Congress
Senate Republican warns about potential interruptions to federal worker health care
Sen. James Lankford is warning that the prolonged shutdown could soon threaten the health care coverage of federal employees.
In a letter sent Oct. 30 to Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor, the Oklahoma Republican expressed concern that agencies are no longer contributing to trust funds that are managed by OPM and used to pay for government workers’ health insurance.
“Despite many efforts to reopen the government and pay federal workers, vital agencies remain closed, employees’ paychecks continue to be withheld and now access to healthcare for every federal employee and their families could be threatened,” Lankford wrote in the letter, first obtained by Blue Light News. “The men and women who serve our nation should not face uncertainty about their paychecks or their health coverage because of political obstruction in the Senate.”
It’s unclear how soon the lapse in agency contributions towards the fund could impair OPM’s ability to pay for federal workers’ health insurance. As part of the largest employer-sponsored health insurance program in the world — the Federal Employee Health Benefits program, or FEHB — OPM is statutorily authorized to contract with private insurers and pay premiums on behalf of the federal workers, with the government generally funding around 75 percent of those premiums.
Within the FEHB, OPM tracks the finances for each health insurance plan separately and maintains contingency reserves for each plan, which are used to offset unexpected premium increases.
But as the Senate heads into the sixth week of a government shutdown, Lankford says these reserves and their potential depletion could become a more significant issue. A spokesperson for OPM did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
One Senate Republican aide, granted anonymity to speak candidly, said Republicans could use this dynamic as a point of leverage against Democrats, who have been insisting on an extension on expiring Obamacare subsidies as they hold out support for ending the shutdown.
“While Democrats claim they are protecting health care, their decision to keep the government closed is threatening the very benefits they say they want to preserve,” said the aide. “The Senator is sending a letter to OPM to better understand how maintaining coverage during a funding lapse would work, and to offer support where it’s needed.”
According to OPM, the combined balance of the FEHB and a similar program for certain retirees was around $25.4 billion at the end of fiscal year 2024. In his letter to Kupor, Lankford asked when the funds financing each respective insurance plan would hit zero and when insurers would be notified of the lapse in funds.
Lankford also inquired if OPM knows of any legal options to continue paying employer-provided contributions for health care in the event the trust fund is emptied.
Congress
Trump: Unlikely to be happy with ‘any deal’ on DHS
President Donald Trump told reporters Tuesday that he plans to take a “hard look” at the emerging DHS funding deal but that he is unlikely to be “happy” with any agreement Republicans strike with Democrats.
It was the first time the president has weighed in publicly on the brewing agreement to fund the agency, as the White House signaled earlier Tuesday that the yet-to-be-finalized solution “seems to be acceptable.” A White House official cautioned that talks are ongoing to fund DHS more than five weeks after money lapsed.
“Well I’m going to look at it, and we’re gonna take a good hard look at it. I want to support Republicans. Sometimes it’s awfully hard to get votes when you have Democrats that don’t want to have voter ID, they don’t want to have proof of citizenship, they don’t want to do anything about men playing in women’s sports,” the president said from the Oval Office after Markwayne Mullin was sworn in to lead DHS.
The president also said he didn’t want to comment on the deal until he reviews it, adding that “they are getting fairly close. But I think any deal they make, I’m pretty much not happy with it.”
Trump’s comments leave room for him to ultimately reject or support the emerging framework. Conservatives, who are skeptical of the potential agreement because it leaves out parts of ICE, are strategizing behind the scenes, according to three people with knowledge of their efforts granted anonymity to discuss them. Senate Republicans, in particular, are bracing for their right flank to try to get in Trump’s ear to tank the deal or demand changes, two of the people said.
And House GOP leadership is privately panning the forming agreement, according to four people with direct knowledge of the matter. Some members argue it kills their leverage to force Democrats to fully fund DHS — and risks leaving them with a GOP revolt.
Speaker Mike Johnson, asked if he supported the forming deal in a brief interview Tuesday leaving the Capitol, replied: “I haven’t seen the details.”
Asked if it could get through the House, Johnson said: “Stay tuned.”
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise told reporters he hadn’t seen details of the forming deal yet but argued Democrats should fully fund DHS. He also declined to say whether the possible deal to leave out some ICE enforcement money could pass the House amid a GOP hard-liner rebellion.
“Those that are contorting themselves to do this, it’s just beyond stupid,” House Foreign Affairs Chair Brian Mast (R-Fla.) said. “Just fund DHS, right?”
House GOP leaders are planning to hold a third vote on the stalled DHS funding bill that fully funds ICE on Thursday in an attempt to pressure Democrats.
Republican senators met with the president at the White House late Monday after he publicly rejected DHS funding without the SAVE America Act alongside it. The senators left the White House and began working on the framework, which includes an effort to pass some portions of the SAVE America Act through reconciliation.
Mullin said in the Oval Office that Senate Budget Chair Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) is “committed to making sure we get reconciliation through.”
“Because there’s nothing more important than the SAVE America Act,” Mullin said. “I mean, that’s what the American people want.”
Congress
Introducing Sen. Alan Armstrong
Alan Armstrong was sworn in Tuesday to temporarily fill the seat left vacant by Sen. Markwayne Mullin’s move to lead the Department of Homeland Security.
The Republican energy executive took the oath of office from Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) just hours after Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt announced Armstrong as his choice to succeed Mullin.
Armstrong will serve until a successor is elected in November. Rep. Kevin Hern (R-Okla.) is running and is viewed as the favorite after securing President Donald Trump’s endorsement.
Congress
The future of SAVE America
As a potential Homeland Security funding deal comes together, Majority Leader John Thune said Tuesday the Senate could temporarily drop its consideration of a contentious GOP elections bill, the SAVE America Act, then return to it after DHS funding is passed.
Thune’s comments come as Republicans are trying to reach an agreement with Democrats on ending a five-week shutdown of the sprawling department. Thune has threatened to cancel a planned two-week recess if the shutdown doesn’t end this week.
“Assuming we can move on … government funding, we can pick this thing up when we come back” from Easter, Thune said.
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