PHOENIX — This afternoon, President Joe Biden announced a six-pronged national strategy to combat COVID-19 cases across the country. This comprehensive, science-based approach will ensure that we are using every available tool to combat the virus, save countless American lives, keep our schools open, and protect our economic recovery.

While President Biden works to save lives, Governor Ducey is busy burying his head in the sand, pretending that the state’s underwhelming vaccination rate has nothing to do with his failure to lead, and even threatening to “push back” against President Biden’s leadership.

After banning mask mandates in schools, Ducey put forth a plan to withhold funding from schools that enacted CDC-backed public health guidelines to protect students — and even went so far as to reward schools that put students at risk. Now, children represent 25% of all Arizona COVID-19 cases.

Following President Biden’s address, Arizona Democratic Party Chair Raquel Terán released the following statement:  

“With an ineffectual and irresponsible politician like Doug Ducey at the helm in Arizona, I am incredibly grateful to have President Biden’s leadership in the White House. If our governor won’t protect us, it’s even more imperative that we have a president who will.

“It’s quite simple: Arizonans have a right to go to work without worrying that they’ll bring a deadly virus home with them, and parents have a right to send their children to school without worrying that they’ll get sick.

“Doug Ducey may be willing to play political hardball with the health and wellbeing of our families, but President Biden certainly is not. Enough is enough — it’s time to beat this virus once and for all.”

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