Photo: Mark Hirsch/Getty Images

Background

Joe Biden Background

Hometown
Scranton, Pa.; Claymont, Del.

Age
67

Religion
Roman Catholic

Education

Syracuse University College of Law, J.D., 1968
University of Delaware, B.A., 1965

CandidateWebsite
biden.senate.gov

CandidacyStatus
Named Barack Obama's vice presidential running mate on Aug. 23, 2008.Obama and Biden elected president and vice president on Nov. 4, 2008.

Political Experience

U.S. Senator from Delaware, 1972-present
New Castle (Del.) County Council, 1970-72

Professional Experience

Adjunct Professor, Widener University School of Law, 1991-present
Attorney, private practice, 1968-1972

Family Information

Spouse: Jill Jacobs Biden
Children: Joseph "Beau" Biden III, Robert Biden, Naomi "Amy" Biden (d. 1972), Ashley Biden

Must Reads

April 4, 2006
Religion, Violence and the Middle East: A Conversation with U.S. Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr.
The Pew Forum

Nov. 6, 2008
On heels of Biden win, bishops to debate Catholics in public life
Religion News Service

Nov. 5, 2008
Catholics Turned to the Democrat
The New York Times

Nov. 5, 2008
Analysis: How Obama Lured Millions of Religious Voters
The Wall Street Journal

Nov. 5, 2008
Obama Is Elected President as Racial Barrier Falls
The New York Times

Oct. 19, 2008
Biden balances his faith with social responsibility
The News-Journal

Sept. 13, 2008
Analysis: Does Biden Have a Catholic Problem?
Time

Sept. 7, 2008
As a Matter of Faith, Biden Says Life Begins at Conception
The New York Times

Aug. 31, 2008
Biden's faith strong, but abortion stance draws fire
The News-Journal

Aug. 26, 2008
Can Biden Help Obama Win Catholic Voters?
U.S. News & World Report

Aug. 25, 2008
Biden pick provides Catholic link, but renews abortion debate
Religion News Service

Aug. 24, 2008
Biden's Catholic faith offers risks, rewards
The Associated Press

Aug. 24, 2008
Choice of Biden is a demographic calculation too
Los Angeles Times

Jan. 4, 2008
Biden and Dodd Leave the Race
The Washington Post

Oct. 9, 2007
A Senate Star Sparkles Less on the Stump
The New York Times

Aug. 27, 2007
Joseph Biden: A Frank and Abiding Faith
The Christian Science Monitor

Feb. 1, 2007
Biden Stumbles at the Starting Gate
The Washington Post

June 17, 2006
Biden: 'Security and Faith' Keys to Win Presidency
Associated Press

March 2006
Joe Biden Can't Shut Up...
GQ

April 6, 2005
Biden: Religion and Politics Don't Mix
The News Journal
(Requires payment)

Religious Biography

Biden Religious Biography

In His Own Words

"I'm very proud to be Catholic. It's part of my spirituality, part of my identity. When John Kennedy ran for president, I remember being so proud that he was Catholic. But he had to prove that he wasn't ruled by his beliefs. I'm with John Kennedy on the role religion ought to play in politics."
Interview, August 2005

Born to Irish-Catholic parents, Biden briefly considered becoming a priest when he was a young student. Biden attended Holy Rosary parochial school and Archmere Academy, a Catholic prep school in Claymont, Del. His interest in politics was sparked as early as 10th grade by the civil rights movement and the presidency of John F. Kennedy; "I remember being so proud that he was Catholic," he told The News Journal of Wilmington, Del., in 2005.

In 1972, shortly after being elected to the Senate at age 29, Biden lost his wife and one-year-old daughter in a car crash in which his two sons were also injured; he later remarried and had another daughter. He was given last rites by a priest in 1988 before recovering from a life-threatening aneurysm and brain surgery; he described his recovery as "a second chance in life."

