When you look at the Joe Biden political career, it’s easy to get lost in the noise of 2024 or the chaos of the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal. But honestly, most people forget he was first sworn into the Senate in a hospital room in 1973. He was 30 years old. Barely legal for the job. He was grieving the death of his wife, Neilia, and their daughter, Naomi, who had been killed in a car accident just weeks after his election.
That’s where the "Amtrak Joe" thing started. He didn't want to live in D.C. He wanted to be home in Delaware with his sons, Beau and Hunter. So he commuted. Every. Single. Day.
The Senate Years: More Than Just "Amtrak Joe"
Biden’s time in the Senate lasted 36 years. That’s a lifetime. If you look at his record from 1973 to 2009, he wasn’t always the "progressive" leader some modern voters might imagine. He was a creature of the Senate—a guy who believed in the "Old Guard" and backroom deals.
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He chaired two of the most powerful committees on the Hill: Judiciary and Foreign Relations.
The Crime Bill and Judicial Wars
You've probably heard critics bring up the 1994 Crime Bill. Formally known as the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, it’s one of the most controversial pieces of his legacy. Biden was the primary architect. It put more cops on the street and funded new prisons. While it was popular at the time—even with many Black community leaders—it’s now widely criticized for contributing to mass incarceration.
Then there were the Supreme Court hearings.
- Robert Bork (1987): Biden led the charge that defeated Bork’s nomination. It was so intense that "to bork" became a verb for tanking a nominee through political pressure.
- Clarence Thomas (1991): This one didn't go as well for him. His handling of Anita Hill’s testimony is still a sore spot for many. He later expressed regret, but for many, the damage was done.
Foreign Policy Instincts
Biden has always considered himself a foreign policy expert. He traveled the world. He met the dictators. He met the kings. He famously opposed the Gulf War in 1991 but voted for the Iraq War in 2002. It’s a vote that would haunt his later presidential runs. He basically argued that he was misled by the Bush administration's intelligence, but in the Senate, your vote is your bond.
The Vice Presidency: A "Big Deal"
When Barack Obama picked him in 2008, it was a move for "gray hair" experience. Obama was the young, charismatic newcomer; Biden was the steady hand who knew where the bathrooms were in the Capitol.
As Vice President, he was the "closer."
- The Stimulus: He oversaw the 2009 Recovery Act.
- Iraq Withdrawal: He was the point man for drawing down troops.
- The ACA: He was famously caught on a hot mic telling Obama that passing the Affordable Care Act was a "big f***ing deal."
He was also the guy who pushed Obama on same-sex marriage. In 2012, Biden went on Meet the Press and said he was "absolutely comfortable" with it. He basically forced the President’s hand. It was a classic Biden moment: unscripted, risky, and ultimately effective.
The 46th President: A Coda or a New Chapter?
Biden’s presidency (2021–2025) was defined by a massive legislative push that often got overshadowed by his age. People talk about his stumbles, but they forget the Inflation Reduction Act or the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
Basically, he tried to do "New Deal" level spending with a razor-thin majority.
The end of the Joe Biden political career was, well, messy. After a rough debate performance in June 2024, the pressure from his own party became a tidal wave. He stepped aside in July 2024, endorsing Kamala Harris. He didn't leave because he wanted to; he left because the math didn't work anymore.
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In his farewell address in early 2025, he warned about "an avalanche of misinformation" and the rise of oligarchy. He sounded like a man who had seen 50 years of history and was genuinely worried about the next 50.
What to Watch for Next
If you're trying to understand the full weight of Biden's impact on American law, don't just read the headlines.
- Audit the Legislative Record: Look into the CHIPS and Science Act. It’s the most significant effort in decades to bring tech manufacturing back to the U.S.
- Study the Judicial Appointments: Biden appointed Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court, but more importantly, he set records for appointing public defenders and diverse judges to lower federal courts. This will change the legal landscape for a generation.
- Check the Presidential Library: As his papers become public in the coming years, we'll likely see the "behind-the-scenes" of his decisions on Ukraine and the Gaza war, which remain the most debated parts of his foreign policy legacy.
Instead of just following the social media clips, go to the American Presidency Project or the Congress.gov archives. You'll find that the man was a lot more complicated—and perhaps a lot more effective—than a 15-second soundbite suggests.