President Joseph Biden
Former President of the United States
Biden was President of the United States and was a Democrat. He served from 2021 to 2025.
He was previously Vice President of the United States as a Democrat from 2009 to Jan. 20, 2017; and a senator fromDelaware as a Democrat from 1973 to Jan. 15, 2009.
![Photo of President Joseph Biden [D, 2021-2025]](/image.pl?url=https%3a%2f%2fwww.govtrack.us%2fstatic%2flegislator-photos%2f300008-200px.jpeg&f=jpg&w=240)
Analysis
Ideology–Leadership Chart
Biden is shown as a purple triangle▲ in our ideology-leadership chart below.Each dot was a member of the Senatein 2008positioned according to our ideology score (left to right) and our leadership score (leaders are toward the top).
The chart is based on the bills legislators sponsored and cosponsoredfrom Jan. 7, 2003 to Dec. 11, 2008.See fullanalysis methodology.
Enacted Legislation
Biden was the primary sponsor of 42 bills that were enacted. The most recent include:
- S. 3605 (110th): Criminal History Background Checks Pilot Extension Act of 2008
- S. 1738 (110th): PROTECT Our Children Act of 2008
- S. 3370 (110th): Libyan Claims Resolution Act
- S. 2565 (110th): Law Enforcement Congressional Badge of Bravery Act of 2008
- S. 3061 (110th): William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008
- S. 3218 (110th): Criminal History Background Checks Pilot Extension Act of 2008
- S. 2731 (110th): Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde United States Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008
Does 42 not sound like a lot? Very few bills are ever enacted — most legislators sponsor only a handful that are signed into law. But there are other legislative activities that we don’t track that are also important, including offering amendments, committee work and oversight of the other branches, and constituent services.
We consider a bill enacted if one of the following is true: a) it is enacted itself, b) it has a companion bill in the other chamber (as identified by Congress) which was enacted, or c) if at least about half of its provisions were incorporated into bills that were enacted (as determined by an automated text analysis, applicable beginning with bills in the 110th Congress).
Bills Sponsored
Issue Areas
Biden sponsored bills primarily in these issue areas:
Government Operations and Politics (19%)Crime and Law Enforcement (18%)International Affairs (17%)Armed Forces and National Security (11%)Economics and Public Finance (10%)Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues (9%)Science, Technology, Communications (8%)Health (8%)
Recently Introduced Bills
Biden recently introduced the following legislation:
- S. 3668 (110th): Crime Victims with Disabilities Act of 2008
- S.Res. 698 (110th): A resolution designating October 17, 2008, as “National Mammography Day”.
- S.Res. 692 (110th): A resolution designating the week of November 9 through November 15, 2008, …
- S. 3605 (110th): Criminal History Background Checks Pilot Extension Act of 2008
- S. 3524 (110th): Homeland Security and Law Enforcement Improvements Act of 2008
- S. 3526 (110th): Drug Trafficking Vessel Interdiction Act of 2008
- S.Res. 662 (110th): A resolution raising the awareness of the need for crime prevention in …
Most legislation has no activity after being introduced.
Voting Record
Key Votes
Biden votedNay
Biden votedYea
Biden votedNot Voting
Biden votedNay
Biden votedYea
Missed Votes
From Jan 1973 to Jan 2009, Biden missed 1,781 of 14,556 roll call votes, which is 12.2%.This ismuch worse thanthe median of 2.0%among the lifetime records of senators serving in Jan 2009.The chart below reports missed votes over time.
