and requires public accommodations to be accessible.
The Violence Against Women Act
The Violence Against Women Act was a United States Federal law that stipulates that gender-biased crimes violate a woman's civil rights.
It put into place a range of legal remedies to protect women. These measures included requiring states to recognize protection orders from other states, federal prosecution of domestic violence and sexual-assault crimes that crossed state lines, incentives for states to require the mandatory arrest of abusers, and grants for programs such as educating judges on gender-motivated violence and funding sexual-assault and domestic violence crisis centers.
Today, VAWA is credited with contributing to a dramatic decrease in the rate of domestic violence in the United States. The overall rate of intimate-partner violence dropped 64% from 1993 to 2010.
The VAWA was cosponsored by Joe Biden in 1994. He has said it is his "proudest legislative accomplishment."
As the Vice President(Overview)
A list of the highlights of Joe Biden's career would be incomplete without mentioning he was the 47th Vice President of the United States from 2009 to 2017.
Support of Gay Marriage
In May 2012 Biden fast-tracked the Obama administration's declaration of support for same-sex marriage.
Gun Violence Task Force
In the aftermath of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, Biden led the Gun Violence Task Force. This was created for the purpose of addressing the causes of gun violence. His job was to guide the group of cabinet officials as they consult with city and state officials to come up with ideas to address gun violence.
Presidential Medal of Freedom
Biden was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in early 2017 by Barack Obama. This is the highest civilian honor.
Participation in George Floyd Protests
George Floyd was killed by the Minneapolis Police Department on May 25, 2020, sparking protests across the country. One of these protests took place in Wilmington, where Joe Biden attended.
“We are a nation in pain, but we must not allow this pain to destroy us. We are a nation enraged, but we cannot allow our rage to consume us. We are a nation exhausted, but we will not allow our exhaustion to defeat us."
- Joe Biden
