Congress

Senate Republican warns about potential interruptions to federal worker health care

Published

5 months ago

November 3, 2025

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

GOP senators see path to ending DHS shutdown after Trump meeting

Published

3 hours ago

March 24, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

A group of Senate Republicans believe they’ve found a path to ending the five-week Department of Homeland Security shutdown after meeting Monday with President Donald Trump.

Asked after the White House meeting if they had a solution after meeting with Trump, Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama told reporters, “We do.”

Britt and Sens. Bernie Moreno of Ohio, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Steve Daines of Montana met with Trump to try to pitch to accept an agreement that would fund most of DHS.

Their pitch, according to two people with knowledge of it, was to pass a funding bill that would fund all of DHS except specific parts of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which is already funded under last year’s GOP megabill.

Graham told colleagues on the Senate floor after the meeting that the president is now open to a new party-line reconciliation bill after rejecting the idea over the weekend, Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) said. That could give Republicans a path to pass more ICE funding — if they can muster the votes.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. And Republicans cautioned that nothing is official until Trump backs it publicly.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said “hope so” when asked Monday night whether a deal was in hand.

Proceeding with the arrangement with Trump’s support would represent a U-turn from just 24 hours ago for the president, who insisted Sunday that DHS could be only funded if Democrats agreed to pass a partisan GOP elections bill, the SAVE America Act, alongside it.

Democrats in both chambers have pressed Republicans multiple times to take up their bills that would fund all of DHS except ICE, Customs and Border Protection and the secretary’s office. Republicans have rejected the efforts each time.

Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.), a senior appropriator, said there are “various options” for funding the department but is “hopeful” a solution was within grasp.

“Republicans have put a lot on the table, and hopefully the Democrats will agree,” he said.

Congress

GOP senators meet with Trump on DHS

Published

5 hours ago

March 23, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

Four Senate Republicans are meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House to discuss funding the Department of Homeland Security, which has been shuttered for more than a month amid a standoff with Democrats over the administration’s immigration enforcement agenda.

GOP lawmakers attending the Monday night meeting, according to a person granted anonymity to share details of a private confab, are Sens. Katie Britt of Alabama, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Bernie Moreno of Ohio and Steve Daines of Montana.

Britt is the chair of the appropriations subcommittee with oversight over DHS and has been helping lead negotiations to reopen the agency — though Trump warned Sunday night a deal should not be brokered until Democrats agree to help Republicans pass a partisan elections bill known as the SAVE America Act.

Congress

No DHS talks expected until Mullin is confirmed, White House official says

Published

8 hours ago

March 23, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

The White House is holding off on further DHS funding negotiations until the Senate confirms Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin to lead the agency, according to a White House official, granted anonymity to share internal thinking.

Democrats have previously canceled meetings, and given Mullin is close to confirmation, the official said, aides to President Donald Trump believe it’s better to wait so he can be a “full and active” participant in funding talks from the DHS side.

The White House earlier in the day rejected a Monday morning meetingwith a bipartisan group of senators who have been negotiating to end the DHS shutdown. Democrats had previously canceled a Saturday meeting.

The Senate is scheduled to vote on Mullin’s confirmation shortly before 8 p.m. Monday.

Some Senate Republicans are aiming to meet with Trump on Monday night to discuss the DHS funding situation, although no meeting has been officially scheduled.

The meeting, according to two people with knowledge of the matter, would be to try to pitch Trump on a plan to fund all of DHS except specific pieces of ICE, which have already been funded through last year’s megabill.

Trump was in Memphis, Tenn., earlier in the day, attending an anti-crime event and paying a visit to Graceland, Elvis Presley’s former home.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he expected additional meetings Monday but declined to say who was involved: “Conversations continue,” he said.

Meredith Lee Hill contributed to this report.