We don’t track why legislators miss votes, but it’s often due to medical absences, major life events, and running for higher office.Legislators running for president or vice president typically miss votes while on the campaign trail — that’s normal. See ouranalysis of presidential candidates’ missed votes.
| Time Period | Votes Eligible | Missed Votes | Percent | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 Jan-Mar | 67 | 2 | 3.0% | 25th |
| 1973 Apr-Jun | 192 | 73 | 38.0% | 75th |
| 1973 Jul-Sep | 167 | 2 | 1.2% | 25th |
| 1973 Oct-Dec | 168 | 4 | 2.4% | 25th |
| 1974 Jan-Mar | 94 | 7 | 7.4% | 25th |
| 1974 Apr-Jun | 179 | 14 | 7.8% | 25th |
| 1974 Jul-Sep | 138 | 11 | 8.0% | 25th |
| 1974 Oct-Dec | 133 | 17 | 12.8% | 25th |
| 1975 Jan-Mar | 118 | 12 | 10.2% | 60th |
| 1975 Apr-Jun | 141 | 32 | 22.7% | 40th |
| 1975 Jul-Sep | 170 | 19 | 11.2% | 80th |
| 1975 Oct-Dec | 182 | 24 | 13.2% | 40th |
| 1976 Jan-Mar | 109 | 21 | 19.3% | 60th |
| 1976 Apr-Jun | 263 | 25 | 9.5% | 60th |
| 1976 Jul-Sep | 315 | 65 | 20.6% | 40th |
| 1976 Oct-Oct | 13 | 8 | 61.5% | 40th |
| 1977 Jan-Mar | 92 | 17 | 18.5% | 43rd |
| 1977 Apr-Jun | 178 | 25 | 14.0% | 71st |
| 1977 Jul-Sep | 233 | 13 | 5.6% | 57th |
| 1977 Oct-Dec | 133 | 34 | 25.6% | 71st |
| 1978 Jan-Mar | 78 | 6 | 7.7% | 43rd |
| 1978 Apr-Jun | 119 | 21 | 17.6% | 71st |
| 1978 Jul-Sep | 237 | 25 | 10.5% | 57th |
| 1978 Oct-Oct | 86 | 15 | 17.4% | 71st |
| 1979 Feb-Mar | 32 | 5 | 15.6% | 80th |
| 1979 Apr-Jun | 121 | 13 | 10.7% | 70th |
| 1979 Jul-Sep | 171 | 29 | 17.0% | 80th |
| 1979 Oct-Dec | 184 | 46 | 25.0% | 80th |
| 1980 Jan-Mar | 67 | 10 | 14.9% | 70th |
| 1980 Apr-Jun | 216 | 37 | 17.1% | 60th |
| 1980 Jul-Sep | 179 | 21 | 11.7% | 80th |
| 1980 Oct-Dec | 84 | 26 | 31.0% | 80th |
| 1981 Jan-Mar | 57 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1981 Apr-Jun | 125 | 6 | 4.8% | 69th |
| 1981 Jul-Sep | 122 | 4 | 3.3% | 38th |
| 1981 Oct-Dec | 193 | 22 | 11.4% | 62nd |
| 1982 Feb-Mar | 79 | 4 | 5.1% | 69th |
| 1982 Apr-Jun | 127 | 13 | 10.2% | 85th |
| 1982 Jul-Sep | 177 | 7 | 4.0% | 69th |
| 1982 Oct-Dec | 86 | 5 | 5.8% | 62nd |
| 1983 Feb-Mar | 54 | 3 | 5.6% | 67th |
| 1983 Apr-Jun | 122 | 12 | 9.8% | 73rd |
| 1983 Jul-Sep | 92 | 2 | 2.2% | 40th |
| 1983 Oct-Nov | 103 | 7 | 6.8% | 53rd |
| 1984 Jan-Mar | 45 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1984 Apr-Jun | 144 | 2 | 1.4% | 20th |
| 1984 Jul-Sep | 68 | 1 | 1.5% | 20th |
