Differences between Joe Biden and Paul Ryan
Contents
Comparison of Joe Biden and Paul Ryan[edit]
Joe Biden and Paul Ryan are American politicians who occupied prominent roles in the United States government during the first two decades of the 21st century. While both men were raised in the Roman Catholic faith and have roots in the Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic regions, they represent diverging ideologies within the Democratic and Republican parties. Biden served as a U.S. Senator from Delaware for 36 years before becoming vice president and later the 46th president. Ryan represented Wisconsin's 1st congressional district in the House of Representatives for 20 years, eventually serving as Speaker of the House from 2015 to 2019.
Comparison table[edit]
| Category | Joe Biden | Paul Ryan |
|---|---|---|
| Political party | Democratic | Republican |
| State representation | Delaware (Senate) | Wisconsin (House) |
| Executive experience | President (2021–present); Vice President (2009–2017) | None; Vice presidential nominee (2012) |
| Highest legislative rank | Chair of Senate Foreign Relations and Judiciary Committees | 54th Speaker of the House |
| Economic philosophy | Middle-out economics, industrial policy, and union support | Supply-side economics and fiscal conservatism |
| Healthcare stance | Expansion of the Affordable Care Act | Repeal of the ACA; transition of Medicare to premium support |
| Retirement programs | Opposes cuts to Social Security and Medicare benefits | Proposed raising the eligibility age and privatizing aspects of the programs |
| Legislative focus | Foreign policy, criminal justice, and infrastructure | Federal budget, tax reform, and entitlement reform |
Fiscal and economic policy[edit]
The primary difference between Biden and Ryan involves their approaches to the federal budget and the social safety net. During his time as Chairman of the House Budget Committee, Ryan authored the "Path to Prosperity" budget. This proposal sought to reduce federal spending by trillions of dollars over a decade, primarily through changes to Medicare and Medicaid. Ryan argued that converting Medicare into a "premium support" system, where the government provides vouchers for private insurance, was necessary to prevent national bankruptcy.
Biden has consistently opposed Ryan’s fiscal proposals. During the Obama administration and his own presidency, Biden advocated for strengthening traditional Medicare and Social Security. His economic agenda, often termed "Bidenomics," focuses on public investment in green energy, semiconductor manufacturing, and infrastructure. Unlike Ryan’s emphasis on tax cuts for corporations to stimulate growth, Biden has called for increasing the corporate tax rate and the top marginal income tax rate to fund social programs.
The 2012 vice presidential debate[edit]
The two men faced each other directly during the 2012 vice presidential debate in Danville, Kentucky. This encounter followed a perceived poor performance by President Barack Obama in the first presidential debate of that cycle. Biden used the event to aggressively challenge Ryan’s "Path to Prosperity" budget, accusing Ryan of wanting to "voucherize" Medicare. Ryan countered by criticizing the Obama administration's handling of the economy and the 2012 Benghazi attack. The debate highlighted their stylistic differences: Biden utilized a more emotive and confrontational approach, while Ryan focused on using charts and specific budgetary figures to make his case.
Foreign policy and defense[edit]
Biden’s political career has been heavily defined by his work on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He has focused on international treaties, arms control, and traditional alliances like NATO. Ryan, while a member of the House, was primarily a domestic policy specialist. When he moved into House leadership, his foreign policy views aligned with a more interventionist Republican wing, favoring robust military spending and a hardline stance against geopolitical rivals like Russia and Iran.
References[edit]
- Congress.gov. "Biography: Joseph R. Biden, Jr."
- Congress.gov. "Biography: Paul Ryan."
- The New York Times. (2012). "Full Transcript: 2012 Vice Presidential Debate."
- Wall Street Journal. (2011). "The Paul Ryan Plan for the Economy."
- Brookings Institution. (2023). "Biden’s industrial policy: A new economic era."
