Education

• Senator Biden was a major advocate for the KIDS 2000 program, which brought computers and the internet to public schools.
• In order to rebuild the education system in America, Senator Joe Biden will work to move to a 16 year system, focus retaining and training teachers, and reducing class size.

16 Year System

• The 16 year system will replace the 12 year school system by first starting children with two years of preschool and making sure students can afford two years of post secondary education.
• He plans to initiate this program by doubling the number of students in Head Start and quadrupling Early Head Start enrollment, as well as provide $5 billion in grants to states to expand high quality public preschool programs.
• At least two years of higher education is a key part of the 16 year system. In order for students to afford a college education, Biden will create a $3,000 College Access Refundable tax credit. This would be created by consolidating two existing tax incentives – the Hope Scholarship Credit and the tuition and fees deduction – and replace them with a single refundable $3,000 tax credit.
• Biden would also expand the maximum Pell Grant from $4,310 to $6,300, and provide up to $9,300 in assistance to low-income students.^[1]

Retaining and Training Teachers

• Biden recognizes that teacher attrition is twice as high at high-poverty schools, and plans to provide bonuses to these teachers. He also plans to provide bonuses to teachers who stay at a school for five consecutive years.
• Professional development of teachers is also important. This is why Biden wants to reward professional development like the National Board Certification, and would supplement the salaries of teachers who have attained this achievement.
• He would also expand professional development by creating properly implemented mentor and induction programs to improve teach performance and retention, while providing experienced teachers with additional opportunities for career advancement.^[2]

Reducing Class Size

• In order to reduce class size, Biden would hire 100,000 new teachers and reduce class sized to 18, with a particularly focus on the early grades.
• He would also provide $2 billion a year in grants to states and districts to reduce class size.^[3]

Climate Change

• With a vote of 51-42 the Senate rejected S. Amdt 1094 to the Water Resources Development Act of 2007 (H.R. 1495). This amendment would have required the Army Corp of Engineers to account for the long-term and short-term effects of global climate change in all feasibility studies or reevaluation reports. Supporters of S. Amdt. 1094 focused especially on the dangers associated with increased hurricane intensity and rising sea levels. Opponents criticized the amendment as being too expensive to implement and refuted any relationship between hurricane intensity and global warming (read the floor debate). voted for this amendment.

Energy

As a presidential candidate, Senator Biden introduced a plan to reduce America’s dependence on foreign oil by requiring all cars marketed in the United States to be able to use a gasoline mixture containing 85% ethanol by 2017, raising the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards to 40 mpg by 2017, and encouraging the use of energy efficient technologies by consumers and the federal government. Senator Biden also co-introduced the Fuel Economy Reform Act (S. 676), which requires a 4% annual increase in CAFE standards.

Drilling

Biden is opposed to drilling in America as being the major solution for the country's energy crisis. In his Vice Presidential Debate with Sarah Palin, he said that "it would be a decade before any new domestically produced oil made it to US pumps and repeated that our country has but 3 percent of the world's oil yet uses 25 percent of it." ^[4]

Advanced Technology Vehicles

• Biden plans to invest in technology that will allow domestic car manufacturers to build highly efficient plug-in hybrids. He plans to initiate this by doubling the current investment in research and development of lithium-ion batteries from $40 million a year to $100 million a year.
• Biden decision is based on a lesson from the Japanese, who dominate the market for lithium ion batteries that go into hybrids by investing millions in the technology for years. He believes the US should be a leader in the market and not be playing catch-up.^[5]

Energy Efficiency

• In order to increase energy efficiency in the US, Senator Biden wants to Require the federal government to purchase 10 percent renewable electricity by 2010 and 20 percent by the end of the next decade.
• He also wants Increase federal building energy efficiency by requiring a 30 percent reduction in energy use over the next ten years, and plans to save taxpayers money (almost $4 billion dollars). This will also reduce carbon dioxide emissions by millions of tons.
• Biden also will create the Flip-to-Save program to provide $50 million in funding to states to administer programs to educate consumers on efficient technology and distribute highly efficient compact florescent light bulbs.
• He would also expand the “Energy Star Program” to include standards for more appliances and commercial systems.
• Biden will also support local updates to building codes to capture cost-effective energy efficiency opportunities in new residential/commercial construction, and increase incentives for energy efficient commercial buildings and manufacturing sector.^[6]
• Clean Coal Technology
  • During consideration of the Renewable Fuels, Consumer Protection, and Energy Efficiency Act of 2007 (H.R. 6) in the Senate, two competing amendments regarding coal-to-liquid fuels were proposed. S. Amdt. 1628 would have provided a minimum standard in the amount of coal-to-liquid fuels to be used in "covered fuels" (aviation fuel, motor vehicle fuel, home heating oil, and boiler fuel) beginning in 2016. While the amendment mandated the clean coal fuel to emit 20% less life-cycle greenhouse gases than gasoline, opponents objected to the comparison of coal to liquid fuel as similar to gasoline. They argued that liquid fuels derived from coal are more similar to diesel-based fuel, and emit up to 150% more greenhouse gases than petroleum-based diesel fuel. S. Amdt. 1628 failed passage with a vote of 39-55. voted against this amendment.
  • The competing amendment, Amdt. 1614, would have provided up to $10 billion worth of loans for projects that reduce carbon dioxide emissions from coal gasification (or other transformation processes) by at least 75% and ensure that greenhouse gas emissions are at least 20% below the conventional baseline. Challengers criticized the 75% sequestration requirement as too high and voiced concern that the loan money would end up disbursed to other projects (read the debate). S. Amdt. 1614 also was rejected, with a final tally of 33-61. voted against this amendment.

