Coronavirus

Floor Speech

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Mr. THUNE. Madam President, I am encouraged that we are making progress on coronavirus relief legislation, but we need to finish up and get this bill out the door. The virus is surging around the country, and we need to get help to struggling Americans as soon as possible. The time for debate is over. Let's get this done.

We started this week out with a tremendously hopeful moment in our COVID fight--the first vaccinations against this virus. It is incredible that barely a year since we first learned about the virus, we have a vaccine, with more vaccines likely on the way. I have been thinking a lot this week about the people who volunteered for vaccine trials.

We have gained a new appreciation this year for a lot of people whose work we might have taken for granted in the past--the farmers and grocery store workers and truckdrivers who kept food on our grocery store shelves; the delivery drivers, whom we have relied on so heavily this year, who have brought our packages to us so we can minimize our time at the store; all the workers whose jobs can't be done from home-- from electrical workers, to trashmen, to pharmacists--who get up every day and put on their masks and go out and keep our country running; and, of course, our Nation's medical professionals, who have faced down this virus with courage and determination and with great compassion.

There have been a lot of quiet heroes this year, and the people who volunteered for vaccine trials should be high on that list. A lot of courageous people stepped forward when we needed them, and we would not have a COVID vaccine today without their willingness to help.

Monday was the beginning of what will hopefully be a decisive victory in our COVID battle. We owe that to the hard work and persistence of medical researchers, but we owe it also to the vaccine trial volunteers, who enabled researchers to complete the process of developing a safe and effective vaccine.

It is no exaggeration to say that the bravery of vaccine volunteers could end up saving hundreds of thousands or even millions of lives. I doubt we will ever know most of the volunteers' names, but they are heroes of this battle just the same, and I am very grateful for the opportunity they have given us to defeat this virus.

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