Letter to Speaker John Boehner and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, House of Representatives, Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senate - Obamacare and Congress

Letter

Congressman Steve Daines has called on the President and Congressional leadership to reject the recent decision by the Office of Personnel and Management (OPM) provides Members of Congress and their staff with a special exemption from an ObamaCare provision.

"This decision demonstrates how deeply broken Washington is and it unmistakably suggests that Congress is focused more on their self-interests than the interests of the American people who must contend with the federal mandate to buy insurance, higher premiums and rising health care costs due to the law," Daines stated."It is absolutely unacceptable for Washington to impose new burdens and costs upon the American people, and then carve out special loopholes for itself. Until this failed law is fully repealed, Washington must live by the same rules that have been forced upon the American people."

The full text of Daines' letters may be found below.

August 09, 2013

Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-Ohio)

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.)

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.)

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)

Dear House and Senate leaders:

I am deeply opposed to recent actions by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to grant members of Congress and their staff with a special exemption from an ObamaCare provision, while the President and Senate Democrats neglect to provide the American people with the same relief from ObamaCare. Absent enactment of legislation to repeal, defund, or, at minimum, delay ObamaCare, I strongly urge Congress to affirmatively reject the OPM rule.

Under ObamaCare, all members of the House and Senate, along with their aides, are required to purchase their health coverage through the law's health insurance exchange, without the federal government support that is currently granted under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan.

But rather than requiring Washington to live under the laws it has passed, the new OPM rule seeks to bail out members and their staff from the law's consequences. This decision demonstrates how deeply broken Washington is and it unmistakably suggests that Congress is focused more on their self-interests than the interests of the American people who must contend with the federal mandate to buy insurance, higher premiums and rising health care costs due to the law.

If members of Congress refuse to live under the laws they have passed, the American people must be exempted as well. It is absolutely unacceptable for Washington to impose new burdens and costs upon the American people, and then carve out special loopholes for itself.

As I travel throughout Montana this month, I have heard repeatedly how frustrated Montanans are with Washington and its efforts to evade being subjected to the burdens and costs that the President's health care law has imposed on hardworking Americans. Until this failed law is fully repealed, Washington must live by the same rules that have been forced upon the American people.

Sincerely,

STEVE DAINES

Member of Congress

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