Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand asserted that front-runner Joe Biden had a less than perfect record on women’s issues during the Wednesday night Democratic debate. Referencing an op-ed penned by Biden over two decades ago, Gillibrand went after Biden on stage on his personal record advocating for women.
“I want to address Vice President Biden directly,” Gillibrand, 52, said. “When the Senate was debating middle class affordability for child care, he wrote an op-ed. He voted against it, the only vote. He wrote an op-ed that he believed that women working outside the home would ‘create the deterioration of family.’ He also said that women who were working outside the home were ‘avoiding responsibility.'”
But her position in Detroit as a presidential hopeful is in sharp contrast to high praise she gave to Biden’s advocacy for women less than three years ago. “Thank you @VP Biden for your unwavering commitment to combating violence against women!” the senator tweeted after attending a Syracuse, New York, “It’s On Us” event to fight assault on women in 2016.
Biden, 76, defended himself in Detroit on Wednesday by pointing out the op-ed and the congressional record were a long time ago. He also reminisced about their previous work together to combat women’s violence.
“You came to Syracuse University with me and said it was wonderful. I’m passionate about the concern making sure women are treated equally. I don’t know what happened, except that you’re running for president,” Biden said.
Thank you @VP Biden for your unwavering commitment to combating violence against women! #ItsOnUs pic.twitter.com/iCvXfTsVIk
— Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) October 4, 2016
