Stop-Gap Spending Bill Carveout Allows Lawmakers to Opt out of Obamacare

A lame-duck spending stop-gap spending bill contains a carveout allowing lawmakers to opt out of having to use Obamacare.

Congressional leadership slipped into the continuing resolution (CR), a stop-gap spending bill, a provision that would allow lawmakers to no longer use Obamacare, or Affordable Care Act (ACA), health insurance plans, and can instead use the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program.

Under the ACA, lawmakers and some congressional staff are required to use an Obamacare exchange, which some Republicans have tried to change for years.

Reports suggest this provision was a last-minute addition, as the change was not included in an earlier draft of the healthcare portion of the CR.

The federal health benefit program offers many health insurance options and the program reportedly covers up to 75 percent of the cost of the government workers’ premiums.

The carveout has rankled many on Capitol Hill, including some Democrats.

Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME) wrote, “We should be working to raise Americans’ wages and lower their health care costs, not slipping new taxpayer-funded perks for ourselves into must-pass legislation behind closed doors. As long as raises and new health care perks for members are in the CR, I will vote against it.”

“‘Swamp is going to swamp, right?’ 1400 pages. Still haven’t seen the text. Multiple subject matters. Important health care legislation in the context of extenders piled on the back of a 3-month CR with about $110 billion unpaid for. This is not the way to do business,” Rep. Chip Roy’s (R-TX) press office wrote.

Elon Musk wrote, “How can this be called a “continuing resolution” if it includes a 40% pay increase for Congress?”

Vivek Ramaswamy wrote:

The bill could have easily been under 20 pages. Instead, there are dozens of unrelated policy items crammed into the 1,547 pages of this bill. There’s no legitimate reason for them to be voted on as a package deal by a lame-duck Congress. 72 pages worth of “Pandemic Preparedness and Response” policy; renewal of the much-criticized “Global Engagement Center,” a key player in the federal censorship state; 17 different pieces of Commerce legislation; paving the way for a new football stadium in D.C.; a pay raise for Congressmen & Senators and making them eligible for Federal Employee Health Benefits. It’s indefensible to ram these measures through at the last second without debate. [Emphasis added]

“We’re grateful for DOGE’s warm reception on Capitol Hill. Nearly everyone agrees we need a smaller & more streamlined federal government, but actions speak louder than words. This is an early test. The bill should fail,” he added.

Sean Moran is a policy reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on X @SeanMoran3.