Environment

• Biden believes in permanently protecting Alaskan wildlife from oil and gas drilling. He has fought to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for many years.
• By reinstating Superfund fees, Biden will make polluters pay for the cleanup of toxic sites and not taxpayers. This will also expand cleanup operations of toxic sites.
• Tropical rainforests also need to be protected because of their critical role in the global climate. Senator Biden has written a plan to provide debt relief to developing nations in exchange for protection of tropical rainforests.
• Senator Biden has also fought the current administration’s plan to drastically cut the New Source Review standards by allowing power plants to avoid their obligations to install modern pollution controls. He also wants to prevent mercury pollution by limiting their exports.^[7]

Evolution/Intelligent Design

On an episode of Real Time with Bill Maher, Biden criticized teaching intelligent design in schools saying, "This is reversible, man. This is reversible. We don't have to go down this road. I refuse to believe the majority of people believe this malarkey!”

Global Warming

To combat climate change, Senator Biden calls for capping greenhouse gas emissions to 80% of 1990 levels by 2050 through a cap and trade system. Biden also would like to negotiate a global climate change treaty with emitters worldwide—including China and India—to reduce the global impact of greenhouse gases.

In the Senate, Biden is a co-sponsor of the Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act of 2007(S. 309), which calls for the United States to reduce emissions to 80% of 1990 levels by 2050.

Healthcare

Announced on October 23, 2007, Biden’s healthcare plan focuses on reducing costs through prevention and modernization, insuring all children, and lowering health care costs for employers. Biden has promised to, within six months of taking office as President, call a gathering of healthcare professionals—insurance companies, the American Medical Association (AMA), labor and business groups, etc.—to create a healthcare plan that will cover every American. Senator Biden also has developed a separate plan to improve Medicare.

In the Senate, Biden annually introduces and helps pass a resolution creating a “National Mammography Day” which encourages women to get mammograms to screen for breast cancer. Biden also supported the Medicare Prescription Drug Policy Negotiation Act of 2007 (S. 3), which would have required the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate drug prices for Part D of Medicare with pharmaceutical companies. The bill failed a cloture vote in April 2007.

Genetic Discrimination

• “Biden has fought to prohibit an issuer of a Medicare supplemental policy, on the basis of genetic information, from denying or conditioning coverage, or discriminating in the pricing of the policy, including the adjustment rates, for an eligible individual.”^[8]

Women’s Health

• Senator Biden has consistently defended Roe v Wade and supported Title X – the nations’ family planning program -- that provides information, services, support, and research for family planning.
• Biden also supports the Nurse Reinvestment Act, which would fund scholarships for nursing students, and promote public information programs to encourage people to enter the nursing profession and he is working to help train and employ 100,000 new nurses in the workforce.^[9]

Innovation

• In order to improve US innovation in clean energy technology, Joe Biden supports creating a five-year, $50 billion investment in new incentives for research including: alternative fuel and energy sources, renewable energy, and carbon capture and sequestration technologies that will allow us to use coal cleanly.
• Joe Biden would pay for this investment by: taxing oil companies’ windfall profits, repealing tax breaks for oil companies, auctioning carbon credits, collecting royalties for production of oil and gas on federal lands, and preventing price gouging.^[10]

Technology

• • In the summer of 2008, the Senate met to consider the FISA Amendments Act of 2008 (H.R. 6304), which would give retroactive immunity to telecommunications companies that wiretapped customers’ phones for the Bush administration shortly after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The legislation also allows the warrantless wiretapping of American citizens for up to 7 days before obtaining court approval. The Senate passed the bill with a vote of 69 to 28, and the legislation was signed by President Bush on July 7, 2008. voted against this legislation.

Stem Cell Research

Biden supports expanding federal funding for embryonic stem cell research and voted for the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007 (S. 5).

Speeches on Science and Health Policy Issues

No speeches have been posted to date.

SCIENCE IN THE DEBATES:

Vice-Presidential Debate, October 2, 2008

Moderator: Thank you, governor. Senator? [on health care]

Biden: Now, with regard to the -- to the health care plan, you know, it's with one hand you giveth, the other you take it. You know how Barack Obama -- excuse me, do you know how John McCain pays for his $5,000 tax credit you're going to get, a family will get?

