Democratic Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin said Thursday that even though he has been a “frequent critic” of the Trump administration, “Operation Warp Speed” looks like “a dramatic success.”
“The Warp Speed project appears to be a dramatic success and I pray that it will be. Although I’ve been a frequent critic of this administration, I want to give them credit for organizing this effectively, and delivering a vaccine in a timely way — almost amazing timely way — in this pandemic that we face,” Durbin said on the floor of the Senate.
“I thank all who were involved in it, especially the scientists and researchers, who didn’t give up until they found these vaccines.” (RELATED: Sen. Dick Durbin Blames Indiana, Mississippi For Chicago’s Gun Violence)
Operation Warp Speed was President Donald Trump’s plan to integrate military expertise, public and private scientific research and the pharmaceutical industry to produce a vaccine for the coronavirus within 12 to 18 months. The project exceeded all expectations and found success in less than a year.
Pfizer announced in late November that its vaccine would be ready for use by mid-December. The company predicted that 40 million doses would be ready by the end of 2020.
Along with the Pfizer produced vaccine, another 20 million Moderna vaccines are expected to be distributed by the end of December, according to Moncef Slaoui, chief scientific advisor for Operation Warp Speed.
MSNBC host Joe Scarborough, a perpetual critic of Trump, also called Warp Speed an “unqualified success.” (RELATED: Sen. Dick Durbin Calls ICE ‘A Group Of Incompetents’)
President Donald Trump greets the crowd before he leaves at the Operation Warp Speed Vaccine Summit on Dec. 8, 2020 in Washington, DC. The president signed an executive order stating the US would provide vaccines to Americans before aiding other nations. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
In another non-partisan moment this month, Durbin admitted in an interview that the Democrats dragged their heels on approving a COVID-19 relief plan “because an election was coming.”
Congress has yet to approve another coronavirus stimulus package after months of unsuccessful talks.