Coons on Russian Covid Vaccine: ‘Russian Athletes Had a Long History of Doping and Cheating’

EXCERPT:

COONS: “I’ll remind you that Russian athletes had a long history of doping, of cheating, of being coerced or encouraged by their government to do things that may have won the gold medal but that skirted the rules and that put their own health at risk. I think only time will tell whether the Russians have in fact developed the first effective and safe vaccine or whether they’re at it again, they're putting their thumb on the scale and they're cheating. President Trump has a long history of taking Putin’s word for it even over the input or advice of our own professionals in the intelligence community or in the public health community. This is one instance where I would urge our president not to take Putin's word for it and to rely on the broad and deep community of innovators who know how to deliver safe and effective vaccines and pharmaceuticals and therapeutics in our country. There is a reason that the FDA requires long, expensive, complex, and scientifically sound tests before we distribute any vaccine in this country.”