He taxes as income every one of you out there, every one of you listening who has a health care plan through your employer. That's how he raises $3.6 trillion, on your -- taxing your health care benefit to give you a $5,000 plan, which his Web site points out will go straight to the insurance company.

And then you're going to have to replace a $12,000 -- that's the average cost of the plan you get through your employer -- it costs $12,000. You're going to have to pay -- replace a $12,000 plan, because 20 million of you are going to be dropped. Twenty million of you will be dropped.

So you're going to have to place -- replace a $12,000 plan with a $5,000 check you just give to the insurance company. I call that the "Ultimate Bridge to Nowhere."

Moderator: Senator, what is true and what is false about the causes? [on global warming]

Biden: Well, I think it is manmade. I think it's clearly manmade. And, look, this probably explains the biggest fundamental difference between John McCain and Barack Obama and Sarah Palin and Joe Biden -- Gov. Palin and Joe Biden.If you don't understand what the cause is, it's virtually impossible to come up with a solution. We know what the cause is. The cause is manmade. That's the cause. That's why the polar icecap is melting.

Now, let's look at the facts. We have 3 percent of the world's oil reserves. We consume 25 percent of the oil in the world. John McCain has voted 20 times in the last decade-and-a-half against funding alternative energy sources, clean energy sources, wind, solar, biofuels. The way in which we can stop the greenhouse gases from emitting. We believe -- Barack Obama believes by investing in clean coal and safe nuclear, we can not only create jobs in wind and solar here in the United States, we can export it.

China is building one to three new coal-fired plants burning dirty coal per week. It's polluting not only the atmosphere but the West Coast of the United States. We should export the technology by investing in clean coal technology. We should be creating jobs. John McCain has voted 20 times against funding alternative energy sources and thinks, I guess, the only answer is drill, drill, drill. Drill we must, but it will take 10 years for one drop of oil to come out of any of the wells that are going to begun to be drilled.In the meantime, we're all going to be in real trouble.

Moderator: On clean coal.

Biden: Oh, on clean coal. My record, just take a look at the record. My record for 25 years has supported clean coal technology. A comment made in a rope line was taken out of context. I was talking about exporting that technology to China so when they burn their dirty coal, it won't be as dirty, it will be clean. But here's the bottom line, Gwen: How do we deal with global warming with continued addition to carbon emissions? And if the only answer you have is oil, and John -- and the governor says John is for everything.

Well, why did John vote 20 times? Maybe he's for everything as long as it's not helped forward by the government. Maybe he's for everything if the free market takes care of it. I don't know. But he voted 20 times against funding alternative energy sources.

View Transcript

MSNBC Democratic Debate, April 27, 2007

Question: Senator Biden, a quote from Tom Friedman in The New York Times: "Unfortunately, today's presidential hopefuls are largely full of hot air on the climate-energy issue. Not one of them is proposing anything hard." What would you propose for the average American that would be hard?

Biden: …We have to make a -- the equivalent of what Friedman has been talking about, and that is, a Manhattan Project. We have to fundamentally shift the way we do it.

We started off -- Barack and I have a bill to make sure that every automobile made or sold in the United States has to be a flex- fuel automobile; that every gas station in America by the year 2009 has to have 10 percent of their pumps pumping e-85 ethanol.

We also have legislation in requiring that we invest $100 million a year the next couple of years while this president's president in order to be able to find lithium battery technology to be able to -- to power our cars. We also have legislation talking about capping emissions. Cap them now, not wait. Cap them where they are now. Time's running out. But you have to be willing to make multi-billion-dollar investments over the next 10 years and set hard goals in order to be able to get to the point where we're no longer dependent.

View Transcript

Endnotes

1. ↑ Joe Biden. Joe Biden’s Priorites. 2008. http://www.bidenforsenate.com/issues
2. ↑ Joe Biden. Joe Biden’s Priorites. 2008. http://www.bidenforsenate.com/issues
3. ↑ Joe Biden. Joe Biden’s Priorites. 2008. http://www.bidenforsenate.com/issues
4. ↑ David Beard. Palin, Biden clashed on energy policy. October 2, 2008. http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/green/greenblog/2008/10/palin_biden_clashed_on_energy.html
5. ↑ Joe Biden. Joe Biden’s Priorites. 2008. http://www.bidenforsenate.com/issues
6. ↑ Joe Biden. Joe Biden’s Priorites. 2008. http://www.bidenforsenate.com/issues
7. ↑ Joe Biden. Joe Biden’s Priorites. 2008. http://www.bidenforsenate.com/issues
8. ↑ Joe Biden. Joe Biden’s Priorites. 2008. http://www.bidenforsenate.com/issues
9. ↑ Joe Biden. Joe Biden’s Priorites. 2008. http://www.bidenforsenate.com/issues
10. ↑ Joe Biden. Joe Biden’s Priorites. 2008. http://www.bidenforsenate.com/issues