(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.