EXCLUSIVE — Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) sees room for bipartisan deal-making beyond healthcare next year as Republicans try to keep affordability from becoming a 2026 stumbling block.

In an interview with the Washington Examiner, Thune said the GOP’s tax law, passed this summer along party lines, will be a selling point for Republican candidates fighting to preserve their Senate majority, arguing that his conference has not had the time to message its impact on voters appropriately.