Joe Biden as Vice President Under Obama
Joe Biden served as Vice President for both of Barack Obama's terms, from January 20, 2009, to January 20, 2017. He was the running mate on the 2008 Democratic ticket and again on the 2012 ticket. Biden led the administration's economic recovery efforts, including oversight of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, a $787 billion stimulus package designed to counter the Great Recession. He also chaired the White House Task Force on the Middle Class and worked on the 2010 Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act. On foreign policy, Biden was involved in the 2011 operation that killed Osama bin Laden and supported the drawdown of U.S. troops in Iraq. During Obama's second term, he pushed for the Violence Against Women Act reauthorization in 2013 and the 2015 FAST Act for transportation funding. Biden's role is documented by the White House historical records and the U.S. Senate archives Joe Biden Senate biography.
Biden's influence in the Obama cabinet extended to the auto industry bailout and the 2014 Cancer Moonshot initiative. He also oversaw the implementation of the 2010 Affordable Care Act provisions and worked on gun violence prevention after the Sandy Hook shooting in 2012. His public approval ratings as VP remained consistently high, often above 60 percent in Gallup polling during the first term. Biden's relationship with the Senate, where he had served for 36 years prior, helped the administration pass the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. The act created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and introduced stricter regulations on systemically important financial institutions. Biden's experience in legislative deal-making was a central asset for the Obama White House Forbes analysis of Biden's economic role.
Kamala Harris as Vice President Under Obama's Legacy Framework
Kamala Harris was not Vice President during Obama's terms; she became Vice President in 2021 under President Joe Biden. However, she is often discussed in the context of Obama's VP legacy because Biden served in that role for both of Obama's terms and later selected Harris as his own running mate. Harris is the first woman, first Black American, and first South Asian American to hold the U.S. vice presidency. Before her election, she served as San Francisco District Attorney and then as California Attorney General from 2011 to 2017. She was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2016 and served on the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Her career in law enforcement and prosecution shaped her policy focus on criminal justice reform, healthcare, and climate policy.
As Vice President, Harris has taken on specific policy portfolios including immigration, the economy, and reproductive rights. She has publicly addressed issues such as the 2022 Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization and its impact on state abortion laws. Harris has also led administration efforts on semiconductor manufacturing and technology regulation, aligning with the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022. Her office has focused on supporting small businesses and addressing housing affordability. The transition from Biden's vice presidency under Obama to his presidency and Harris's selection as VP reflects a direct continuity in Democratic leadership White House Vice President Harris page