Sen. Ron Johnson this week demanded more information about how the Office of Personnel Management decided to allow members of Congress and their staffs to buy health insurance plans on the small business exchange in Washington, D.C., and to let the federal government subsidize those plans.
The Wisconsin Republican sent a letter Wednesday asking OPM to preserve all records, including some as far back as 2010, related to how the agency created the rule.
Johnson’s letter noted that OPM allowed lawmakers to use the city government’s Small Business Health Options Plan, or the SHOP exchange, to buy insurance under Obamacare, even though the exchange was meant for employers with fewer than 50 people. That decision allowed the government to subsidize those plans.
“Without this classification, members of Congress and their staff would be required to purchase health insurance on the individual exchange, where no employer contributions are permitted,” he wrote.
Johnson sued the Obama administration in 2014 for the decision, but his lawsuit was dismissed for lack of standing. However, President Trump has raised the issue of congressional health plans and has appeared to threaten lawmakers with the idea of getting rid of the government’s contribution.
“If ObamaCare is hurting people, & it is, why shouldn’t it hurt the insurance companies & why should Congress not be paying what public pays?” Trump asked in a late July tweet.
Johnson asked OPM for “all documents and communications” related to the decision, and a description of the process OPM follows to meet that request. He demanded that information by Aug. 31.
