Given His Horrible Track Record On Handling Public Health Crises, It's No Surprise Joe Biden Has Turned To Spreading False And Misleading Claims During The Coronavirus Crisis

The Facts:

DEMOCRAT PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE JOE BIDEN, RATHER THAN HELP UNITE THE COUNTRY, HAS MADE NUMEROUS FALSE OR MISLEADING CLAIMS CONCERNING THE CORONAVIRUS

BIDEN'S FALSE CLAIMS ABOUT CORONAVIRUS FOLLOW HIS HORRIBLE TRACK RECORD ON HANDLING PUBLIC HEALTH CRISES WHILE IN OFFICE

Over the course of his career, Biden has supported laws that have made the opioid epidemic " far deadlier " than it had to be, according to public health experts.

During the swine flu outbreak of 2009, the Obama White House had to publicly apologize for the fear caused by Biden's comments to NBC regarding the flu.

During the HIV/AIDs epidemic, Biden supported a highly unpopular amendment, one that categorized HIV as a dangerous infectious disease and banned HIV-positive immigrants and tourists, that was considered a major embarrassment to the Clinton administration.

In 2007, Biden generated controversy by saying he went into the "black sections" of town trying to convince black men to wear condoms to stop the spread of AIDS.

DEMOCRAT PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE JOE BIDEN, RATHER THAN HELP UNITE THE COUNTRY, HAS MADE NUMEROUS FALSE OR MISLEADING CLAIMS CONCERNING THE CORONAVIRUS TO THE AMERICAN PUBLIC

When The Trump Administration Instituted A Travel Ban On Individuals Who Could Potentially Have The Virus, Joe Biden Accused The Administration Of "Hysterical Xenophobia"

On January 31, The Trump Administration Declared A Public Health Emergency And Said It Would Suspend Entry Into The United States By Any Foreign Nationals Who Had Traveled To China In The Last 14 Days. "The Trump administration restricted travel from China The Trump administration said it would suspend entry into the United States by any foreign nationals who had traveled to China in the last 14 days, excluding the immediate family members of American citizens or permanent residents. By this date, 213 people had died and nearly 9,800 had been infected worldwide." ( The New York Times , Updated 2/27/20)

Just Days Later, Former Vice President Joe Biden Hammered President Trump On His Response To The Coronavirus Saying "This Is No Time For Donald Trump's Record Of Hysteria And Xenophobia - Hysterical Xenophobia - And Fearmongering." "Former Vice President Joe Biden hammered President Trump for cutting health programs amid an outbreak of the coronavirus that originated in China and has since spread to the U.S. 'We have, right now, a crisis with the coronavirus,' Biden said in Iowa Friday. 'this is no time for Donald Trump's record of hysteria and xenophobia - hysterical xenophobia - and fearmongering to lead the way instead of science.'" ( The Hill , 2/1/20)

Biden Publicly Called On President Trump To Invoke The Defense Production Act After The President Had Already Invoked The Act

Joe Gabriel Simonson, A Reporter For The Washington Examiner, Called Out Vice President Joe Biden For Demanding President Trump To Invoke The Defense Production Act Minutes After President Trump Invoked The Act. ( Twitter Feed , 3/18/20)

In Early March, The Biden Campaign Posted A Doctored Video That Was Edited To Show President Trump Said The Coronavirus Was A "Hoax;" This Video Was Immediately Shot Down By Fact Checkers As False Despite Mainstream Media Running It

At A Rally In South Carolina On March 2, President Trump Accused Democrats Of Politicizing The Coronavirus Outbreak Arguing The False Narrative That His Administration Had Fumbled Response Efforts Was Another In A Long Of Hoaxes Pushed By Democrats To Smear The Trump Administration. "The kerfuffle began at the rally in North Charleston, South Carolina when Trump accused the Democrats of 'politicizing' the coronavirus outbreak. 'Now the Democrats are politicizing the coronavirus, you know that, right?' he said. 'Coronavirus, they're politicizing it. We did one of the great jobs. You say, 'How's President Trump doing?' They go, 'Oh, not good, not good.' They have no clue. They don't have any clue. They can't even count their votes in Iowa.' Then the president, who often dismissed special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation as a hoax, continued, 'They tried the impeachment hoax. That was on a perfect conversation. They tried anything. They tried it over and over. They'd been doing it since you got in. It's all turning. They lost. It's all turning. Think of it. Think of it. And this is their new hoax.' Trump went on to praise his administration for taking 'the most aggressive action in modern history to prevent the spread of this illness in the United States,' referring to travel restrictions on foreign nationals who recently visited China." ( FactCheck.org , 3/3/20)

