INDIANAPOLIS—On Tuesday, President Biden announced that he would be shipping 500 million free rapid COVID tests across the country. Indiana will also be receiving immediate support from federal medical personnel and additional ventilators and equipment from the national stockpile to alleviate overcrowding and relieve overworked medical professionals. Senator Tim Lanane (D-Anderson) released the following statement:

“At the same time President Biden is making an unprecedented effort to keep American citizens safe, Indiana’s Republican leadership is working overtime to make us the most dangerous state in the nation for COVID-19. Their priority legislation this year is a targeted attack on science and safety measures implemented by private businesses. President Biden is ensuring that Hoosiers and businesses aren’t forced to pick up the tab for testing, while the proposed Republican bill would do the opposite.

“Healthcare workers are exhausted. Hoosiers are exhausted. Nearly eighteen thousand Indiana citizens have died—many thousands of those deaths were preventable. Our best defense and our only way forward is vaccination. The supermajority cannot continue to talk out of both sides of their mouth: either they want Hoosiers safe and the pandemic over, or they don’t. Thank you to President Biden for his leadership—now it’s time for Indiana Republicans to step up to the plate.”