Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. was inaugurated as the 46th president of the United States on January 20, 2021. He is the oldest president in U.S. history, having taken office at the age of 78. Biden is a lifelong politician and has served as a U.S. senator from Delaware for 36 years and as Vice President under Barack Obama from 2009-2017.
Biden’s campaign focused on restoring the soul of America, with a message of unity and a return to normalcy after four years of divisive politics under former President Donald Trump. He promised to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic, revive the economy, address racial and social injustices, and combat climate change.
One of Biden’s first actions as president was to rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement, which the U.S. had withdrawn from under the Trump administration. He has also announced plans to invest in clean energy and infrastructure and to return the U.S. to a leadership role in the global fight against climate change.
Biden has also taken steps to address the COVID-19 pandemic by implementing a national strategy, including the use of masks and social distancing, as well as the distribution of vaccines. He has also proposed a $1.9 trillion stimulus package to help revive the economy and provide aid to those affected by the pandemic.
Biden has also made addressing racial and social injustices a priority. He has taken executive action to combat discrimination in housing and education, and has called for a police reform bill in Congress. He has also taken steps to support marginalized communities, such as creating a position for a White House racial equity advisor and signing an executive order to protect LGBTQ+ rights.
Biden has also pledged to address immigration reform. He has proposed a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants and has taken steps to reverse some of the controversial immigration policies implemented by the Trump administration, such as the “zero tolerance” policy and the travel ban from several Muslim-majority countries.
Biden’s presidency is still in its early days, and it remains to be seen how effective he will be in achieving his goals. However, his emphasis on unity, restoring the soul of America and addressing pressing issues such as COVID-19, racial and social injustices, and climate change have been well received by many Americans.
11 Interesting and Unknown Facts about Biden
- Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. was born on November 20, 1942, in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He is the oldest president in U.S. history, having taken office at the age of 78.
- Biden graduated from the University of Delaware in 1965 and Syracuse Law School in 1968. He was elected to the U.S. Senate from Delaware at the age of 29, making him one of the youngest people ever to be elected to the Senate.
- Biden has been a senator from Delaware for 36 years and served as Vice President under Barack Obama from 2009-2017.
- Biden has been married to his second wife, Jill Tracy Jacobs Biden, since 1977. He has one child with his first wife, Neilia Hunter Biden, who died in a car accident in 1972, and two children with Jill.
- Biden is an avid Amtrak commuter, and for many years he commuted to Washington, D.C., from Wilmington, Delaware, by train. He even has an Amtrak station in Wilmington named after him.
- Biden is known for his love of ice cream and has been known to stop by an ice cream shop in Wilmington, Delaware, for a cone or sundae.
- Biden is a Catholic, and he is known for his deep faith and for carrying a rosary with him. He has also been known to recite the rosary during stressful moments.
- Biden is a big sports fan and is known to enjoy watching the Philadelphia Eagles and the Delaware Blue Hens. He is also a big fan of baseball and basketball.
- Biden has been known to be a big fan of poetry and is known to recite poems on various occasions. He also frequently quotes poet Robert Frost, who was one of his favorites.
- Biden has a stutter, which he has had since childhood. He has said that it has been a lifelong struggle but he has learned to overcome it through public speaking and practice, and he even wrote a book on it, “Promise Me, Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship, and Purpose”
- Biden is known for his strong emphasis on bipartisanship and working across the aisle. During his time as a senator, he worked with Republicans on several key pieces of legislation, including the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986 and the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994.