A Day Later, Joe Biden Tweeted A Video That Made It Seem President Trump Was Calling The Disease Itself A Hoax By Editing Out Nearly A Minute Between The Two Clips, Eliminating The Context That Makes It Clear President Trump Was Not Talking About The Virus Itself. "In a video tweeted March 3, Joe Biden's campaign made it look like President Donald Trump called the 2019 coronavirus outbreak a 'hoax' … The video cycles through a slew of soundbites from Trump. One clip shows the president's Feb. 28 rally in North Charleston, S.C. 'Coronavirus - this is their new hoax,' Trump is pictured saying. The video makes it seem like Trump is calling the disease itself a hoax, which he hasn't done. The words are Trump's, but the editing is Biden's. During the North Charleston rally, there was nearly a minute between when Trump said 'coronavirus' and 'hoax.'" ( PolitiFact , 3/15/20)

PolitiFact Rated Biden's Video "False." "Biden's video is inaccurate. We rate it False." ( PolitiFact , 3/15/20)

The Washington Post : "The Full Quote Shows Trump Is Criticizing Democratic Talking Points And The Media's Coverage Of His Administration's Response To Coronavirus. He Never Says That The Virus Itself Is A Hoax." "The full quote shows Trump is criticizing Democratic talking points and the media's coverage of his administration's response to coronavirus. He never says that the virus itself is a hoax, and although the Biden camp included the word 'their,' the edit does not make clear to whom or what Trump is referring." ( The Washington Post , 3/13/20)

Joe Biden Falsely Said That Trump Turned Down Testing Kits From The World Health Organization Despite The Organization Never Offering Testing Kits To The U.S.

During A Democrat Primary Debate, Former Vice President Joe Biden Said That The World Health Organization Offered The Testing Kits That They Have Available To Give To The U.S. "Now" And President Trump Refused Them. "Joe Biden stated on March 15, 2020 in a Democratic primary debate: 'The World Health Organization offered the testing kits that they have available and to give it to us now. We refused them. We did not want to buy them.'" ( PolitiFact , 3/15/20)

PolitiFact: The World Health Organization "Never Offered To Sell Test Kits To The United States" And All Other Developed Countries With Advanced Research Capabilities Developed Their Own Tests. "The WHO never offered to sell test kits to the United States. The CDC opted to develop its own coronavirus test and did not use the WHO's protocol for the test. Other developed countries with advanced research capabilities developed their own tests." ( PolitiFact , 3/15/20)

Biden Has Said That Trump Cut Funding For The Centers For Disease Control; In Reality, Funding For The CDC Has Gone Up Under The Trump Administration

Former Vice President Joe Biden Said The Trump Administration Had "Cut The Funding For The CDC." "But Democrats, including Biden, also have dropped the qualifier 'tried' from their claims, saying uncategorically that Trump had reduced the CDC funding. On ABC's 'This Week' on March 1, Biden said: 'They've cut the funding for the CDC.'" ( FactCheck.org , 3/3/20)

CDC Funding Has Gone Up Under President Trump. "The CDC's operating budgets, not adjusted for inflation, show the CDC funding has gone up a bit under Trump." ( FactCheck.org , 3/3/20)

The Associated Press : "The National Institutes Of Health And The Centers For Disease Control And Prevention Aren't Suffering From Budget Cuts That Never Took Effect." "The National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention aren't suffering from budget cuts that never took effect." ( The Associated Press , 2/26/20)

PolitiFact: "It's Not Accurate To Say That Trump 'Cut' Funding For The Centers For Disease Control And Prevention." "It's not accurate to say that Trump 'cut' funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention … As the chart below shows, funding increased every year from fiscal year 2017 to fiscal year 2020. (We have not included the 2017 proposal, since that was submitted by the Obama administration. The figures for 2020 are preliminary." ( PolitiFact , 3/18/20)

