You're listening to a podcast from the BBC World Service. This is Hard Talk with me, Stephen Sacker.

Thanks for downloading this edition of the program. I do hope you enjoy it.

Welcome to Hard Talk on the BBC World Service with me, Stephen Sacker.

My guest today is a Democratic Party politician who has never strayed far from the

moderate middle of U.S. politics. Anthony Brown's CV certainly doesn't suggest he's ever

flirted with radicalism. He served in the U.S. military, including tours of duty in Iraq. He sits

on the Armed Services Committee, and he was a strong supporter of the presidential

campaign of another centrist Democrat Pete Buttigieg, who briefly looked like he could be a serious

contender. Now, the Democratic Party establishment appears to have concluded that former

Vice President Joe Biden is the best hope of beating Donald

Trump in November's election. There is, it seems, a strong desire not to allow the veteran

radical and avowed socialist Bernie Sanders to be the party's presidential candidate. But is 77-year-old Biden really the best the Democrats can do?

And how will the massive disruption being caused by the global coronavirus outbreak play into

America's febrile politics?

Well, Anthony Brown joins me now on the line from Capitol Hill. Congressman, welcome to

hard talk. Great to be out with you, Stephen. Congressman, I think given the state of the world today,

we have to begin with the coronavirus. It is having massive impact around the world. I guess many

people outside of the United States want to know, is the U.S.

system of government fit for purpose when it comes to organizing an effective response?

It's a great question, Stephen, because if you look at the United States in the past,

we have demonstrated that we can lead the globe when we're taking on issues like Ebola,

SARS, H1N1, and other global pandemics and crises like this.

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