>> Stephen: WE'RE HERE WITH YOUR FRIEND AND MINE, VICE
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN.
NOW, ONE OF THE THINGS-- THE RESPONSIBILITY THAT YOU'VE TAKEN
ON IN THE LAST YEAR IS WHAT YOU ARE CALLING THE CANCER MOONSHOT,
WHAT YOU AND THE PRESIDENT CALLED THE CANCER MOONSHOT, TO
PUT THE COUNTRY AND OUR RESEARCH FACILITIES CAN AND PUT THE
GOVERNMENT SUPPORT BEHIND THE IDEA OF FINDING A CURE FOR
CANCER IN THE NEXT 10 YEARS.
HOW DO YOU APPROACH THIS AS A FATHER WHO LOST HIS SON A YEAR
AND A HALF AGO TO THE DISEASE THAT YOU'RE HOPING TO BRING AN
END TO?
HOW DOES THAT AFFECT YOU PERSONALLY?
>> LOOK, YOU AND I IN ONE OF OUR PRIVATE CONVERSATIONS, YOU TOLD
YOU ABOUT THE-- I GOT A LETTER-- AN AWFUL LOT OF YOU, BY THE
WAY-- MAYBE SOME IN THE AUDIENCE-- WERE INCREDIBLY
GENEROUS TO MY FAMILY AND ME WHEN WE LOST OUR SON, BUT A LOT
OF PEOPLE HAVE HAD EQUALLY BAD THINGS OR WORSE HAPPEN TO THEM
AND DON'T HAVE THE SUPPORT THAT I HAVE HAD.
THEY GET UP EVERY MORNING.
THEY PUT ONE FOOT IN FRONT OF THE OTHER AND THEY GO OUT THERE
AND THEY DO THEIR JOB AND THEY MOVE.
AND THAT'S WHAT I KEEP THINKING ABOUT, THOSE PEOPLE.
AND I ALSO, AS I SAID TO YOU, I GOT A LETTER FROM VICKI KENNEDY,
TED KENNEDY'S WIFE-- SHE WAS A GREAT FRIEND AND A FRIEND OF MY
SON'S AS WELL, BOTH MY SONS.
AND SHE INCLUDED IN THE LETTER A COPY OF THE A LETTER THAT HER
FATHER-IN-LAW, WHO SHE NEVER KNEW, AMBASSADOR KENNEDY, TED'S
FATHER, HAD WRITTEN TO A FRIEND IN 1954 WHO HAD JUST LOST HIS
SON.
AND REMEMBER, AMBASSADOR KENNEDY LOST HIS ELDEST SON, JOE, IN
WORLD WAR II.
AND JOE WAS THE GUY THOUGHT TO BE DESTINED TO BE THE PRESIDENT
AND THE LEADER OF THE FAMILY.
AND WRITING TO HIS-- SHE SAID EVERY TIME TEDDY WOULD GET
REALLY DOWN, HE'D GO TO THE TOP DRAWER OF HIS BUREAU AND PULL
OUT THE LETTER AND READ THE LETTER HIS FATHER WROTE TO HIS
FRIEND.
AND THERE'S A LINE IN THE LETTER THAT SAYS TO HIS FRIEND-- I'M
MAKE THE NAME UP.
I DON'T REMEMBER, JOHN, "JOHN, THERE'S NO WAY TO EXPLAIN THE
LOZ, AND THERE'S NO ANSWER I KNOW HOW TO FILL THE VOID,
EXCEPT ONE THING.
I DETERMINED SHORTLY AFTER JOE DIED, I'D ASK MYSELF 'WHAT WOULD
JOE DO IF HE WERE HERE?
' AND I DEVOTED MY LIFE TO DOING WHAT I THOUGHT JOE WOULD DO.
THAT FILLS THE VOID.
IT MAKES IT WORTHWHILE."
AND I KNOW THAT IF IT WERE REVERSED, BEAU WOULD BE SPENDING
HIS TIME TO BRING TOGETHER THE GREAT MINDS IN THE CANCER
RESEARCH WORLD, ALL AROUND THE WORLD, TO FOCUS HAVE HAVE A
GREATER SENSE OF URGENCY ON WHAT CAN BE DONE TO DO IN THE NEXT
FIVE YEARS WHAT ORDINARILY WOULD TAKE 10, TO TAKE SOME CANCERS
AND TURN THEM INTO CHRONIC DISEASES, COMPLETELY CURE
OTHERS.
YOU KNOW, WHEN NIXON DECLARED THE WAR ON CANCER IN 1961--
'71-- HE HAD NO ARMY.
HE HAD NO TOOLS.
HE HAD-- HE HAD NO REAL INFORMATION.
AND SO THE ENTIRE STRUCTURE SET UP TO DEAL WITH CANCER WAS SORT
OF A JOAN AASSAULT MODEL, ONE GUY OR WOMAN IN A LABORATORY
FINDING A SPECIFIC CURE.
WELL, WE DIDN'T KNOW THEN, THERE ARE OVER 200 DIFFERENT CANCERS,
COMPLETELY DIFFERENT CANCERS.