John Auerbach, President Of The Nonpartisan Trust For America's Health, Dismissed Claims That President Trump Decimated The CDC, Saying The Organizations Response To The Coronavirus "Has Been Excellent." "'The CDC's response has been excellent, as it has been in the past,' said John Auerbach, president of the nonpartisan Trust for America's Health, which works with government at all levels to improve the nation's response to high-risk health crises. Some Democrats have charged that Trump decimated the nation's public health leadership, but Auerbach said CDC's top scientific ranks have remained stable during the past three years." ( The Associated Press , 2/26/20)

Biden Falsely Accused President Trump Of Firing The NSC Team In Charge Of Pandemic Response When In Reality The Office Had Been Reorganized In 2018

Vox Reported That The Trump Administration "Disbanded" The Team In Charge Of Pandemic Response In Spring 2018. "The Trump administration, with John Bolton newly at the helm of the White House National Security Council, began dismantling the team in charge of pandemic response, firing its leadership and disbanding the team in spring 2018." ( Vox , 3/14/20)

Former Vice President Joe Biden Said That Trump Had "Eliminated" The Office In Charge Of Pandemic Response. "Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said in a March 1 interview that Trump 'eliminated that office.'" ( The Washington Free Beacon , 3/17/20)

In May 2018, Rear Adm. Timothy Ziemer, Senior Director Of Global Health And Security, The NSC Team Responsible For Pandemic Response, Left The Administration And The Global Health Team He Headed Was Reorganized . "In May 2018, Rear Adm. Timothy Ziemer, the senior director of global health and biodefense on the National Security Council, left the administration. He was in charge of the U.S. response to pandemics. After Ziemer's departure, the global health team was reorganized as part of an effort by then-National Security Adviser John Bolton. Meanwhile, Tom Bossert, a homeland security adviser who recommended strong defenses against disease, left shortly after Bolton arrived." ( PolitiFact , 3/18/20)

The Washington Post Gave Biden Four Pinocchios For Falsely Claiming A Top Official At The Centers For Disease Control Was "Silenced"

The Biden Campaign Claimed In A Viral Video That Received More Than 4 Million Views That A Career Official At The Centers For Disease Control, Dr. Nancy Messonier, Was Silenced For Speaking Up About The Coronavirus. "All the while, anyone who raised an alarm about this - a red flag - was silenced. Look no further than Dr. Nancy Messonnier, a career official at the Centers for Disease Control who was the first to raise the alarm. … Starting the next day, Dr. Messonnier no longer appeared at public briefings of the White House coronavirus task force. The president and the White House sent a clear message to scientists in the government - there would be a price for speaking out and speaking up." ( The Washington Post , 03/24/20)

The Washington Post Fact Checked The Viral Video Saying It Created A False Narrative And Awarded It Four Pinocchios . "But instead, the video created a false narrative. The Biden campaign earns Four Pinocchios." ( The Washington Post , 03/24/20)

However, The Washington Post Reported That Messonnier Continued To Hold Regular Telephone Briefings With Reporters And Had Not Been Silenced By The Administration. "Messonnier continued to hold her regular telephone briefings with reporters for another two weeks. The task force briefings moved to the White House after Pence was named to head the task force, but Messonnier was not a regular participant and she appears not to have been senior enough to share the stage with the president. And although the CDC's voice has been muted in recent weeks, that development does not appear related to her Feb. 25 comments." ( The Washington Post , 03/24/20)

The Washington Post : "No Excuse For This Video To Claim Messonnier Was Silenced." "But that's no excuse for this video to claim Messonnier was silenced when, in fact, she kept briefing reporters. Klain would have been on more solid ground to refer to the reporting that Messonnier's message annoyed Trump." ( The Washington Post , 03/24/20)

Biden Has Even Lied About Saying He Hasn't Criticized The President's Coronavirus Response

On March 24, 2020, Biden Told ABC's The View That He Has "Not Been Criticizing The President" On His Handling Of The Coronavirus. "I've not been criticizing the president, but I've been pointing out where there's disagreement as to how to proceed,' Biden said on ABC's The View. 'The coronavirus is not his fault, but the lack of speed and alacrity with which to respond to it has to move much faster.'" ( The Free Beacon , 03/24/20)

