Vice President Joe Biden is set to appear in an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit in an effort to promote efforts to combat and reduce sexual assault.
“While in New York, the Vice President will tape an appearance on ‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit’ on the rape kit backlog and efforts to end violence against women,” the White House said in a statement, according to POLITICO.
A focal point of Biden’s brief cameo on the popular crime drama will be to highlight the growing backlog of rape kits, which are used as forensic evidence in sexual assault cases.
Biden had already been a U.S. senator for more than 20 years before he helped craft and pass the Violence Against Women Act in 1994. The vice president has led the charge in the Obama administration’s efforts to combat sexual assault on college campuses.
Biden has a history of partnering with celebrities to draw attention to the issue. In February, the vice president delivered a brief speech in support of victims of sexual violence while introducing Lady Gaga at the Academy Awards.
In 2014, Biden taped a series of anti-sexual assault PSAs alongside Law & Order: Special Victims Unit star Mariska Hargitay.
Hargitay took to Twitter earlier in the week to thank Biden for his efforts to combat sexual assault.
“.@VP Biden u have done so much 4 women, 4 survivors, 4 this movement 2 end violence #ThankU. An honor to intro u tonight #ChangingTheCulture,” Hargitay wrote Wednesday.
Biden’s appearance was expected to air in the show’s 18th season, premiering on September 21.
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