President Biden to visit New Orleans as part of goal to "end cancer"
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President Biden on Sept. 12, 2022, talked about the cancer moonshot in Boston on the 60th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy's "Moonshot" speech. Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images
President Biden and first lady Jill Biden are visiting New Orleans on Tuesday to promote his cancer "moonshot," which aims to "end cancer as we know it."
Why it matters: Biden now has about four months instead of four years to cement his health care legacy since he withdrew from running for a second term.
The big picture: He'll be speaking at an event at Tulane University in the afternoon and meeting with dignitaries, including Rep. Troy Carter.
- He will announce about $150 million in federal awards to develop technologies that will help surgeons with tumor-removal surgeries, the White House said.
- The funding will support researchers at Tulane and seven other teams around the country.
- Tulane is getting $22.9 million to invent new imaging systems and techniques that will allow surgeons to see in real time if they removed all cancer cells during surgery.
Context: It's the third time the Bidens have been to New Orleans for a cancer-related event. Last year, Jill Biden toured the Louisiana Cancer Research Center on Tulane Avenue, according to NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune.
- The center is a partnership with LSU Health, Tulane, Xavier and Ochsner Health and their 200+ researchers.
- And in 2016, the Bidens toured University Medical Center and spoke with cancer doctors, caregivers and patients, the White House said.
By the numbers: More than 25,000 Louisianans get a new cancer diagnosis each year, according to the center.
- And people who live in Cancer Alley, the so-called stretch of Louisiana communities between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, have a 95% greater chance of developing cancer than the average American, Grist reports, using a Johns Hopkins University study.
Catch up quick: Biden ran for office primarily on a health care agenda and says his top accomplishments as president were lowering prescription drug costs for seniors and expanding coverage to a record number of Americans.
- In 2022, he revived the cancer moonshot effort he spearheaded as vice president.
- The current objective, according to the White House, is to cut the cancer death rate in half by 2047 and improve the experience of people who are touched by cancer.
Friction point: The program needs funding. Some of the money for it expired last year and hasn't been renewed, reports Axios' Adriel Bettelheim.
- Another $216 million was added to a U.S. Senate spending bill before the August recess, but it's unclear what the ultimate fate will be.
What's next: The president is expected to arrive at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport around 1:30pm.
Go deeper: Learn more about Tulane's cancer technology.