Biden attends Mass at St. Patrick's Church or St. Joseph on the Brandywine Church, both parishes in the Diocese of Wilmington; he recommended St. Patrick's former priest, the Rev. James Trainor, to serve as a guest chaplain in the Senate in 2001. Biden had an hour-long private audience with Pope John Paul II at the Vatican in 1980 on the subject of Poland's position in the former Communist bloc. Biden met Pope John Paul II three more times. He attended the pope's 2005 funeral and told The News Journal that the presence of religious leaders from other traditions made the event "much more meaningful."

When former Diocese of Wilmington bishop Michael Saltarelli came under pressure in 2005 to deny Communion to Biden and other Catholic politicians who support abortion rights, Saltarelli refused to do so, saying through a diocesan spokesman that he preferred "prayer and active engagement" on the issue. Biden declined to comment.

On the Issues

Biden On the Issues

Abortion

Biden "strongly support[s] Roe v. Wade." He said he is "prepared to accept" the Catholic Church's teaching that life begins at conception but said Roe v. Wade "is as close to we're going to be able to get as a society" to incorporating diverging religious views on the issue. Although he voted in favor of the bill to ban late-term abortions, Biden said the Supreme Court's April 2007 decision to uphold the ban was "intellectually dishonest," saying its language undermined Roe v. Wade.

Compare McCain and Obama

Church and State

In 1994, Biden voted against a failed amendment that would have withheld federal funding from schools that deny students the right to voluntary prayer. After President Bush endorsed the teaching of intelligent design alongside evolution, Biden told The News Journal in 2005 that the separation between church and state should not be "messed with."

Compare McCain and Obama

Death Penalty

The Biden-authored Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 expanded the federal death penalty to cover 60 offenses, including terrorist homicides, murder of federal law enforcement officials, large-scale drug trafficking, drive-by shootings resulting in death and car jackings resulting in death. In 1996, Biden voted against limiting appeals of those facing the death penalty.

Compare McCain and Obama

Education

During his 2008 primary campaign, Biden, whose wife is a teacher, said that if elected president he would increase tax deductions for college tuition payments while expanding federal grant coverage for low-income students at public colleges. In 2003, he introduced the Tuition Assistance for Families Act in the Senate, which contained similar provisions; the bill did not pass. At the primary and secondary levels, he supports increased teacher pay and reduced class sizes.

Compare McCain and Obama

Environment

In a bipartisan resolution in 2006, Biden called on President Bush to negotiate an international agreement to curb greenhouse gas emissions by the United States and other countries. As part of an effort to achieve energy independence, Biden wants the U.S. to use ethanol and biodiesel fuels, while "dramatically increasing" research into climate change technologies and alternative energy sources. In 2005, Biden voted to ban drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. In the 2008 campaign, Biden has expressed both support and opposition to offshore oil drilling.

Compare McCain and Obama

Faith-Based Initiatives

Biden expressed reservations about President Bush's faith-based initiative in 2001, commenting, "They say if it ain't broke, don't fix it, and I'm not sure we're not going to break something that's already fixed." In 2004, Biden co-sponsored the Second Chance Act; the bill, which still hasn't passed in the Senate, would, among other things, provide $15 million in federal grants to community and faith-based groups that help former prison inmates.

Compare McCain and Obama

Gay Marriage

In the 2008 vice presidential debate, Biden said that he does not support gay marriage. However, he also said that in an Obama-Biden administration, "there will be absolutely no distinction from a constitutional standpoint or a legal standpoint between a same-sex and a heterosexual couple." He went on to specify that he supports making sure that committed same-sex couples "are guaranteed the same constitutional benefits as it relates to their property rights, their rights of visitation, their rights to insurance, their rights of ownership as heterosexual couples." Biden voted for the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which prohibits same-sex marriage under federal law. In 2003, he said gay marriage is "probably" inevitable and that if marriage "brings stability" to gay couples, "I don't know why we should be frightened of that." Biden voted against a proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage and also voted in favor of expanding the definition of hate crimes to include sexual orientation.

Compare McCain and Obama

Health Care

During his 2008 primary campaign, Biden said that if elected president he would immediately insure every child under 18, "move for catastrophic health coverage" and push health care providers to use electronic record keeping for better cost savings. He said he would give more leeway to states experimenting with full coverage: "States are the incubators for this," he said. In 2002, he sponsored a bill that would allow Delawarean small businesses and individuals to band together to purchase insurance at group discounted rates.

