Joe Biden’s Newest Project May Fuel 2020 Campaign Speculation

Former Vice President Joe Biden is launching a new initiative to address issues facing American workers, ranging from education to health care to retirement.

Biden said Monday that the Biden Institute at the University of Delaware is seeking ways to “transform” the American educational system so that it reaches people early, provides ample opportunity in a way that’s affordable, and gives people a chance to train and retrain for future jobs.

Biden’s initiative will also look for solutions for groups that are most acutely impacted by changes to the job market, as well as protections for workplace benefits and civil rights.

“Our children and grandchildren deserve the promise we’ve had: the skills to get ahead, the chance to earn a paycheck, and a steady job that rewards hard work,” Biden wrote. “And here’s one thing I know for sure: it is within our power to provide the future they deserve.”

The former vice president and potential 2020 presidential contender is kicking off his new initiative by speaking to CEOs from across the country in Washington and hosting a panel discussion for leaders across business, labor, non-profit organizations, and government in Delaware.

Biden’s new effort comes amid a larger push by the Democratic Party to focus on the needs of American workers. Many observers have said that Democrats lost the 2016 election in part because they failed to adequately address middle class Americans’ economic worries. For their part, Democrats said in July that they were looking to spend the next several months crafting policies that would increase pay, reduce expenses, and “provide workers with the tools they need for the 21st-century economy.”