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Vice President Joe Biden on It's On Us Initiative, Teaming With Lady Gaga:
Interview | Billboard

http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/7317888/vice-president-joe-biden-its-on-us-initiative-interview-exclusive-lady-gaga-president-obama

On April 7, Vice President Joe Biden will team up with Lady Gaga in Las
Vegas to support his It’s On Us campaign, Billboard exclusively reveals.
Biden talks to Billboard about ending sexual assault on college campuses,
the "brave" pop star and more.

As the Vice President of the United States, Joe Biden can likely introduce
whomever he wants at the Academy Awards. This year, his first time
presenting, he welcomed Lady Gaga </artist/306341/lady-gaga/chart>. For 34
million people watching it might have yielded minor head-scratching, but
thousands of college students understood exactly the link between
politician and global superstar, whom Biden calls “brave and sincere."
Gaga’s Oscar-nominated song “Til It Happens To You” is the track she
co-wrote (with Diane Warren) and recorded for *The Hunting Ground*, the
2015 documentary film about sexual assault on campuses. In 2014, with
President Obama, Vice President Biden launched the It’s On Us
<http://itsonus.org/> initiative to bring awareness and collective
responsibility to the epidemic of campus assaults (according to NotAlone.gov
<http://notalone.gov/>, a resource site launched two years ago as part of a
White House Task Force to Protect Students Against Sexual Assault, 1 in 5
women and 1 and 16 men are sexually assaulted in college).

On April 7, Lady Gaga will join the Vice President at the University of
Nevada Las Vegas, to support It’s On Us and the Vice President as he
travels to colleges on behalf of the organization, which has so far seen
250,000 students from more than 530 colleges sign a pledge of solidarity
and activation. In his lone interview before the event, Biden talks
exclusively to *Billboard* about why this cause is the one he’s most proud
of, his friendship with the "brave" pop star and why he's not a fan of
Donald Trump.

*Lady Gaga & Vice President Biden to Join Forces at 2016 Oscars*
</articles/events/oscars/6890279/lady-gaga-2016-oscars-joe-biden>

*What’s been your proudest moment around your work with It’s On Us?*
Hearing from survivors who have been helped by It’s On Us. Last April, we
held an It’s On Us event at The University of Illinois. Twelve days later,
a woman who attended the event -- a recent graduate of the University --
came forward to report sexual assault by a former boyfriend. She said she
was compelled to act after attending the rally. After she reported the
assault at the UI Women’s Resource Center, her case was reported to state
and local police department. Turns out, her ex-boyfriend was alleged to
have assaulted two other former girlfriends. After she came forward, he was
charged with two counts of criminal sexual assault.

*You grew up at a time when women’s rights weren’t at the forefront of
cultural dialogue. How has your advocacy been shaped by the women in your
life?*
I grew up in a household where women’s rights were always at the forefront
of cultural dialogue. My mother, my grandmother, my sister, my wife, my
daughters -- women’s rights have never been a question. It’s a view shared
by my fathers and brothers. This was never a question. They were always at
the forefront.

*Why is Lady Gaga a good ambassador for this cause?*
Lady Gaga is brave and sincere. She’s a survivor who has the courage to
speak out, and I know how difficult that can be. We’ve talked at length and
I admire her courage -- everyone can see it because it’s on display. She
encourages so many other women to step forward.

*Sexual Assault Survivor Shares Her Oscars Experience Alongside Lady Gaga*
</articles/news/6897293/lady-gaga-oscars-hunting-ground-interview>

*You’ve made many strides in bringing awareness to violence against women
and campus assault. Is it disconcerting to see one of the candidates in
this election cycle promoting aggression among his supporters? Do you feel
it undermines the work you and the President have done?*
It not only undermines the work that President Obama and I have done -- it
undermines the work a majority of Republicans and Democrats have done. It
is the antithesis of everything this country is about.

