EXCLUSIVE — Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) is trying to wrest a narrative over healthcare away from the Democrats, telling the Washington Examiner that Republicans have been discussing ways to improve affordability as it becomes a flashpoint for 2026.

“You got to have an alternative,” Thune said during a Wednesday interview at the Capitol. “You need to have something to be for. And I think what we’re for is affordability, accessibility, and lowering costs, rather than having costs go up.”