SLOTUS Dr. Jill Biden Joins VP At Global Citizen Festival, Pope Francis Sendoff Meeting
Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, appeared at the Global Citizen festival in New York City yesterday, where the V.P. spoke before a jubilant crowd.
“There are many different issues that bring us here tonight: extreme poverty, climate change, standing up for women and girls,” Vice President Biden stated, “But, while each of these concerns are distinct, there’s a deeper truth and that is all of them are strands of a fabric of our common humanity.”
The vice president then spoke about how his father taught him and his siblings that everyone in the world deserves to be treated with dignity and that anytime anyone is treated without, citizens are obligated to care, to bear witness and to work together with others toward change.
At the Global Citizen Festival, Joe Biden joked that his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, is 30 years younger than him, when in actual fact she is 64-years of age, only eight years younger than the vice president.
Even though Biden has not officially entered the presidential race, he commands 17 percent of Democratic voter favor in recent polling, as reported by Politico. The polls show that a Biden presidential run would draw support away from former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who has already announced her candidacy.
Some have speculated that Jill Biden may have presented an obstacle to her husband throwing his hat in the presidential ring. However, Jill Biden‘s spokesperson, James Gleeson, stated that “of course” the Second Lady of the United States would be “on board” if the vice president decided to announce his candidacy, according to reports from CNN. Vice President Biden is reportedly still undecided on the matter.
This evening, Pope Francis said goodbye to the United States to fly back to the Vatican. Joe and Jill Biden were scheduled to have met with the pope in a private meeting at 8 p.m. before he boarded his plane. Mr. and Mrs. Biden were at the airport to see Pope Francis depart, according to reports from Local 10.
In 2007, Jill Biden completed her Doctorate of Education with the University of Delaware, as reported by the Washington Post. Additionally, she has earned two master’s degrees. Perhaps not wanting her instructors to feel any pressure, Jill Biden was reported to have earned her doctorate studying under her birth name, Jacobs.
Dr. Biden has been employed as a professor at Northern Virginia Community College since 2009 and it is believed that she may be first First or Second Lady to hold employment while her husband was in office, reports the Los Angeles Times.
Jill Biden founded the Biden Breast Health Initiative in 1993 to raise awareness about the disease after four of her friends were diagnosed, reports The White House. The initiative has reportedly spread awareness about the importance of early breast cancer detection to 7,000 high school girls in Delaware.
The Biden’s son, Beau, died, tragically, at 45-years of age after suffering from brain cancer for five years, reports The White House Blog. Their daughter Ashley, works as Executive Director of the Delaware Center for Justice and as a social worker. Their second son, Hunter, is Chairman of the World Food Program USA and is employed as a lawyer. The Bidens also have five grandchildren.
First Lady Michelle Obama and Jill Biden worked together to form Joining Forces, a nationwide challenge for community members to find ways of supporting members of the military and veterans at a local level. In 2012, Dr. Biden promoted the Community College to Career initiative with a nationwide tour highlighting partnerships between employers and colleges and the benefits afforded to those who pursue higher education and learn valuable skills.
[Photo by Theo Wargo / Getty Images — Photo by Ronald Martinez / Getty Images — Photo by Ronald Martinez / Getty Images]
