Joe Biden pledges to pick a woman as vice president

Former Vice President Joe Biden announced at Sunday’s Democratic debate that he would select a woman vice president to run alongside him in 2020.

“I commit that I will, in fact, pick a woman to be vice president,” he said. “There are a number of women who are qualified to be president tomorrow. I would pick a woman to be my vice president.”

Biden also vowed to appoint the first black woman to the Supreme Court.

“If I’m elected president and have the opportunity to appoint someone to the courts, I’ll appoint the first black woman to the [Supreme] Court,” he said, calling the representation long overdue.

Biden then talked about appointing a Cabinet that “looks like the country.”

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders also said Sunday that he “in all likelihood” would pick a woman as his running mate if he becomes the Democratic nominee later this year.

If either candidate follows through on that pledge, they would become the second Democratic candidate in U.S. history to select a woman as their running mate.

Geraldine Ferraro made history in 1984 when she was the first woman to be a major party vice presidential candidate, joining Walter Mondale on the Democratic ticket.

In 2008, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) became the first Republican to select a woman as a running mate, tapping Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his vice presidential pick.

In 2016, Democrat Hillary Clinton became the first woman to be the nominee of a major party.

Biden also talked Sunday about the role he played in writing and helping pass the first Violence Against Women Act and noted he would “get the ‘boyfriend exception’ amended now,” referring to the so-called “boyfriend loophole” that allows ex-boyfriends and non-spouse partners to access firearms even if they have convictions on their records.

“No one should be able to own a gun who has abused a woman, period,” he said.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.