THERE ARE TOOLS WE HAVE NOW THAT DIDN'T EXIST.
WE CAN COMPUTE TO THE DEGREE OF A MILLION, BILLION CALCULATIONS
PER SECOND.
THERE HAVE BEEN HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS, MILLIONS OF CANCER
GENOMES THAT HAVE BEEN DONE, SEQUENCED.
THERE'S ALL THIS DATA.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE FOUND OUT IS IF YOU'RE PREPARED TO
SHARE THAT DATA-- WHICH THE CULTURE OF MEDICINE ISN'T
PREPARED TO DO YET-- IF THEY SHARE THAT DATA, WE CAN FIND
ANSWERS.
I'LL BET EVERY ONE OF YOU KNOW SOMEBODY WHO HAS HAD CANCER--
HOPEFULLY NOT IN YOUR FAMILY, BUT MAYBE IN YOUR FAMILY-- AND A
TREATMENT WAS PRESCRIBED.
AND FOR ANOTHER PERSON WHO HAD THE SAME CANCER A TREATMENT WAS
PRESCRIBED AND IT WORKED ON ONE AND NOT THE OTHER?
WHY?
WHY IS THAT HAPPENING?
WELL, THERE ARE ANSWERS.
AND THE ONLY WAY TO DO THAT IS TO AGGREGATE MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF
DATA AND USE THE TECHNOLOGY WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT
PATTERNS AND HOW IT CHANGES, WHAT WORKS AND WHAT DOESN'T WORK
AND WHY IT WORKS.
FOR EXAMPLE, I DID THIS REPORT FOR THE PRESIDENT WITH THESE
BRILLIANT, BRILLIANT CANCER SPECIALISTS FROM AROUND THE
WORLD, AND SIGNED A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH 10
DIFFERENT NATIONS APPEARED AT THE U.N. WHEN WE HAD THE GENERAL
ASSEMBLY TO SHARE ALL THIS INFORMATION.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE FOUND OUT IS THAT-- FOR EXAMPLE, THE
LARGEST HOSPITAL IN THE WORLD IS THE VETERANS HOSPITAL.
THEY HAVE MORE DATA ON CANCER.
THEY HAVE MORE BLOOD SAMPLES TO TEST WHETHER THERE ARE MARKERS
IN YOUR BLOOD FOR CANCER, WHICH THEY'RE FINDING OUT NOW THEY CAN
FIGURE THOSE THINGS OUT.
AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, WE GOT A PHONE CALL FROM-- FROM THE
COMPANY THAT HAPPENS TO HAVE A LITTLE MACHINE CALLED WATSON AND
SAID, "WHY DON'T WE MAKE WATSON AVAILABLE TO YOU?"
BECAUSE WATSON HAS READ EVERY SINGLE SOLITARY PIECE OF DATA ON
CANCER AROUND THE WORLD.
SO NOW SOMEONE GETS CANCER IN THE MILITARY, THEY GO TO THE
HOSPITAL AT WALTER REED, THEY GET THEIR HUMAN GENOME
SEQUENCED.
IT GETS PUT INTO WATTON.
WATTON IN A MATTER OF HOURS CAN SHOW YOU EVERY FIELD ON THAT
TYPE OF CANCER TOINAR OAT FIELD EXPONENTIALLY WHAT WILL WORK
BETTER.
THERE ARE ALL KINDS OF THINGS BEGINNING TO HAPPEN.
THE BIGGEST THING IS CHANGE THE CULTURE OF SHARING DATA, SHARING
INFORMATION, NOT HORDING IT.
AND WE'RE BEGINNING TO BREAK DOWN THESE SILOS AND BARRIERS
AND I THINK WE'RE GOING TO MAKE ENORMOUS PROGRESS.
>> Stephen: WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT--
( APPLAUSE ) ONE OF THE THINGS THAT GIVES ME
HOPE IS THAT ON THIS ISSUE AT LEAST, YOU AND THE PRESIDENT AND
LEADERS FROM THE OTHER SIDE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BRING PEOPLE
TOGETHER.
THERE'S A BILL THAT HAS NOW PASSED THE HOUSE AND IT JUST
PASSED THE SENATE AND IT'S ANYTHING TO BE GOING TO THE
PRESIDENT'S DESK FOR SIGNATURE ALLOCATING $1.8 BILLION TO THIS
EFFORT OF THE MOONSHOT, ALONG WITH OTHER RESEARCH.
AND MITCH McCONNELL, THE MAJORITY LEADER FOR THE
REPUBLICANS, DID SOMETHING THAT I THOUGHT WAS A BEAUTIFUL
GESTURE.
>> I AGREE.
>> Stephen: AND NAMED THE BILL FOR YOUR SON.
>> HE DID.
YOU KNOW, IT'S THE SENATE I USED TO KNOW.
( APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: THAT'S SOMETHING
THAT-- YOU JUST DON'T HEAR ANYMORE.
>> NO, IT'S THE SENATE I GREW UP IN.
THERE'S A LOT OF DECENCY.
WE TREATED EACH OTHER WITH RESPECT.
IT WAS A GENEROUS THING TO DO.
