No mention of Tara Reade allegations as Biden holds 'women's town hall' with Clinton

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Hillary Clinton: We need a leader like Joe Biden

Hillary Clinton endorses Joe Biden for president during town hall.

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Former Vice President Joe Biden, together with 2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, hosted a virtual town hall Tuesday focused on the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on women, but made no mention of recent sexual assault allegations leveled against him.

Biden has faced mounting pressure to address sexual assault claims made by former staffer Tara Reade after more of her confidants have recently been reported to have corroborated her story. Biden's campaign has vehemently denied the story, though the candidate himself has not addressed the claims.

He and Clinton on Tuesday, however, did talk about abuse against women, and the spike in domestic violence as many women are trapped at home with their abusers amid coronavirus lockdowns and stay-at-home orders across the U.S.

Biden insisted that reducing violence against women was “the leading cause of my life,” and encouraged victims to call, text or message the National Domestic Violence Hotline. He said that the federal government should empower the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to work with every state to increase shelter options for those fleeing abuse by contracting hotels, motels and shelters.

HILLARY CLINTON ENDORSES JOE BIDEN: 'I AM THRILLED TO BE A PART OF YOUR CAMPAIGN'

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Biden also called for immediate economic relief to survivors, adding that “no one should stay with their abusers because they don’t have the resources to leave.” He called for cash assistance, paid safe days and paid safe leave.

Central to the town hall was a call for economic relief for state and local governments, and Clinton said that those governments would need funding in order to provide abuse victims with shelters, police protection or EMT services.

During the women’s forum, Biden also accepted an endorsement from Clinton, who in 2018 called on Republicans to give Brett Kavanaugh accuser Christine Blasey Ford the “benefit of the doubt.”

“I want to add my voice to the many who have endorsed you to be our president,” the former first lady said Tuesday.

“Just think of what a difference it would make right now if we had a president who not only listened to the science, put fact over fiction, but brought us together, showed the kind of compassion and caring that we need from our president and which Joe Biden has been exemplifying throughout his entire life,” Clinton said.

Biden later said he wished the town hall forum was being used for “my supporting your reelection for president of the United States,” referring to the former secretary of state, had she been elected in 2016.

“We’d have the pandemic but you would’ve already been prepared for it,” Biden added.

“I’ll tell you one thing -- I would have read my intelligence briefings sounding the alarm since January,” Clinton said.

Biden also called for other increases in government spending, including freezing rent for “qualifying individuals,” increasing SNAP benefits to give low-income families an additional $100 per month and increasing Social Security payments to older Americans. He called for an additional $1,000 per month to those on Social Security.

Both Biden and Clinton accused Trump of trying to cut SNAP benefits during the pandemic, formerly known as food stamps, but the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced last week that SNAP benefits had increased 40 percent over the last month and families of five with no income were receiving an additional $240 per month.

JOE BIDEN CALLS FOR MORE 'ECONOMIC INTERCOURSE' AROUND THE WORLD 

Biden also called for “pandemic premium pay” for all essential workers and emphasized the need for paid sick leave for all workers to reduce the spread of the virus, in addition to an increase to the minimum wage.

Clinton and Biden talked extensively about the need for transparency in coronavirus relief funding.

Biden slammed Trump for removing Inspector General Glenn Fine who had been tasked with monitoring the coronavirus economic relief plan, and both Clinton and Biden said there was “basically no oversight of funds,” as some corporations who weren’t meant to receive small business funding gave back “$10, 15 million.”

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The Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency on Monday launched a website to “promote transparency” in the federal response and track the trillions of dollars of relief spending.

Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz nominated veteran inspector general Robert Westbrooks to oversee the pandemic response as executive director of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC).