Thune to challenge Democrats’ Obamacare vote with GOP counterproposal

Published December 9, 2025 4:06pm ET



Senate Republicans plan to counter a Democratic-led vote on expiring Obamacare subsidies with a healthcare proposal of their own, marking a shift in strategy as the GOP debates how best to challenge Democrats on affordability.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) was expected to skip a competing vote, with the party divided over the best legislation to present as an alternative, but ultimately decided to move ahead after discussing the vote at their daily conference lunch and increasing pressure from rank-and-file members.

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