As First Lady, Dr. Biden has focused on reaching out to all Americans, helping to bring our country together. She has continued championing the causes that have defined her public life: supporting military families, advocating for increased educational opportunities for all, working to end cancer as we know it, and, her most recent body of work, advancing and fundamentally changing how our country approaches and funds research into women’s health. She has also served as a leading messenger for the Administration’s most urgent priorities, including: safely reopening schools after the pandemic’s shutdown, urging communities to get vaccinated against COVID-19, supporting the President’s economic agenda, and assisting with restoring U.S. global relations. 

 

Dr. Biden sees the role of First Lady as an act of service, and knows how important it is to reach beyond the walls of the White House, connecting with people where they are. As of the fall of 2024, she has traveled to more than 40 states, 200 towns and cities, and 19 countries. For the American people and the Administration, she is both messenger and listener, bringing the lived experiences and compelling stories of Americans back to the White House. During her tenure as First Lady, she has advanced the missions of three key White House initiatives, Joining Forces, the Biden Cancer Moonshot, and the White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research. 

 

In the spring of 2021, Dr. Biden announced the next phase and priorities of Joining Forces, her White House initiative to support military and veteran families, caregivers, and survivors. In her first two years, she visited 24 military installations; worked with Joining Forces partners to support over 30 events with the military-connected community; and launched an interagency working group with the National Security Council, which secured over 80 commitments and proposals across the federal government to support military families. Through her Joining Forces work, she has advocated for: increased economic opportunities for military spouses; additional educational programming and support for military children; more focus on health and wellness in the military community; and improved resources for caregivers and survivors, including military and veteran children in caregiving homes.

 

As a classroom teacher for over 30 years, advocating for increased educational opportunities for all students, of all ages, is close to her heart. From championing universal pre-school, teacher recruitment and retention, opportunities for career-connected learning, and more affordable options for education after high school, including free community college, Dr. Biden continues her work promoting quality education for everyone.

 

Cancer affects every community and it’s a common dark thread for so many, including the Biden family. In recognition of World Cancer Day 2022, the President and First Lady reignited the Cancer Moonshot, laying out bold goals and a vision to end cancer as we know it. As First Lady, Dr. Biden has continued to work on behalf of American families confronting cancer, focusing on supporting patients and their loved ones during their cancer journeys; urging Americans to prioritize their cancer screenings; and reducing health inequities in diagnosis, treatment, research, and outcomes. 

 

The President and First Lady launched the White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research in November of 2023 with a clear goal: to fundamentally change how our country approaches and funds research on women’s health. Research on women’s health, especially for women in mid-life and beyond, has always been underfunded and understudied – but because of the President and First Lady’s leadership in this area, this disparity is changing.

 

While serving as First Lady, Dr. Biden continued teaching English and writing at Northern Virginia Community College, where she has been a professor since 2009. She is the first presidential spouse to maintain an independent career outside of the White House.