About American Possibilities

Former Vice President Joe Biden to start political action committee.

Joe Biden is launching a new political action committee called "American Possibilities" today, another sign the former vice president intends to remain active in Democratic politics heading into the 2018 midterm elections and potentially the 2020 presidential race.

"This is a time for big dreams and American possibilities," Biden wrote in a post obtained by ABC News that will help launch the PAC's website. "If that's what you believe -- and you're ready to help elect folks who believe that, and to support groups and causes that embody that spirit -- then I'm asking you to join me today."

Greg Schultz, a former senior adviser in the vice president's office who also worked on the Obama-Biden campaigns, will serve as the executive director of the PAC.

The former vice president has also launched the Biden Foundation, which is designed to continue supporting his Cancer Moonshot initiative.

Since leaving office, Biden has kept a high profile, making several public appearances, including at a fundraiser for the New Hampshire Democratic Party in April.

Such appearances have fueled speculation that Biden may be considering a 2020 run for president.

At the SALT Conference in Las Vegas last month, Biden, 74, seemed open to the possibility of throwing his hat into the ring.

"Could I? Yes. Would I? Probably not," said Biden, CNN reported, but he added that if certain circumstances were right, "I may very well do it."

Biden also took a jab at the former secretary of state.

"I never thought she was a great candidate. I thought I was a great candidate," Biden said of Hillary Clinton.

Biden decided not to run in 2016 so that he could help his family cope with the death of his son, Beau, to brain cancer in 2015.

Later this month, Biden will headline a fundraiser for New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and serve as the keynote speaker at a Florida Democratic fundraiser.

When asked about her husband’s PAC on CBS “This Morning,” Jill Biden said, “Joe is not going away.”

“He loves politics. He said he would stay involved. And so he set up this PAC because he's going to be involved in the midterm elections," Jill Biden said Wednesday.

abcnews.go.com

What Is "American Possibilities"? Joe Biden's PAC Has Raised Questions.

Former Vice President Joe Biden may have decided against running for president in 2016, but he doesn't seem quite ready to step away from politics just yet — particularly considering the current state of the White House. And it's telling: Biden started a PAC called American Possibilities as a way to stay active in politics.

The New York Times reported that American Possibilities' launch will be announced by Biden on Thursday morning, and excerpts of a piece he wrote for Medium on the issue have already been circulating among news organizations:

Thinking big is stamped into the DNA of the American soul. That’s why the negativity, the pettiness, the small-mindedness of our politics today drives me crazy. It’s not who we are. ... It's time for big dreams and American possibilities. If that's what you believe — and you're ready to help elect folks who believe that, and to support groups and causes that embody that spirit — then I'm asking you to join me today.

The Times reports that the group will let Biden support the Democratic Party going forward, particularly by giving money to candidates in the governors and midterm races coming up; it will also help Biden travel for the party. But in addition to all that, the PAC could become his stepping stone for a 2020 presidential bid.

Greg Schultz is slated to run the organization, and while he's most recently been an aide in the vice president's office, he once worked on Obama's presidential campaigns, too. Stephanie Cutter, a veteran Democratic strategist, told The Times, "Biden has a lot of support out there, and this gives him a way to grow that support while also helping Democrats win and build the party."

Following the painful election, Biden has criticized the Democrats' direction and particularly Hillary Clinton's candidacy. At a SALT hedge fund conference in Las Vegas, he said, "I never thought she was a great candidate. I thought I was a great candidate. Hillary would have been a really good president."

So a Democrat winning is clearly on Biden's mind. He is four years older than President Trump and remains well liked. But maybe he's not actually thinking of running himself. "When I got asked to speak, I knew it was going to cause speculation,” Biden said at a dinner in New Hampshire in April. “Guys, I’m not running."

Whether Biden ultimately decides to run for president, he's far from retirement. He ends his launch email to supporters and potential donors, "See you out there." Expect more Biden in these years to come.

bustle.com

Joe Biden's PAC, American Possibilities, is slated to shut down within months.

Democratic presidential hopeful Former Vice President Joe Biden speaks during the second round of the second Democratic primary debate of the 2020 presidential campaign season hosted by CNN at the Fox Theatre in Detroit, Michigan on July 31, 2019.

Democratic presidential hopeful Former Vice President Joe Biden speaks during the second round of the second Democratic primary debate of the 2020 presidential campaign season hosted by CNN at the Fox Theatre in Detroit, Michigan on July 31, 2019.

Former Vice President Joe Biden is working on shutting down his political action committee, CNBC has learned.

The PAC, American Possibilities, had slowly started to wind down during the exploratory phase before Biden announced his candidacy, according to a senior Biden campaign aide. It started ceasing contracts with vendors and gradually eliminated overhead costs, the aide said. The group’s website is no longer active.

The American Possibilities PAC will shut down in the coming months, the aide explained.

Several 2020 Democratic presidential candidates, including Biden, have shied away from being associated with PACs. Biden has sworn off campaign donations from corporate PACs, super PACs, federal lobbyists and the fossil fuel industry. Biden raised $21.5 million in the second quarter.

Democratic candidates are fighting hard for $5 donations—Here's why

Biden’s PAC had spent money in support of his exploratory period leading up to his April announcement that he would run for president. The campaign then reimbursed the PAC.

American Possibilities disclosed in its midyear Federal Election Commission filing that it received a reimbursement of $36,728 from Biden’s campaign. Next to the total amount, there is a memo describing that refund as a “reimbursement for exploratory and campaign expenses.”

A second quarter campaign filing describes the $36,000 disbursement as “salary & overhead expenses.” No other details were available.

Biden originally created the PAC in 2017 with the goal of helping Democrats running in local and congressional elections. Throughout the 2018 election cycle, the Biden committee raised $2.6 million and spent just over $2.5 million, records show. It was run by Biden’s current campaign manager Greg Schultz.

Other Democrats appeared to have used their own PACs to help jump start their presidential campaigns despite widespread criticism of PACs and super PACs within the 2020 field.

Former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper’s Giddy Up PAC showed in a midyear filing that it received just over $118,000 from his 2020 campaign for what’s described as a “reimbursement of pre-candidacy expenditures.” Washington Gov. Jay Inslee’s outside committee, Vision PAC, saw an almost $10,000 disbursement from his campaign for office rent, supplies and staff reimbursement.

It’s unclear whether they plan to shut down their PACs any time soon.

cnbc.com