The Very Same Day, The Biden Campaign Sent An Email About Holding The President "Accountable For His Failures In Handling This Pandemic." "On the same day his campaign sent an email about holding the president 'accountable for his failures in handling this pandemic,' presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden claimed not to have criticized President Donald Trump's response to the coronavirus." ( The Free Beacon , 03/24/20)

BIDEN'S FALSE CLAIMS ABOUT CORONAVIRUS ARE CONSISTENT WITH HIS HORRIBLE TRACK RECORD ON HANDLING PUBLIC HEALTH CRISES

Over The Course Of His Career, Democrat Presidential Candidate Joe Biden Has Supported Laws That Have Made The Opioid Epidemic "Far Deadlier" Than It Had To Be According To Public Health Experts

In 2019, Politico Reported That Democrat Presidential Candidate Joe Biden Has Supported Laws Throughout His Career That Have Made The Opioid Epidemic "Far Deadlier" Than It Had To Be. "The reality of Biden's long career as a drug warrior, however, suggests something different: That he didn't get "stuck with" writing drug legislation; he chose to make it a priority of his 36-year tenure in the Senate. In the War on Drugs, Biden was the ​"tough on crime" face of the Democratic Party, used his legislative skills to forge a bipartisan consensus for severe anti-drug legislation and specifically wrote or sponsored several laws that public health experts believe have, over the course of the opioid crisis, made it far deadlier than it has to be." ( Politico , 5/23/19)

Since The Late 1990's, More Than 700,000 Americans Have Died From Drug Overdoses, More Than The Amount Of American Killed In Vietnam And Iraq Combined. "Since the late 1990s, more than 700,000 Americans have died from drug overdoses, and for each of the past four years, more Americans have died from drug overdoses than were killed in the wars in Vietnam and Iraq combined. Unless America drastically changes course, an estimated 500,000 more people are expected to die from an overdose in the next decade. Because of overdose deaths, America's life expectancy has fallen for the past three years-which, as economists have noted, is unusual for a country that isn't at war." ( Politico , 5/23/19)

In 2003, Biden Expanded A Law, Intended For Crack Cocaine In The 80's, To "Allow Prosecutors To Go After The Operators Of Temporary Locations Where Drugs Are Used, Like The Owners Of Warehouses Or Fields Where Music Festivals Are Held." "'The abuse of crack cocaine is reaching epidemic proportions,' Biden said while introducing the 1986 Emergency Crack Control Act on the Senate floor-legislation he co-sponsored, which was later folded into the Anti-Drug Abuse Act. '[We] are proposing new criminal offenses with stiff penalties for … opening or maintaining a building, or 'crack house,' where the drug is produced, sold and used.' The law makes it illegal to 'knowingly open, lease, rent, use or maintain any place, whether permanently or temporarily, for the purpose of manufacturing, distributing or using any controlled substance,' or to 'manage or control any place … and knowingly … make available for use, with or without compensation, the place for the purpose of unlawfully … using a controlled substance.' Far from simply being a relic of the crack era, Biden expanded the statute in the early 2000s by authoring the Reducing Americans' Vulnerability to Ecstasy, or RAVE Act, in response to fears about the use of MDMA, also known as Ecstasy, at raves. Whereas the crack-house statute originally applied to permanent locations, Biden's RAVE Act-which was signed into law in 2003 as a section of the PROTECT Act-expanded the provision to allow prosecutors to go after the operators of temporary locations where drugs are used, like the owners of warehouses or fields where music festivals are held." ( Politico , 5/23/19)

In 2001, Biden Claimed That If He Was A Governor, He Would Be Passing "New Ordinances Relating To Stiff Criminal Penalties For Anyone Who Held A Rave," And Place In Jail The Promoters, And People Who Owned The Properties. "'If I were governor of my state or mayor of my town,' Biden said in a 2001 hearing on ecstasy, 'I would be passing new ordinances relating to stiff criminal penalties for anyone who held a rave. The promoter, the guy who owned the building, I'd put the son of a gun in jail!' Apparently referencing the annual Burning Man festival in Black Rock, Nevada, Biden added, 'There is no doubt about where these raves are: in the middle of the desert!'" ( Politico , 5/23/19)

