Vitter Releases Responses from DCHBEA, Senate, and House on Washington's Obamacare Exemption
Press Release
U.S. Sen. David Vitter, Chairman of the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee, today announced a development in his investigation into how the Washington's Obamacare Exemption was first implemented. Vitter released responses from the District of Columbia Health Benefits Exchange Authority (DCHBEA) and officials from both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives, all of which did not include the documents and communications that Vitter had requested.
"My investigation is centered on determining how Congress was designated as a small business in order to exempt its roughly 16,000 employees, including Members, from clear requirements under Obamacare. Yet the key players involved appear unwilling to comply with a straightforward Congressional request," said Vitter. "Allowing a body comprised of thousands of employees to receive a taxpayer-funded employer subsidy -- especially when folks across the country are losing their healthcare - is unfair and highly prejudicial. I will continue this investigation until the people responsible for this mess are identified and held accountable."
Earlier this month, Vitter launched a new investigation into how the Washington Obamacare Exemption was first implemented. Vitter has requested information from DCHBE and officials from both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives regarding their qualification of the United States Congress as a "small business."
Due to failure of DCHBEA and officials from both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives to provide the documents Vitter had requested, he has extended the document production deadline to Tuesday, February 24, 2015.
Vitter has been pushing legislation that would reverse and clarify the OPM decision by requiring all Members of Congress, the President, Vice President, and all political appointees in the Administration to purchase their health insurance through the Obamacare Exchange without the help of taxpayer-funded subsidies. Congressional staff would be prohibited from receiving any contribution greater than what they would receive if they were not employed by a congressional office.
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