The gold-leafed ceilings and crystal chandeliers of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort are a long way from the small town of Murdo, South Dakota, where Sen. John Thune grew up. But that’s where the senator found himself this spring as he launched a bid to become the next Senate Republican leader.

Senate Republicans blocked passage on Tuesday of a Democratic bill that would federally protect access to in vitro fertilization and require public and private insurance coverage of IVF and other fertility treatments.