Profiles of vice-presidential candidates

Joseph Biden Jr, Vice-President:

Joe Biden Jr was born in Pennsylvania on November 4, 1942, but grew up in Delaware. He graduated from Syracuse Law School in New York, and at the age of 29 was elected to the Senate, becoming one of the youngest senators in US history. He represented Delaware in the Senate from 1972 until 2009, when he resigned after being elected Vice-President.

Biden ran for president in 1988 and 2008, but dropped out at early stages on both occasions. In August of 2008, Barack Obama announced that he had selected Biden to be his running mate.

As vice-president, Biden has played an important role in both domestic and foreign policy. He oversees implementation of Obama’s stimulus bill, and he played an important role in working with House Republicans to produce a compromise tax package that extended Bush tax cuts temporarily. He was also a crucial negotiator in the US debt ceiling crisis in 2011, and his work helped create the Budget Control Act of 2011, which prevented the US from defaulting on its debts.

Biden has extensive foreign policy experience from his days as a Delaware senator, when he was a member of the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. He also chaired the committee three times. He dealt with issues related to the then Soviet Union, as well as Middle Eastern issues such as the 1991 Gulf War, which he opposed. He voted in favour of the 2001 war in Afghanistan and the 2003 invasion of Iraq, though he opposed an increase in troops there in 2007.

As vice-president, Biden has helped pass the START treaty with Russia, aimed at decreasing the arsenal of nuclear weapons. He has visited Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq, and supports the Obama administration’s policy of strengthening relations with Asia Pacific countries.

Paul Ryan, Republican vice-presidential nominee:

Paul Ryan currently serves as a Wisconsin representative in Congress, a position he has had since 1998. He is one of the youngest representatives in Congress.

Ryan was born in Wisconsin on January 29, 1970, and received degrees in economics and political science from Miami University in Ohio. Republican candidate Mitt Romney announced him as his running mate in August. Ryan is running for reelection to his position in Congress simultaneously with his vice-presidential bid, which he is allowed to do according to Wisconsin law.

Ryan is most well-known for his 2011 budget proposal, which would lower taxes, freeze discretionary spending for five years, and cut entitlement programmes, with the ultimate goal of eliminating the deficit. It would also turn Medicare into a voucher programme and privatise a portion of Social Security.

Ryan was also a member of the 2010 Bowles-Simpson Commission, which was charged with developing a plan to reduce the deficit. He voted against the Commission’s recommendations.

On foreign policy, Ryan voted in favour of the Iraq invasion, and in 2007 voted for an increase in troops there. He has also voted to increase military spending in Afghanistan. As part of his budget, he advocated for cuts in military spending, and he has also supported increased sanctions on Iran. In general, Ryan seems to be following Romney’s lead when it comes to foreign policy.

Ryan, a Catholic, is also known for his extremely conservative social views, opposing abortion even in cases of rape or incest. He also supports giving fetuses equal rights and protection in accordance with the 14th amendment. Ryan has often cited his Catholic values as driving his budget plans, a statement that has been widely rejected by the Catholic community in the United States.