On Wednesday, following the 2024 election, Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) was chosen by the Senate Republican Conference to succeed current Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who has held the position since 2007. Over in the House, Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) was unanimously reelected speaker of the House of Representatives as part of House Republicans’ leadership contest.
Thune beat out Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Rick Scott (R-Fla.) on the second round of secret ballot voting. Meanwhile, Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) will be taking over the role of Republican Whip. Thune is a longtime member of the Senate Finance Committee and has shown a strong interest in health care policy, having previously been supportive of PBM reform measures, the 340B program, expanding telehealth opportunities, and protecting rural hospitals. Specifically, during this Congress NCPA endorsed one of the bills Thune introduced and Barrasso co-sponsored, the Strengthening Pharmacy Access for Seniors Act (S. 2405), which focuses on increased PBM transparency on specialty drugs and specialty pharmacies. S. 2405 was included in the unanimously passed Senate Finance PBM reform package last year.
Johnson, a pharmacy champion, visited NCPA member Kelly Pharmacy in Plain Dealing, La., in October 2022. He’ll be joined in House leadership by Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) and Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), who also handily secured their spots.
We look forward to continuing to work with Johnson, Thune, and the rest of congressional leadership to secure passage of PBM reforms in the lame duck session and in the next Congress.