*Do you ever hear Donald Trump speak and think, “Boy, I would love to
debate that guy”? *
When I listen to some of the stuff Donald Trump says it just makes me sad.
It’s never, never been wise to try and appeal to the darker side of human
nature. Abraham Lincoln was right -- it’s about appealing to our better
angels. That’s who Americans are and that’s what they want.

*How much easier will it be to move It’s On Us along as a cause if
Secretary Clinton is elected POTUS?*
Well I don’t know how it can be much easier than it is right now with
President Obama’s absolute and total support, but I’m confident that
whoever the next Vice President is, and if he or she decides to take this
into the White House, that it will get overwhelming support from Sec.
Clinton or Sen. Sanders.

*What are you going to miss most about working alongside the President?*
I’m going to miss everything about working alongside with him. He’s one of
the most decent, honorable men I’ve ever worked with. He shares my passion
for ending violence against women, and I’m grateful he’s let me lead this
effort. When I accepted his offer to be Vice President, he asked if there
was anything I wanted, and I said I wanted to bring the Violence Against
Women Office inside the White House *[Editor’s note: As then-Senator of
Delaware, the Vice President drafted the Violence Against Women Act of 1994
which was signed into law by President Clinton]*. He said yes. He didn’t
hesitate. We both thank Attorney Generals Eric Holder and Loretta Lynch for
both supporting that move.

*'It's On Us' Campaign Gets Almost 10 Times More Pledges After Lady Gaga's
Oscar Performance*
</articles/news/6898267/lady-gaga-oscars-its-on-us-campaign-sexual-assault>

*If it turns out that this cause is your last legacy, would you be content
with that? What causes will you and Dr. Biden champion after the White
House?*
It won’t be my last legacy, but it will be my proudest legacy.

My father always said the worst sin is the abuse of power, and the cardinal
sin is for a man to abuse a woman or a child. I hope my efforts have made a
difference.

Jill and I will be deeply involved in a range of things. Jill, in providing
affordable education and expanding access to community colleges. I’m going
to continue to be deeply involved, along with Jill and my daughter
[Ashley], in violence against women issues. My son, Beau, was an attorney
general, and a champion of fighting abuse of children and women. His
friends set up a foundation so we’ll continue that fight. My son Hunter is
Chairman of the World Food Program USA, dealing with displaced persons and
the millions of people who are underfed.

These are all causes I plan on staying involved in.

And, as I’ve made clear, the President’s given me the great opportunity in
the new effort to end cancer as we know it and I will continue to be deeply
involved in pursuit of cancer prevention and cure. I believe we can make
enormous progress in the next four or five years.

*Watch Lady Gaga Perform 'Til It Happens to You' at Billboard Women in
Music 2015*
</articles/events/women-in-music/6813907/lady-gaga-til-it-happens-to-you-performance>

*For many people, music is the soundtrack to the best and worst moments of
their lives. Which songs or artists stand out? *
Chris Martin from Coldplay </artist/299516/coldplay/chart> stands out. I
appreciated when he sang my son’s [Beau] favorite song, “'Til Kingdom
Come,” at his funeral.

Neil Diamond </artist/312095/neil-diamond/chart>’s "Cracklin’ Rosie" is a
favorite of mine. I remember riding along with my two boys back when that
song was at the top of the charts, and they’d sing at the top of their
lungs in the back of the car.

*What song are you listening to right now and makes for a good D.C. to
Delaware commute?*
I listen to a whole list of songs -- from Tina Turner
</artist/429998/tina-turner/chart>’s “What’s Love Got to Do With It” and Ray
Charles </artist/1490110/ray-charles/chart>’ “I Can’t Stop Loving You” to Van
Morrison </artist/277711/van-morrison/chart>, and k.d. lang
</artist/306260/kd-lang/chart>.

*Which musician would make the best president?*
The middle class would have the best chance with Bruce Springsteen
</artist/298448/bruce-springsteen/chart>. He understands issues facing
working Americans.

*To learn more about how to support It's On Us, go to **itsonus.org*
<http://itsonus.org/>*.*


Eric D. Schwerin
eschwerin@rosemontseneca.com

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