Vice President Joe Biden Wraps Up SoCal Visit With Keynote At Patient Safety, Science and Technology Summit
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Vice President Joe Biden traveled to Irvine Saturday, wrapping up his visit to Southern California with a keynote speech at the Patient Safety, Science and Technology Summit.
Biden delivered the keynote speech at the two-day event, held at the Hotel Irvine.
Organizers at the Patient Safety Movement Foundation say their goal is to push toward "zero preventable deaths by 2020."
Former President Bill Clinton spoke at the summit Friday.
"I believe that all over the country the deaths from hospital-incurred infections are going to go down dramatically 'cause more and more people are just going to do what they need to do. It's pretty basic and it's hard to justify not doing it," Clinton said.
Biden's visit Saturday came a day after he hosted a roundtable with students and administrators at West Los Angeles College in Ladera Heights, discussing President Barack Obama's recently announced proposal regarding community colleges.
The proposal would make community college free for two years for students who maintain a grade-point average of at least 2.5 and make steady progress toward a degree or transfer to a four-year university.
It calls for the federal government to cover 75 percent of the average cost, with states covering the remaining cost.
Congressional Republicans have called the plan for free tuition, estimated to cost $60 billion over 10 years, a non-starter, saying it would be paid for by a tax increase on high-income Americans and fees on large banks.
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