John Thune, as a Republican senator, has consistently supported increasing the estate tax exemption (often called the 'death tax') in various legislative efforts, and such increases do shield more family businesses, farms, and ranches from estate tax liability when transferring to heirs. However, without the specific text of the referenced 2026 bill, I cannot verify whether he personally 'worked to increase' the exemption in that particular bill, though the general claim aligns with his known policy positions and actions.

As of mid‑2024, no public record shows Senator John Thune having sponsored or worked on a 2026 bill to increase the federal estate‑tax exemption threshold; the estate‑tax exemption is set to revert to pre‑2017 levels after 2025 unless Congress acts, and Thune’s recent legislative activity has focused on other issues, making the claim unverifiable and likely inaccurate.

There is no record of a 2026 bill sponsored by Senator Thune that raised the estate‑tax exemption threshold; recent legislation has not changed the exemption, so the claim of increasing it to protect more family businesses is not supported.

In 2026, the federal estate tax exemption actually decreased significantly from the elevated levels set by the 2017 tax law, dropping from approximately $12.92 million to around $5 million per individual, which would have made more family businesses and farms subject to the tax, not fewer.