Senator May Try to Block OPM Nominee’s Confirmation Path

Government Executive: Acting Office of Personnel Management Director Beth Cobert gave only a perfunctory response at her confirmation hearing Thursday when asked about an issue that a senator has been raising for years.

Two days prior to Cobert’s appearance before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Sen. David Vitter, R-La., wrote to Cobert demanding copies of correspondence between OPM and some in Congress involving the personnel office’s October 2013 rule providing a “ special health care exemption given to members of Congress and congressional staff.” To justify the exemption OPM labeled Congress as a small business under the Affordable Care Act.

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