[97] In 1994, Biden helped pass the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, which included a ban on assault weapons,[98][99] and the Violence Against Women Act,[100] which he has called his most significant legislation.[101] The 1994 crime law was unpopular among progressives and criticized for resulting in mass incarceration;[102][103] in 2019, Biden called his role in passing the bill a "big mistake", citing its policy on crack cocaine and saying that the bill "trapped an entire generation".[104]
In 1993, Biden voted for a provision that deemed homosexuality incompatible with military life, thereby banning gays from serving in the armed forces.[105][106] In 1996, he voted for the Defense of Marriage Act, which prohibited the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages, thereby barring individuals in such marriages from equal protection under federal law and allowing states to do the same.[107] In 2015, the act was ruled unconstitutional in Obergefell v. Hodges.[108]
Biden was critical of Independent Counsel Ken Starr during the 1990s Whitewater controversy and Lewinsky scandal investigations, saying "it's going to be a cold day in hell" before another independent counsel would be granted similar powers.