Joe Biden Position Changes

"I voted for a fence, I voted, unlike most Democrats — and some of you won't like it — I voted for 700 miles of fence [by voting for the Secure Fence Act]. But, let me tell you, we can build a fence 40 stories high, unless you change the dynamic in Mexico and — and you will not like this, and — punish American employers who knowingly violate the law when, in fact, they hire illegals. Unless you do those two things, all the rest is window dressing.

Now, I know I'm not supposed to say it that bluntly, but they're the facts, they're the facts. And so everything else we do is in between here. Everything else we do is at the margins. And the reason why I add that parenthetically, why I believe the fence is needed does not have anything to do with immigration as much as drugs... And let me tell you something folks, people are driving across that border with tons, tons, hear me, tons of everything from byproducts for methamphetamine to cocaine to heroin and it's all coming up through corrupt Mexico."
Back to present position

"I support the death penalty. The Biden crime bill is the only reason why, if McVeigh is convicted in Oklahoma, he would be put to death. I wrote the law. If he is tried in Federal court without that law having been passed, he could not be put to death. I support the death penalty."
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"The concept I’m announcing today will align my student debt relief proposal with my forward-looking college tuition proposal. Under this plan, I propose to forgive all undergraduate tuition-related federal student debt from two- and four-year public colleges and universities for debt-holders earning up to $125,000, with appropriate phase-outs to avoid a cliff. The federal government would pay the monthly payment in lieu of the borrower until the forgivable portion of the loan was paid off. This benefit would also apply to individuals holding federal student loans for tuition from private HBCUs and MSIs.

This proposal would be in addition to my existing student debt proposals:

• Immediately cancel a minimum of $10,000 of student debt per person, as proposed by Senator Warren in the midst of the coronavirus crisis.
• Those earning less than $25,000 per year will not have to make monthly payments and will accrue no interest
• Those earning more than $25,000 per year will pay no more than 5% of discretionary income toward payments
• After 20 years, the remainder of federal student loans will be forgiven without any tax burden
• Those who participate in public service will be eligible for additional federal loan forgiveness, including $10,000 per year of forgiveness for up to five years."

"[S]ince 1987, when I first proposed an overhaul of the welfare system, I have argued that welfare recipients should be required to work… The culture of welfare must be re- placed with the culture of work. The culture of dependence must be replaced with the culture of self-sufficiency and personal responsibility.”
[Editor's Note: As a senator, Joe Biden voted for the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, which had the requirement that "recipients must work after two years on assistance, with few exceptions."

Source: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, "The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996," aspe.hhs.gov, Sep. 1, 1996]
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