Overview
- Punchbowl News reporting, echoed by Alternet and Raw Story, says John Thune is taking heat from multiple Republican factions as his consensus-first approach fails to resolve key disputes.
- Senate Republicans have not decided whether to offer their own plan against Democrats’ bill to renew Affordable Care Act subsidies, with a vote expected next week according to the reports.
- The expiration of subsidies removed earlier this year could trigger steep premium increases for millions if Congress does not act, intensifying intra-party disagreements.
- A Thune-backed provision allowing certain GOP senators to sue over seized phones was removed by the House, escalating tensions with Speaker Mike Johnson.
- Some Republicans are urging Thune to take a firmer hand like Mitch McConnell once did, but he has not indicated a change in strategy, the coverage notes.