Tag: Vice President Joe Biden

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LGBT Pride Reception at the White House

President Obama delivers remarks at the LGBT Pride Month celebration at the White House. June 13, 2013.

In his remarks, President Obama called for passage of ENDA (Employment Non-Discrimination Act) saying “There’s a bipartisan bill moving forward in the Senate that would ban discrimination against all LGBT Americans in the workplace, now and forever,” Obama said. “We need to get that passed. I want to sign that bill. We need to get it done now.”

LGBT activists were quick to address those remarks calling on the President to sign an executive order that would achieve the same goals for the LGBT workers employed by federal contractors.

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President Obama’s common sense measures to reduce gun violence

The Huffington Post reports on President Obama’s newly unveiled gun proposal:

The proposal, which comes at the end of a month-long review process spearheaded by Vice President Joe Biden, is broken down into four key subsections: law enforcement, the availability of dangerous firearms and ammunition, school safety and mental health.

In an effort to touch on all four of those elements, the president recommended requiring criminal background checks for all gun sales; reinstating the assault weapons ban; restoring a 10-round limit on ammunition magazines; eliminating armor-piercing bullets; providing mental health services in schools; allocating funds to hire more police officers; and instituting a federal gun trafficking statute, among other policies. The cost of the package, senior officials estimated, would be roughly $500 million, some of which could come from already budgeted funds.

Because these recommendations require congressional approval, the administration is supplementing its proposal with 23 executive actions that will be taken immediately. Those actions include requiring federal agencies to hand over relevant data for a background check system; providing law enforcement officials, first responders and school officials with better training for active shooting situations; directing the Centers for Disease Control to research the causes and prevention of gun violence; and many more.

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VP Joe Biden & Amy Poehler on “Parks and Recreation”

Amy Poehler’s “Leslie Knopes” meets her hero Vice-President Joe Biden, who she has mentioned in past episodes is on her “celebrity sex list.”

(transcript via Politico):

“Oh, Mr. Vice President, I am deeply flattered, but there’s no way that I could take over Madam Secretary Clinton’s position,” Poehler’s not-so-humble character says.

“I’m confident you could do that job or any other,” Biden responds.

“OK, I will,” she says.

Biden thanks her for her public service

“I just want to say thank you,” Poehler’s character says, patting Biden’s face as the camera pans to show some of the vice president’s real-life advisers.

“You’re very welcome, you’re very welcome. Hey, you’re very welcome,” he responds and she grips onto his arms.

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Vice President Biden visits the gays in Provincetown

Vice President Joe Biden made a stop in gay summer vacation spot Provincetown, Massachusetts for a fundraiser this past Sunday at the base of the Pilgrim Monument.

Politico reports:

Vice President Joe Biden thanked gay rights advocates Sunday for advancing not just their own civil rights, but also the “civil rights of every straight American.”

“You are freeing the soul of the American people,” Biden said to loud applause during a stop in Provincetown, Mass., according to a pool report. Biden honed in on the LGBT issues during his campaign speech at the Pilgrim Monument and Museum, which is located in a prominent gay community in Cape Cod. “If I had to use one adjective to describe this community it’d be courage,” Biden said. “You have summoned the courage to speak out, to come out. We owe you.”