| 1984 Oct-Oct | 34 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1985 Jan-Mar | 22 | 2 | 9.1% | 84th |
| 1985 Apr-Jun | 116 | 5 | 4.3% | 74th |
| 1985 Jul-Sep | 60 | 4 | 6.7% | 74th |
| 1985 Oct-Dec | 183 | 21 | 11.5% | 84th |
| 1986 Jan-Mar | 51 | 2 | 3.9% | 42nd |
| 1986 Apr-Jun | 103 | 9 | 8.7% | 74th |
| 1986 Jul-Sep | 149 | 3 | 2.0% | 58th |
| 1986 Oct-Oct | 56 | 7 | 12.5% | 89th |
| 1987 Jan-Mar | 50 | 20 | 40.0% | 96th |
| 1987 Apr-Jun | 123 | 69 | 56.1% | 96th |
| 1987 Jul-Sep | 120 | 55 | 45.8% | 96th |
| 1987 Oct-Dec | 127 | 15 | 11.8% | 84th |
| 1988 Jan-Mar | 84 | 76 | 90.5% | 96th |
| 1988 Apr-Jun | 137 | 137 | 100.0% | 96th |
| 1988 Jul-Sep | 127 | 94 | 74.0% | 96th |
| 1988 Oct-Oct | 31 | 5 | 16.1% | 68th |
| 1989 Jan-Mar | 26 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1989 Apr-Jun | 77 | 4 | 5.2% | 89th |
| 1989 Jul-Sep | 118 | 2 | 1.7% | 67th |
| 1989 Oct-Nov | 91 | 1 | 1.1% | 56th |
| 1990 Jan-Mar | 48 | 1 | 2.1% | 63rd |
| 1990 Apr-Jun | 95 | 1 | 1.1% | 43rd |
| 1990 Jul-Sep | 114 | 2 | 1.8% | 79th |
| 1990 Oct-Oct | 69 | 1 | 1.4% | 75th |
| 1991 Jan-Mar | 41 | 1 | 2.4% | 86th |
| 1991 Apr-Jun | 74 | 5 | 6.8% | 89th |
| 1991 Jul-Sep | 96 | 3 | 3.1% | 75th |
| 1991 Oct-Nov | 69 | 3 | 4.3% | 82nd |
| 1992 Jan-Mar | 61 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1992 Apr-Jun | 74 | 1 | 1.4% | 57th |
| 1992 Jul-Sep | 117 | 8 | 6.8% | 79th |
| 1992 Oct-Oct | 18 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1993 Feb-Mar | 93 | 2 | 2.2% | 77th |
| 1993 Apr-Jun | 99 | 3 | 3.0% | 69th |
| 1993 Jul-Sep | 109 | 4 | 3.7% | 83rd |
| 1993 Oct-Nov | 94 | 3 | 3.2% | 67th |
| 1994 Jan-Mar | 86 | 12 | 14.0% | 94th |
| 1994 Apr-Jun | 92 | 3 | 3.3% | 75th |
| 1994 Jul-Sep | 136 | 2 | 1.5% | 53rd |
| 1994 Oct-Dec | 15 | 2 | 13.3% | 86th |
| 1995 Jan-Mar | 125 | 6 | 4.8% | 74th |
| 1995 Apr-Jun | 171 | 8 | 4.7% | 85th |
| 1995 Jul-Sep | 184 | 3 | 1.6% | 64th |
| 1995 Oct-Dec | 133 | 6 | 4.5% | 92nd |
| 1996 Jan-Mar | 60 | 1 | 1.7% | 57th |
| 1996 Apr-Jun | 122 | 1 | 0.8% | 60th |
| 1996 Jul-Sep | 121 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1996 Oct-Oct | 3 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1997 Jan-Mar | 35 | 1 | 2.9% | 78th |
| 1997 Apr-Jun | 125 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1997 Jul-Sep | 103 | 7 | 6.8% | 92nd |
| 1997 Oct-Nov | 35 | 5 | 14.3% | 96th |
| 1998 Jan-Mar | 52 | 4 | 7.7% | 84th |
| 1998 Apr-Jun | 131 | 5 | 3.8% | 78th |
| 1998 Jul-Sep | 109 | 3 | 2.8% | 71st |
