Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) is ready to subpoena the Office of Personnel Management over the Obamacare exemption they made for Congress that allows lawmakers and their staff to buy health care with a government subsidy on a small business exchange, instead of an individual one.
Under the Obama administration, OPM made a special decision to categorize Congress as a small business, allowing lawmakers and their aides to buy on the Small Business Health Options Plan (SHOP) exchange. This way, they could keep getting government payments as an employer contribution. (Fox News)
Why, Johnson wants to know.
"The American people have a right to know how and why OPM exempted Members of Congress from the full impact of ObamaCare,” the senator wrote in a letter to OPM Acting Director Kathleen McGettigan.
He wants answers by Oct. 18, or the agency can expect subpoenas.
Other senators have voiced opposition to the Obamacare subsidy. In 2015, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) pushed for an amendment to end the exemption.
“Members of Congress retain their illegal exemptions from Obamacare, and it’s time to end the Washington favors that have gone on for far too long,” he said at the time.
President Trump also came out against the subsidy. Why should Congress get special treatment, he tweeted in July.
If ObamaCare is hurting people, & it is, why shouldn't it hurt the insurance companies & why should Congress not be paying what public pays?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 31, 2017
Of course, this issue would be resolved if Republicans had followed through on their promise and repealed the unpopular health care legislation.