AND, YOU KNO, YOU KNOW-- AND THE ON GETTING THIS PASSED, WHOSE
CALLED "THE CURES BILL" WERE AMONG THE LEADERS WERE TWO OF
THEM WERE THE LEADING REPUBLICANS IN THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES.
THIS IS THE ONE BIPARTISAN ISSUE.
AND I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS SAYING I HOPE I CAN GET, BEFORE THE
YEAR IS OUT, ANOTHER $1 BILLION FOR CANCER.
WE GOT $1.8 BILLION.
WHEN I SAY, "I GOT."
BUT IT'S AN EXAMPLE OF HOW-- HOW WE USED TO WORK-- WE HAVE TO
LISTEN TO EACH OTHER.
WE DON'T LISTEN VERY MUCH ANYMORE.
WITHIN MY PARTY NOW, THERE'S A DEBATE THAT WE EITHER HAVE TO
SOMEHOW YIELD ON OUR PROGRESSIVE PRINCIPLES RELATING TO WOMEN AND
AFRICAN AMERICANS, L.G.B.T.
COMMUNITIES.
I SAID, LOOK, I TAKE A BACK SEAT AS NO ONE.
I GOT LISTED AS ONE OF THE MOST LIBERAL VOTING RECORDS IN 36
YEARS.
I WAS THE GUY THAT SAID I WAS TOTALLY COMFORTABLE WITH GAY
MARRIAGE AND THINGS BEGAN TO CHANGE.
I MAKE NO EXCUSES FOR MY POSITION.
( APPLAUSE ) BUT HERE'S THE DEAL.
BUT WHAT I'VE FOUND IS THAT IS NOT AT ALL INCONSISTENT WITH
LOOKING OUT FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS I GREW UP
WITH, WORKING PEOPLE, HIGH SCHOOL-EDUCATED PEOPLE WHO ARE
SCARED TO DEATH, WHO ALL OF A SUDDEN FIND THEMSELVESES ON A
SCRAPHEAP BECAUSE THEY HAVE GOOD JOBS, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THEIR
JOB IS GONE, AND THEY NO LONGER-- THEY'RE NOT QUALIFIED
TO THE NEW DIGITAL AGE.
THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.
THEY'RE FRIGHTENED.
THEY'RE SCARED.
THE NEIGHBORHOODSES I COME FROM IN SCRANTOM AND CLAMONT AND
WILMINGTON, THEY'RE AS PROGRESSIVE-- BUT THEY NEED TO
KNOW YOU UNDERSTAND THEIR PROBLEM, YOU UNDERSTAND THEIR
FEAR, YOU UNDERSTAND THEIR CONCERN.
AND A LOT OF THEM ARE BEING LEFT BEHIND.
>> Stephen: MR. VICE PRESIDENT ARE, YOU SURE YOU WON'T RUN IN
FOUR YEARS?
( LAUGHTER ) ( APPLAUSE ).
( CHEERS ) >> HERE'S WHAT I'M SURE OF--
WHAT I'M SURE OF IS THAT WITH EVERY OUNCE OF ENERGY IN ME, I'M
GOING TO CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR THE THINGS I ALWAYS BELIEVED IN,
WHICH I THINK ARE BASIC FUNDAMENTAL AMERICAN VALUES.
IT SOUNDS CORNY, BUT THERE ARE TWO THINGS.
EVERYONE IS ENTITLED TO BE TREATED WITH DIGNITY.
AND AS MY DAD WOULD SAY, "JOE, A JOB'S ABOUT A LOT MORE THAN A
PAYCHECK.
IT'S YOUR DIGNITY.
IT'S YOUR RESPECT.
IT'S YOUR PLACE IN THE COMMUNITY."
AND THE SECOND FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE IS THE ABUSE OF POWER
SHOULD NOT BE TOLERATED AT ALL UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: I AGREE TO THAT.
WE'VE-- WE'VE GOT TO GO, BUT BEFORE WE GO, I JUST WANT TO
KNOW, DO YOU KNOW THAT JON BATISTE AND I HAVE CHALLENGED
YOU AND THE PRESIDENT TO A TWO-ON-TWO BASKETBALL GAME.
>> I'M READY.
>> Stephen: YOU'RE READY.
>> I'M READY.
>> Stephen: YOU'RE IN.
>> NOW, I WANT YOU TO KNOW, JON, THE PRESIDENT IS GOING TO GO TO
HIS LEFT.
>> OH, YEAH.
>> YEAH, YEAH, I WANT YOU TO KNOW.
I'VE GOT COLBERT.
I'M NOT TAKING YOU.
>> Stephen: HEY, HEY!
SO HE'S IN, I'M IN, YOU'RE IN.
>> WE'VE GOT TO GET BARACK.
>> Stephen: MR. PRESIDENT, MR. PRESIDENT, COME ON.
>> AND, BY THE WAY, HE MAY BRING ALONG LeBRON, I DON'T KNOW.
>> Jon: WHOA!
>> Stephen: WHATEVER, SEE ME SHAKE.
MR. VICE PRESIDENT, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
IT'S ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO HAVE YOU HERE.
VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN.