The Biden Cancer Initiative, the nonprofit former Vice President Joe Biden started two years ago after leaving the White House, is shutting down, at least for now.
Greg Simon, the organization’s president, said in a statement it was suspending activities because of “our unique circumstances.” He added: “We remain personally committed to the cause, but at this time will have to pause efforts. We thank the community for their incredible response to our mission to improve the cancer journey for patients and to improve outcomes for all patients for generations to come.”
Those unique circumstances: Biden is currently the top-polling Democratic candidate for the nomination of the Democratic Party in the 2020 presidential election. Last month, the Associated Press raised concerns as to whether the Biden Cancer Initiative’s connections with for-profit health care companies would pose ethical issues for a Biden administration. The AP cited concerns from Arthur Caplan, a prominent New York University bioethicist, who said that a “Biden administration would give favorable treatment for anyone who supported his foundation in the past.”
Did Biden present any notion of re-establishing the Cancer Initiative when elected President – with federal funding? No he did not. But he did present a far-reaching kick-in-the-teeth drug pricing control scheme – that might render himself getting sliced from all sides by his wielding this double-edged sword. It looks like “self-serving purpose” is going to kill the much-tauted MoonShot.
Ok so the Biden initiative is shutting down to avoid any perceived conflicts in the campaign. Kind of makes sense … but let’s have an accounting of how much money has been raised to date and where and to whom it’s been directed. Will all of the remaining money now be distributed or will it be returned to donors? Why isn’t the platform and donor base being passed over to other cancer philanthropists? Could be a great compassionate story for Biden … or reinforcement of old world smoke and mirrors. Accountability please … if not from Biden, then from journalists.
Unfortunately if there are complaints about the current POTUS, then it would be hypocritical not to do what they have complained about? Really it’s nothing new, each party complains about what the other is doing until they are the one’s doing it.
What absolute nonsense. In an age where the current POTUS is openly selling access to himself and his administration, we demand a candidate for POTUS step down from a non-profit to fight cancer, due to some hypothetical impropriety. It’s genuinely a shame.