Joe Biden has played an instrumental role in the passage of significant legislation during his time as a senator.

  • Voting position claim

Name

Joe Biden has played an instrumental role in the passage of significant legislation during his time as a senator.

Types

Voting position claim

Opposing arguments

Joe Biden’s long-term exposure to legislative decisions does not give him a nuanced understanding of it. There have been instances where his judgment has been called into question, such as during the 1991 Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings and his leading role in advocating for tough-on-crime legislation in the 1990s.

Quotes that support the claim

Co-authored the 1994 crime bill, which has been credited with decreasing levels of violent crime, but also increasing rates of incarceration. Biden has recognized flaws with the original bill and his proposed policies look to address many of the concerns that resulted
sponsored the original Violence Against Women Act in 1994, leading to a major decline in intimate partner violence, from 2.1 million victims in 1994 to 907,000 in 2010
introduced one of the Senate’s first climate change bills, in 1986, leading to the creation of a task force on global warming
During 36 years in the Senate, Biden served in leading roles on both the Judiciary Committee and the Foreign Relations Committee. He was chairman or ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee for 17 years. He chaired the confirmation hearings of five justices, the most contentious being the hearings over the nominations of Robert Bork and Clarence Thomas.

Supported voting positions

Joe Biden is fit to serve as president because his policy achievements demonstrate effective leadership