Compare McCain and Obama

Immigration

During his 2008 primary campaign, Biden said that if elected president his first step would be to "deal with Mexico," which he described as a "rich country" with a "dysfunctional distribution of opportunity" that drives illegal immigrants into the United States. He favors "earned citizenship" for illegal immigrants currently in the country, tougher employer sanctions and a guest-worker program. Biden voted yes on the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006, which would have increased border security and would have created a path to citizenship for long-time illegal immigrants.

Compare McCain and Obama

Iraq War

Biden, whose oldest son is scheduled to deploy to Iraq later this year, voted to authorize the use of force in Iraq in 2002, but he has questioned whether it is still valid and opposed President Bush's "troop surge." Biden, chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, and Leslie Gelb, a foreign policy expert, have proposed a five-point plan that would create "ethno-religious" federal regions in Iraq, with a central Iraqi government distributing oil revenue. The plan also calls for withdrawal of most U.S. troops by 2008. "The only rational purpose for troops in Iraq now [is to] train Iraqis [and] prevent al Qaeda from occupying large chunks of territory, and we should begin to decentralize the government," he said. In September 2007, the Senate voted 75-23 to adopt Biden's nonbinding measure that endorses the division of Iraq into Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish regions.

Compare McCain and Obama

Poverty

Biden voted for the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007, which raised the minimum wage from $5.15 an hour to $7.25 an hour. Biden broke with his party to vote in favor of the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005, which makes it harder for people to erase debt by declaring bankruptcy.

Compare McCain and Obama

Stem Cell Research

Biden voted in favor of the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005, which was vetoed by President Bush. The bill would have allowed federal funding for research on stem cell lines obtained from discarded human embryos originally created for fertility treatments.

Compare McCain and Obama

Public Opinion

Nov. 5, 2008
Vote here How the Faithful Voted
Among nearly every religious group, Barack Obama received equal or higher levels of support compared with John Kerry. Still, a sizeable gap persists between Obama's support among white evangelical Protestants and his support among the religiously unaffiliated. Similarly, a sizeable gap exists between those who attend religious services regularly and those who attend less often.

Nov. 2, 2008
Trends in Presidential Candidate Preferences Among Religious Groups
Charts tracking Pew Research Center surveys show trends in support of Barack Obama and John McCain by white evangelicals, black Protestants and other religious groups throughout the campaign. View the graphic

Oct. 27, 2008
McCain Retains Support of Highly Religious White Voters
A Gallup update based on more than 21,000 interviews conducted as part of Gallup Poll Daily tracking in October shows that registered voters' religious intensity continues to be a powerful predictor of their presidential vote choice.
Read the report at gallup.com

Oct. 22, 2008
How Church Attendance Affects Religious Voting Patterns
The latest report from the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press shows that, as in previous elections, differences in voting patterns by religion are amplified when church attendance is taken into account.
View the graphic

Oct. 21, 2008
Growing Doubts About McCain's Judgment, Age and Campaign Conduct
Barack Obama's lead over John McCain has steadily increased since mid-September, when the race was essentially even.
Read the report at people-press.org

Oct. 21, 2008
Hispanic Voters Divided by Religion
Taken as a group, Hispanic voters solidly support Barack Obama over John McCain for president, but there is a significant difference in the Hispanic vote by religion.
Read the report at gallup.com

Sept. 5, 2008
Religion Remains Major Dividing Factor Among White Voters
John McCain's lead over Barack Obama among highly religious white voters, currently 65% to 26%, has been quite stable all summer and has not yet changed with the selection of Sarah Palin as his vice-presidential running mate.
Read the report at gallup.com

Aug. 21, 2008
More Americans Question Religion's Role in Politics
Some Americans are having a change of heart about mixing religion and politics. A new survey finds a narrow majority of the public saying that churches and other houses of worship should keep out of political matters and not express their views on day-to-day social and political matters.
Read the report

