Viral Swing: Biden promises increased scientific investment if elected in 'most in-depth statement of priorities'

In the latest episode of Pod Save America -- a podcast hosted by several former Obama administration staffers -- the Democratic presidential nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden, laid out what Politico described as "the most in-depth statement of priorities we've heard from" the candidate.Biden, responding to the Republican Party's agenda for a second Trump administration term (which includes items focused on space exploration and a national high speed wireless network), said that, first and foremost, he's determined to "get control" of the coronavirus pandemic. Beyond that, though, he said he wants to invest in "real infrastructure," with a heavy focus on science and technology. "We used to invest a little over 2.6 percent of our GDP in research and science," Biden said. "It's now down to 0.6 percent ... We're going to make sure that we can compete with the rest of the world and lead the rest of the world."The former vice president predicted that, through these renewed efforts, "we're going to cure cancer" while making strides in research on Alzheimer's and diabetes, among other diseases. He also described an aspect of his agriculture policy plan, which he said could make the industry the first in the U.S. to reach the net zero carbon emission threshold. > I led Playbook with this podcast because @jonlovett and @danpfeiffer got Biden to talk about first term priorities in a way that I don't thin I've heard before> > Got the transcript and podcast linked in Playbook too, so you can explore the whole thing. https://t.co/71NsqXqKKD> > -- Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) October 24, 2020More stories from theweek.com Trump loses on the merits Who won the final 2020 debate? Call it a draw. Get ready for Trump TV, America