Pro-crypto congressional candidate says number of elected officials with STEM background is paltry

Agatha Bacelar is running against establishment candidate and leader of the Democratic Party U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi in San Francisco's congressional primary race. Bacelar told The Scoop that this is a time for unprecedented change from all corners, including the crypto space. Listen on Spotify, iTunes, Google Play, or Stitcher.

Bacelar said social justice and technological innovation go hand in hand. The pace of politics is too slow as of now, following a pattern of incremental change rather than dramatic overhaul, according to Bacelar.

"We're in a time in our history where our capacity for technology to impact the world is unprecedented and the decisions we make in that area whether it's AI, automation, social media monopolies, the crypto space -- the representative of San Francisco I believe should be someone that has a social justice background and a tech background that can help us navigate to the future, where we want to go," she said.

This requires a shift in perspective from Congress, according to Bacelar. Currently, she said, the average member of congress isn't equipped to deal with tech issues. Bacelar notes the average representative is above age 50, white, male and wealthy. She is advocating for more representatives with a background in science and engineering.

"Only 3% of the House of Representatives has any sort of STEM background," she said. "I think we need more people who have studied science and engineering."

Bacelar herself has a professional background in blockchain.