Yet, Now As Cities Look To New Approaches To Reduce Opioid Overdose Deaths, "Federal Prosecutors Are Arguing That Owners And Operators Of Overdose Prevention Sites Would Be In Violation Of Biden's Crack-House Statute." "Throughout the country, as cities look to new approaches to reduce opioid overdose deaths, federal prosecutors are arguing that owners and operators of overdose prevention sites would be in violation of Biden's crack-house statute." ( Politico , 5/23/19)

The Threat Of Federal Lawsuits, Because Of Laws Like Biden's, Has Prevented Cities From Opening Overdose Prevention Sites. "In recent years, medical experts and activists in cities including Denver, Seattle, New York and San Francisco have mobilized to try and open overdose prevention sites. But the threat of federal lawsuits like the one in Philadelphia has stalled their efforts." ( Politico , 5/23/19)

Research Shows That The No. 1 Reason Why People Don't Call 911 For Help During Overdoses Is Thanks To A Law Co-Authored By Biden-A Crack-Era Provision That Is Part Of What Is Collectively Known As The "Len Bias Law," That Imposed Life Imprisonment For Any Person Who Distributed Drugs Resulting In A Fatal Overdose. "Research shows that the No. 1 reason people cite for not calling 911 for help during overdoses is the possibility they'll face criminal charges. And that's a fear that exists in large part thanks to another law co-authored by Biden-a crack-era provision that, along with copycat legislation at the state level, is part of what is collectively known as the 'Len Bias Law.' Bias was a college basketball star who died in 1986 from a cocaine-related seizure two days after the Boston Celtics selected him with the second overall pick in the NBA draft. The nation was shocked and politicians felt pressure to do something, culminating in a new federal law that imposed life imprisonment for any person who distributed drugs resulting in a fatal overdose." ( Politico , 5/23/19)

After Biden's Crime Bill, The Incarcerated Population In America Doubled, From 1994 To 2009, With 12 Percent Of People Incarcerated In U.S. Jails Reporting Regular Use Of Opioids. "From 1994 to 2009, the incarcerated population doubled. Today, nearly 2.3 million Americans are in prisons, jails and other detention facilities-a fact with especially grim consequences during the opioid crisis. Around 12 percent of people incarcerated in U.S. jails report regular use of opioids. Behind bars, people are unlikely to receive treatment for opioid-use disorder, especially if those treatments require the use of medications like buprenorphine or methadone." ( Politico , 5/23/19)

"One 2017 Report From The Massachusetts Department Of Public Health Found That After Being Released From Prison Or Jail, Formerly Incarcerated People Were 120 Times More Likely Than The Average Citizen To Die Of An Opioid-Related Overdose." "Which means that once released, people are likely to start using opioids all over again, only with a diminished tolerance, and are exponentially more likely than the general population to die from a drug overdose. One 2017 report from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health found that after being released from prison or jail, formerly incarcerated people were 120 times more likely than the average citizen to die of an opioid-related overdose." ( Politico , 5/23/19)

During The Swine Flu Outbreak Of 2009, The White House Had To Publicly Apologize for the Fear Caused By Then Vice President Joe Biden's Comments On The Flu For Inciting A Panic

In April 2009, Then-Vice President Joe Biden Said On NBC He Would Tell His Family To Avoid Traveling On Airplanes Or Going Into Confined Spaces Like Subways, Cars Or Classrooms Due To The Swine Flu. MATT LAUER: "If a member of your family came to you and said look, I want to go on a commercial airliner to Mexico and back in the next week, would you think that's a good idea." VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: "I would tell members of my family and I have. I wouldn't go anywhere In confined places now. It's not that it's going to Mexico it's you're in a confined aircraft where one person sneezes it goes all the way through the aircraft. That's me, I would not be at this point if they had another way of transportation suggesting they ride the subway so from my perspective what it relates to is mitigation. If you're out in the middle of a field and someone sneezes that's one thing. If you're in a closed aircraft, or closed container, or closed car or closed classroom it is a different thing." (NBC's "The Today Show," 4/30/09)

