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(WASHINGTON, D.C.) — Indiana Senator Todd Young is positioning himself as both a bipartisan

dealmaker and a line of defense against Democrats’ agenda as he kicks off a bid for a second

term.

Young confirmed his reelection plans this week, calling himself a conservative who gets things done, and boasting he’s shown he can work constructively across the aisle. Young is in the minority in the Senate, for the first time in 10 years in Washington. But he says there are enough Republicans to stop some of what he calls “the bad things” Democrats want to do. And he says there should be common ground on items like infrastructure spending.

Young was one of 10 Republicans who visited the White House to propose a smaller COVID relief

plan, but says he’ll vote against President Biden’s plan. He says he’d have supported a bill limited

to paying for vaccinations, reopening schools and getting people back to work. But he criticizes

the inclusion of items like $270 million for the National Endowment for the Arts and National

Endowment for the Humanities. And he blasts $350 billion to help states cover for the

pandemic’s revenue shortfalls, charging it’s a bailout for blue states.

28 states, including Indiana, saw revenue declines last year, including 15 with Republican

governors and 13 with Democratic governors. 11 states with Republican governors and 11 with

Democratic governors saw revenue go up despite the pandemic.

In his reelection announcement, Young singled out Biden’s immigration policies for criticism,

reminding voters of his past support for a border wall, vowing to fight “amnesty,” and charging

Biden would weaken border protections.Young says Biden’s immigration bill doesn’t do enough to

increase border security. The bill calls for more money for vehicle-scanning technology at the

border and a commitment to improve detection of illegal drugs at the border.

But Young says he supported an unsuccessful past attempt to create a path to legal status for

children brought into the U.S. by their parents, the so-called DREAMers. He says he’d support it

again, as long as it’s done through Congress, not by executive order.

Young is signaling to any potential primary challengers to reconsider, coupling his reelection

announcement with the rollout of endorsements from his Senate predecessor Dan Coats, Senator

Mike Braun, all seven Indiana Republicans in the U.S. House, all but three state House

Republicans, all but one Republican state senator, all but seven county party chairs, state

chairman Kyle Hupfer, and nine former state chairmen, including Governor Holcomb.

Gary civil rights attorney Haneefah Khaaliq is the only announced Democratic candidate so far.