U.S. Sen. Angus King Thursday questioned top defense nominees about “project warp speed,” the Trump Administration’s national program for quickly developing and distributing a vaccine for COVID-19. King says speed should not get in the way of assuring that the vaccine is effective and affordable.
The Senate Armed Services Committee is considering Army General Gustave Perna’s nomination to lead “project warp speed.” King told Perna Thursday that he is worried about the unintended consequences of moving too quickly.
“If we are going to inject something into the arms of 300 million Americans, we better be damn sure that it's efficacious and also safe.”
Perna assured the Committee that the development of a vaccine would not be rushed.
President Trump has pushed for a vaccine that can be in use by the end of the year.
