Interesting Presidential Facts About Joe Biden

Biden is a former vice president and won the Democratic nomination for president in 1972. He was also a professor at Widener University and a supporter of Amtrak. But did you know that Biden has had two brain aneurysms?

Biden won the Democratic nomination for president in 1972

Joe Biden first got his name in the public eye as a young senator from Delaware. At 29, he had just won his seat in the Senate and had little cash to run an ad campaign. His campaign was so low-key that a staffer recorded voter comments on a simple microphone. During that race, he lost his wife and infant daughter to a car crash. After winning the nomination, Biden contemplated resigning from his seat in the Senate. Nevertheless, he stayed in his seat and commuted home from his seat in Delaware each night.

The next two decades have been a struggle for both candidates. In 1972, Muskie was the runner-up in the Democratic primary and would have been the winner of the general election. In fact, Muskie’s strategy in 1973 could have ended with Biden in the White House. But this time, he had a clear path to victory, and his campaign was on a path to become president again.

He had brain surgery after two aneurysms

In June, vice presidential candidate Joe Biden underwent brain surgery after discovering that he had two aneurysms on the left side of his brain. The operation, called a microsurgical craniotomy, took place at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Biden was given a 50 percent chance of surviving and could awaken with significant deficits. Because of the risks associated with such a complication, Biden was completely isolated during his recovery. His wife Jill took the decision to keep him out of the news, and would not allow him to answer any calls until he was recovered.

The first aneurysm in Biden’s brain was removed with the use of a scalpel, but the second aneurysm developed several weeks later. Biden’s doctor, Dr. Kassell, said that a four-letter expletive was uttered during the surgery. The doctor was able to deal with the complication by using a microscope. Biden did not mention the second surgery in his autobiography.

He was an adjunct professor at Widener University

Before running for vice president, Joe Biden was an adjunct professor at Widen University School of Law. He has taught constitutional law there for 17 years and regularly co-taught a constitutional law class with colleague Bob Hayman. The pair would alternate leading Saturday morning seminars on the constitution. He guarantees his students’ attendance for at least half of the class. But his tenure at Widener doesn’t end there.

The university also employs lobbyists. Since 2001, Widener has been able to gain federal earmarks for programs. In the 2005 appropriations cycle, Widener received two earmarks, one for a clinical psychology program and one for technology infrastructure upgrades at its Harrisburg campus. As vice president, Biden was actively involved in the political process and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his efforts.

He was a supporter of Amtrak

Amtrak is the nation’s passenger train system. Amtrak trains travel at 150 mph and are capable of operating over existing infrastructure. There are over 30 train routes in the United States and more than 500 destinations in 46 states. Vice President Biden has earmarked $80 billion of his infrastructure plan for Amtrak. But how will a new president support Amtrak? Until now, only George W. Bush and Hillary Clinton have backed the service, but a Biden campaign could pressure the leaders to invest in the railroad.

According to the Associated Press, Joe Biden was an advocate of Amtrak. He made numerous trips to Delaware by train as a vice president. He had already flown 1.2 million miles prior to this trip. His aides and staff have claimed that he made the trip during his fourth or fifth year as vice president. Biden’s support for Amtrak has prompted many conservative groups to criticize him for distorting the timeline.

He has signed more executive orders than any other president

The Vice President’s first 100 days have been busy, with more executive actions than any of his immediate predecessors combined. Although these aren’t barrier-breaking acts, Biden has signed more executive orders than any other president, which is no small feat, considering the number of presidential memoranda he has signed. He is also signing proclamations, presidential memoranda, and letters as he tries to exercise his executive powers.

In his first week in office, Joe Biden has signed more executive orders than his predecessors. His executive orders include not only regulations, but also memorandums of interest to the public. Of these, 29 of them are published in the Federal Register. As of Feb. 8, Biden has signed 43 executive actions. Compared to Obama and Trump, Biden has already out-signed his predecessors by more than half.

He is the first Roman Catholic to be vice president

President-elect Joe Biden has spoken frequently about his Catholic faith and the role his religion plays in his life, quoting from the Bible and attending Mass regularly. In fact, Catholics make up one-fifth of the U.S. population, and the Catholic church has long been a prominent part of American life. Until now, only John F. Kennedy and John Kerry have been nominated for the presidency as a Catholic.

The Washington Post’s E.J. Dionne recently argued that Biden’s worldview is shaped by the era of the two Johns. During the Kennedy administration, Pope John XXIII reigned in Rome and Catholics were finally given a place in American politics. Many Catholics were comforted by John XXIII’s approach to social justice and peace.