Aug. 13, 2008
White Evangelicals Help McCain Close Gap
With fewer than two weeks to go before the start of the presidential nominating conventions, McCain has solidified his support among Republicans and white evangelicals, especially in the South, while Obama lags in attracting Clinton supporters.
Read the report

July 17, 2008
McCain's Lead Among Evangelicals Smaller than Bush's in '04
John McCain has a smaller lead among white evangelical Protestants than George W. Bush had at a similar point in the 2004 campaign, even though Barack Obama has made few inroads into this key constituency. Religiously unaffiliated voters, however, strongly favor the Democratic candidate.
Read the report

July 15, 2008
Belief Obama Is Muslim Is Durable, Bipartisan
The inaccurate belief that Barack Obama is Muslim appears to have virtually no effect on Republican voters. But Democrats who share the misperception are significantly less likely to support him, according to an analysis by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press.
Read the report

July 10, 2008
Likely Rise In Voter Turnout Bodes Well For Democrats
Even with a partisan enthusiasm gap, voter interest is already as high as in November of recent elections, two trends that may significantly alter the composition of the eventual electorate in the Democrats' favor.
Read the report

July 8, 2008
Religious Intensity Predicts Support for McCain
Americans who say religion is an important part of their daily lives support John McCain over Barack Obama for president, 50% to 40%, while their less religious counterparts support Obama over McCain, 55% to 36%.
Read the report at gallup.com

March 27, 2008
Obama Weathers the Wright Storm, Clinton Faces Credibility Problem
Obama's personal image remains more favorable than Clinton's - and he retains a 10-point advantage over her in the race for the nomination. But certain beliefs and attitudes among older, white, working-class Democrats are associated with his lower levels of support among this group.
Read the report

March 27, 2008
Obama and Wright Controversy Dominate News Cycle
Barack Obama's March 18th speech on race and politics is arguably the biggest political event of the campaign so far. Fully 85% of Americans say they heard at least a little about Obama's speech, and most (54%) say they heard a lot about it.
Read the report

March 6, 2008
'Purple' states turn a little more 'blue'
The national polls point to a tight presidential race in November. But Democrats have a bit more to cheer about than Republicans do, regardless of who wins the Democratic primary, according to the latest state-by-state electoral-vote projections.
Read the report

Feb. 28, 2008
Obama Has The Lead, But Potential Problems Too
Barack Obama is riding high as the March 4 primaries approach. Obama has moved out to a broad-based advantage over Hillary Clinton in the national Democratic primary contest and holds a 50%-43% lead over John McCain in a general election matchup.
Read the report

Feb. 3, 2008
McCain's Support Soars, Democratic Race Tightens
Barack Obama and John McCain have made significant gains in support as the field of candidates has narrowed in both parties. John McCain now leads 42%-22% over Mitt Romney among Republican voters nationally.
Read the report

Jan. 16, 2008
In GOP Primaries: Three Victors, Three Constituencies
The Republican nomination contest is being increasingly shaped by ideology and religion as it moves toward the Super Tuesday states on Feb. 5. The Democratic nomination contest is being affected by different dynamics than the GOP race – class, race and gender.
Read the report

Nov. 7, 2007
Religious Groups' Presidential Candidate Preferences
A new analysis of recent surveys show Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani as the preferred candidates among key religious groups. Giuliani, though, garners considerably less support from white evangelical Protestants than he does from white mainline Protestants and white Catholics.
Read the report

Sept. 6, 2007
Clinton and Giuliani Seen as Not Highly Religious; Romney's Religion Raises Concerns
A September survey finds that religion is not proving to be a clear-cut positive in the 2008 presidential campaign. The candidates viewed by voters as the least religious among the leading contenders are front-runners Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani, while voters still express concern about Mitt Romney's Mormon faith. Read more about the 2008 election and religion.
Read the report

June 18, 2007
Analysis of Candidates' Potential Support among Religious Groups
A survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press examines potential support for the Democratic presidential candidates among Democratic and Democratic-leaning members of two religious groups: white Catholics and white mainline Protestants.