Ohio鈥檚 Republican US Senator is the first member of the Senate to announce he鈥檚 part of a trial to test a COVID-19 vaccine.
Rob Portman (R-OH) said he joined the vaccine clinical trial conducted by Janssen/Johnson & Johnson after getting a briefing on the progress of vaccine development.
Portman said he hopes by speaking out, he鈥檒l convince others to join trials or to get the vaccine when it鈥檚 released. Half of respondents in a recent survey said they wouldn鈥檛 get vaccinated, and Portman blames politics.
鈥淚 think that鈥檚 very irresponsible for elected officials and others to question the process because it is happening under the Trump administration," Portman said. "We鈥檝e heard that, we鈥檝e heard that from a number of different sources including from elected officials who have a big audience. In my view, they鈥檙e playing politics with people鈥檚 health.鈥�
Portman didn鈥檛 identify anyone who is, in his words, criticizing the scientists at the FDA and those running the various coronavirus vaccine trials. But he said those experts are taking extraordinary measures to make sure those vaccines are safe.
Portman also he's hoping lawmakers will take up another COVID-19 relief bill in the lame-duck session, and he's working on a bipartisan proposal that he said would include money for vaccine development, small businesses and unemployment insurance.
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