Biden To Resign from Senate on Thursday

By Garance Franke-Ruta

Vice President-elect and senior Delaware Sen. Joe Biden will step down from
the Senate on Thursday Jan. 15th at 5 p.m., according to a letter to the
Senate read into the record by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.)
today.

"Mr. President, what a sad but happy day it is to have that letter read
before the world. Joe Biden, from the day I came to the Senate, was the
most gracious, helpful person one could image," Reid said, after announcing
Biden's formal resignation. "And for Barack Obama, having chosen him,
speaks volumes about Barack Obama. So we will miss Senator Biden and his
many, many years in the Senate, but we look forward to his working arm in
arm with Barack Obama for the next eight years."

Biden is traveling in South Asia on what will be his last congressional
delegation trip before assuming the vice presidency, along with South
Carolina Sen. Lindesy Graham (R) and others.

Former Biden chief of staff Ted Kaufman is slated to be appointed by
Delaware Gov. Ruth Ann Minner (D) to replace Biden in the Senate.