"The Official Word From The White House That Week Was That The Swine Flu Outbreak Was Not A Cause For Alarm." "The official word from the White House that week was that the swine flu outbreak was not a cause for alarm. Then came Biden, suggesting on national TV that people avoid planes, subways and classrooms to keep from catching the bug." ( Time , 12/8/09)

Then-Vice President Biden's Spokeswoman Elizabeth Alexander Quickly Issued A Statement Walking Back Biden's Remarks. "Biden's spokeswoman, Elizabeth Alexander, released a statement shortly after the vice president's remarks, saying, 'The advice he is giving family members is the same advice the administration is giving to all Americans: that they should avoid unnecessary air travel to and from Mexico. If they are sick, they should avoid airplanes and other confined public spaces, such as subways. This is the advice the vice president has given family members who are traveling by commercial airline this week.'" ( ABC News , 4/30/09)

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs Apologized At A Press Briefing For Biden's Remarks. "Biden's press team quickly sent out a statement after the interview claiming that he was trying to warn people who already had swine flu to avoid enclosed spaces, and White House press secretary Robert Gibbs at his daily briefing apologized on Biden's behalf." ( Time , 12/8/09)

White House Reporters Laughed As Gibbs Said "I'm Telling You What [Biden] Meant To Say." "When asked by ABC News' Jake Tapper whether the White House had a response to Biden's comments, Gibbs replied: 'I think ... what the vice president meant to say was the same thing that again, many members have said in the last few days, that is, if you feel sick, if you are exhibiting flulike symptoms -- coughing, sneezing, runny nose -- that you should take precautions, that you should limit your travel.' Gibbs apologized if anyone was 'unduly' alarmed but did not elaborate. 'Jake, I'm telling you what he meant to say,' he said to laughter." ( ABC News , 4/30/09)

The Same Morning As Biden's Remarks, Department Of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano Tried To "Temper" Biden's Remarks, Saying Biden Would Say It Differently "If He Could Say That Over Again." "Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano earlier today also tried to temper the vice president's remarks. 'I think the vice president, if he had, if he could say that over again he would say if they're feeling sick they should stay off public transit or confined spaces because that is indeed the advice that we're giving,' Napolitano said on MSNBC." ( ABC News , 4/30/09)

Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) Was "Visibly Frustrated" For What He Called "Misinformation" From Vice President Biden. "Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, who said Biden's comments were unfortunate, was visibly frustrated by what he called misinformation. 'I wish the vice president had checked with the Centers for Disease Control ... before he made that statement. ... As far as not riding on subways or planes, we're not going to shut down our system and that doesn't get to the nub of the problem, anyway,' he said on Radio Iowa. 'So I think that's very unfortunate that this kind of misinformation got out.'" ( ABC News , 4/30/09)

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) Disagreed With Joe Biden Saying That People Need To Take A "Common-Sense" Approach And Not Discouraging Travel. "House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., also had a different message. She said she would not tell her family to stay off planes and public transportation, but would recommend to them the 'common-sense' approach, washing hands and covering sneezes or coughs. 'They are living their lives and, again, practicing common sense, good practices. And so it's not a question of not encouraging, not to travel. It's also a question of encouraging them not to leave home ... just because their states ... are the most, shall we say, suspicious in this case," Pelosi told reporters." ( ABC News , 4/30/09)

During The HIV/AIDs Epidemic Biden Supported A Highly Unpopular Amendment, One That Categorized HIV As A Dangerous Infectious Disease, That Was Considered A Major Embarrassment To The Clinton Administration

Biden's Most Notable Public Health Challenges Came During The HIV/AIDS Epidemic When Bigotry Against HIV-Positive People Was Rampant And Public Information Was Limited. "But beyond his (somewhat characteristic) gaffe, Biden's past challenges during public health crises were most notable in Biden's response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic as a member of the U.S. Senate, at a time when public information about the virus and the syndrome was relatively limited and bigotry against HIV-positive people was rampant both in and out of government." ( The Daily Beast , 3/13/20)

