Joe Biden was a government official.
Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. ( [ ˈdʒoʊsᵻf_rɒbᵻˈnɛt_ˈbaɪdən ] born November 20 , 1942 ) is an American politician who was the 47th Vice President of the United States from 2009 to 2017 , having been jointly elected twice with President Barack Obama . He was a long-time member and former chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee .