[122][123] Biden had known of some of these charges, but initially shared them only with the committee because Hill was then unwilling to testify.[21] The committee hearing was reopened and Hill testified, but Biden did not permit testimony from other witnesses, such as a woman who had made similar charges and experts on harassment.[124] The full Senate confirmed Thomas by a 52–48 vote, with Biden opposed.[21] Liberal legal advocates and women's groups felt strongly that Biden had mishandled the hearings and not done enough to support Hill.[124] In 2019, he told Hill he regretted his treatment of her, but Hill said afterward she remained unsatisfied.[125]

Senate Foreign Relations Committee
Senator Biden accompanies President Clinton and other officials to Bosnia and Herzegovina, December 1997.
Biden was a longtime member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He became its ranking minority member in 1997 and chaired it from June 2001 to 2003 and 2007 to 2009.[126] His positions were generally liberal internationalist.[91][127] He collaborated effectively with Republicans and sometimes went against elements of his own party.