In 1987, Biden Voted Alongside Segregationist Senator Jesse Helms On An Amendment To List HIV As A "Dangerous Infectious Disease That Would Prevent Immigration To This Country." "In 1987, in the runup to his first of three campaigns for the White House, Biden voted in favor of an amendment sponsored by Sen. Jesse Helms (R-NC)-an infamous figure among activists fighting for the rights of LGBT people and people with AIDS at the time-that amended an appropriations bill to list HIV among 'the list of dangerous infectious diseases that would prevent immigration to this country.'" ( The Daily Beast , 3/13/20)

At The Time, The Amendment Was Deeply Unpopular With Health Experts. "The amendment was deeply unpopular with public health experts-when President Ronald Reagan endorsed the measure during an AmFAR dinner that year, the proposal had been met with boos and hisses from HIV/AIDS experts and medical health professionals-but passed the chamber unanimously." ( The Daily Beast , 3/13/20)

Six Years Later, Biden Voted To Reauthorize The Ban On "HIV-Positive Immigrants And Tourists, Then Known As The 'Helms Amendment.'" "Six years later, Biden joined 75 other senators in voting for Oklahoma Republican Sen. Don Nickles' reauthorization of the ban on HIV-positive immigrants and tourists, then known as the 'Helms Amendment,' against the wishes of President Bill Clinton, who had campaigned against the policy." ( The Daily Beast , 3/13/20)

The Amendment's Passage Was Considered A "Major Embarrassment" For The Clinton Administration. "The amendment's passage as a rider on the National Institutes of Health Revitalization Act of 1993 was considered a major embarrassment for Clinton, and the policy remained in place until 2009, when President Barack Obama lifted the ban." ( The Daily Beast , 3/13/20)

In 2007, Biden Generated Controversy By Saying He Went Into The "Black Sections" Of Town Trying To Convince Black Men To Wear Condoms To Stop The Spread Of AIDS

In June 2007, In A Response To A Question About AIDS In The Black Community Biden Replied That He Went To "The Black Sections Of [His] Town … Trying To Get Black Men To Understand It's Not Unmanly To Wear A Condom." "Delaware Sen. Joe Biden's trademark blunt talk set up the liveliest and one of the frankest admissions in a gathering of presidential candidates so far this campaign. In response to a question about AIDS in the black community at Thursday's Democratic presidential forum at Howard University, Biden said, 'I spent last summer going through the black sections of my town holding rallies in parks trying to get black men to understand it's not unmanly to wear a condom. Getting women to understand they can say no. Getting people in the position where testing matters. I got tested for AIDS. I know Barack [Obama] got tested for AIDS. There's no shame in being tested for AIDS.'" ( CNN , 6/28/07)

Biden Said Even Barack Obama Got Tested For AIDS; Obama Responded That It Was Because He And Michelle Travelled To Kenya, Implying It Was Not Because Of The Community They Grew Up In. SENATOR JOE BIDEN (D-DE): "I spent last summer going through the black sections of my town holding rallies in parks trying to get black men to understand that it's not unmanly to wear a condom, getting women to understand that they can say 'no,' getting people into the position where testing matters. I got tested for AIDS. I know Barack [Obama] got tested for AIDS. There's no shame in being tested for AIDS. It is an important thing because the fact of the matter is in the community - in the communities engaged in denial - they're engaged in denial, no one wants to talk about it in the community and we do not have enough leaders in the community and outside the community demanding to face the reality, confront them. Men in the community as well as the women letting them know that there are alternatives." SENATOR BARACK OBAMA (D-IL}: "Tavis, I just got to make clear, I got tested with Michelle, when we were in Kenya in Africa. I don't want any confusion here about what's going on." SENATOR JOE BIDEN (D-DE): "And I got tested to save my life because I had a 13 pints of blood transfusion." TAVIS SMILEY: "And I am sure Michelle appreciates you clarifying that." SENATOR BARACK OBAMA (D-IL}: "In public." (Sen. Joe Biden, Remarks During The PBS All American Forum At Howard University, Washington, DC, 6/28/07)

"At That, Obama Shot Biden A You've-Got-To-Be-Kidding Glance." " At that, Obama shot Biden a you've-got-to-be-kidding glance." ( Los Angeles Times , 6/29/07)

"A Television Camera Caught The Rev. Al Sharpton In The Audience Looking Appalled." "A television camera caught the Rev. Al Sharpton in the audience looking appalled." ( Los Angeles Times , 6/29/07)

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