Washington
CNN
—

President Joe Biden offered former President Jimmy Carter a 100th birthday greeting in honor of a predecessor he said he admires “so very much.”

Biden called the former president a “moral force for our nation and the world” and called Carter “a voice of courage, conviction, compassion and, above all, a beloved friend” in a birthday greeting shared straight to camera with CBS News.

Carter, who has been in hospice care since February 2023, is the oldest president in American history. The Bidens have remained in close contact with the Carter family.

Carter’s grandson, Jason Carter, said at the Democratic National Convention in August that his PawPaw was “hanging on” for the November election.

“He is hopeful. And while his body may be weak tonight, his mind is as strong as ever. My grandfather can’t wait to vote for Kamala Harris,” he said.

Carter, a Democrat, oversaw major milestones at home and abroad, including the Camp David Accords, a peace deal between Egypt and Israel, and the creation of the Department of Energy, the Department of Education and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

He supported car emissions regulations and a requirement for seat belts and air bags for vehicles, a highly unpopular policy at the time. Carter formally established diplomatic relations with China, naming Martin Luther King Jr. Day a federal holiday and led important conservation efforts in Alaska.

Carter left office as one-term president in 1981 amid criticism of his handling of the Iran hostage crisis.

It is perhaps the actions of his post-presidency that defined Carter’s legacy of service to others, including intensive public health efforts and democracy promotion abroad.

“Even after you left office, the moral clarity you demonstrated throughout your career was once again reflected in your efforts through the Carter Center and Habitat for Humanity – resolving conflict, advancing democracy, preventing disease and more much more,” Biden said on the anniversary. message, filmed in front of Carter’s presidential portrait on the State Floor.

“Simply put, Mr. President, I admire you so much,” he added.

Biden was one of the first senators to support Carter’s 1976 presidential campaign.

“Being right” on these issues is not enough in 1976. Our nation and our party need a president who is not only right, but has demonstrated the ability to achieve our shared goals,” Biden and Senator Birch Bayh wrote in a joint statement. letter at the time.

Biden and first lady Dr. Jill Biden traveled to Plains, Georgia, to visit the Carters on the 100th day of Biden’s presidency in 2021.

“We were talking about the old days,” Biden told reporters after the visit, calling the Carters “old friends.”