| 1998 Oct-Oct | 22 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1999 Jan-Mar | 81 | 2 | 2.5% | 78th |
| 1999 Apr-Jun | 111 | 9 | 8.1% | 91st |
| 1999 Jul-Sep | 112 | 3 | 2.7% | 78th |
| 1999 Oct-Nov | 70 | 1 | 1.4% | 53rd |
| 2000 Feb-Mar | 51 | 1 | 2.0% | 76th |
| 2000 Apr-Jun | 120 | 10 | 8.3% | 93rd |
| 2000 Jul-Sep | 89 | 3 | 3.4% | 75th |
| 2000 Oct-Dec | 38 | 3 | 7.9% | 64th |
| 2001 Jan-Mar | 63 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 2001 Apr-Jun | 157 | 5 | 3.2% | 89th |
| 2001 Jul-Sep | 68 | 3 | 4.4% | 74th |
| 2001 Oct-Dec | 92 | 1 | 1.1% | 44th |
| 2002 Jan-Mar | 59 | 1 | 1.7% | 34th |
| 2002 Apr-Jun | 107 | 2 | 1.9% | 48th |
| 2002 Jul-Sep | 61 | 4 | 6.6% | 89th |
| 2002 Oct-Nov | 26 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 2003 Jan-Mar | 112 | 20 | 17.9% | 93rd |
| 2003 Apr-Jun | 150 | 6 | 4.0% | 85th |
| 2003 Jul-Sep | 108 | 6 | 5.6% | 91st |
| 2003 Oct-Nov | 89 | 3 | 3.4% | 78th |
| 2004 Jan-Mar | 64 | 5 | 7.8% | 88th |
| 2004 Apr-Jun | 88 | 4 | 4.5% | 81st |
| 2004 Jul-Sep | 42 | 3 | 7.1% | 81st |
| 2004 Oct-Dec | 22 | 5 | 22.7% | 87th |
| 2005 Jan-Mar | 81 | 3 | 3.7% | 87th |
| 2005 Apr-Jun | 89 | 5 | 5.6% | 82nd |
| 2005 Jul-Sep | 76 | 5 | 6.6% | 88th |
| 2005 Oct-Dec | 120 | 17 | 14.2% | 96th |
| 2006 Jan-Mar | 83 | 7 | 8.4% | 94th |
| 2006 Apr-Jun | 107 | 14 | 13.1% | 95th |
| 2006 Jul-Sep | 73 | 3 | 4.1% | 79th |
| 2006 Nov-Dec | 16 | 10 | 62.5% | 99th |
| 2007 Jan-Mar | 126 | 33 | 26.2% | 97th |
| 2007 Apr-Jun | 112 | 33 | 29.5% | 94th |
| 2007 Jul-Sep | 119 | 39 | 32.8% | 95th |
| 2007 Oct-Dec | 85 | 68 | 80.0% | 97th |
| 2008 Jan-Mar | 85 | 4 | 4.7% | 84th |
| 2008 Apr-Jun | 77 | 16 | 20.8% | 94th |
| 2008 Jul-Sep | 47 | 13 | 27.7% | 97th |
| 2008 Oct-Dec | 6 | 3 | 50.0% | 98th |
| 2009 Jan-Mar | 5 | 3 | 60.0% | 98th |
Primary Sources
The information on this page is originally sourced from a variety of materials, including:
- unitedstates/congress-legislators, a community project gathering congressional information
- TheHouse andSenate websites, for committee membership and voting records
- United States Congressional Roll Call Voting Records, 1789-1990 by Howard L. Rosenthal and Keith T. Poole.
- Martis’s “The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress”, via Keith Poole’s roll call votes data set, for political party affiliation for Members of Congress from 1789 through about year 2000
- GPO Member Guide for the photo
- GovInfo.gov, for sponsored bills
