5. Political career
The family tragedy made Biden unsure whether he should take his Senate seat, but he ultimately did. On January 5, 1973, the young Joe Biden was sworn in as US Senator of Delaware at his son’s bedside in the hospital. Even so, the then-single dad vowed that he’d step down if his Senate duties took too much time away from his sons.
Two years later, he became a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Biden went on to serve in the Senate for about 36 years, until 2009. He gained both praise and criticism during his time spent in the Senate, where he engaged in areas such as foreign affairs, criminal justice, and judicial appointments.
During his time in the Senate, the young Joe Biden commuted from Wilmington to Washington every day. That’s also the period when he remarried his current wife, Jill Tracy Jacobs. The two have a daughter together, Ashley.
