Joe Biden, Robin Roberts Powerfully Discuss Cancer Moonshot Initiative: ‘We’re Gonna Get This Done’

On Wednesday morning, ABC’s Good Morning America aired the emotional exchange between Robin Roberts and Vice President Joe Biden while discussing the Cancer Moonshot initiative inspired by this year’s State of the Union address.

Roberts, a cancer survivor, connected with the Vice President about the developments in the program, which Biden was tapped for by President Barack Obama just months after the death of Biden’s son Beau from brain cancer at 46. “One of the things the President did when he asked me to head this up, he gave me the authority over all the federal agencies that have anything to do, at all, with cancer,” said Biden.

“I’ve promised before we leave: we will mow down any of the impediments that exist bureaucratically in the federal government that slows up the process,” he furthered. But as Roberts indicated, cutting through the red tape of bureaucracy is one thing, while securing the necessary funding is another altogether. To this point, Biden declared defiantly, “We will get a billion dollars… this is truly a bipartisan issue.”

Roberts added, “I don’t like when people say somebody ‘lost’ their battle to caner. He didn’t lose. I just want to say to you, your son’s journey was no less valiant though the outcome wasn’t what many had prayed for.”

“He died like he lived,” said the Vice President about his late son, “with great courage… He was the finest man I’ve ever known.”

Biden then turned his focus onto Roberts, whose brave fight against breast cancer in 2007 was followed with a diagnosis of a bone marrow disease in 2012, a process that was publicly documented in order to help raise awareness of her campaign. “To go through what you went through in public with the whole world watching,” said the Vice President, “…you give hope to so many people.”

“We’re gonna get this done,” said Biden confidently. The emotional exchange concluded with him saying, “We are going to fundamentally change the face of cancer.”

Watch the amazing interview above from ABC’s GMA.

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J.D. Durkin (@jiveDurkey) is an editorial producer and columnist at Mediaite.
[image via screengrab]