The union that represents IRS employees is urging its members to write to their congressmen to help get the union out of Obamacare.
“I am a federal employee and one of your constituents. I am very concerned about legislation that has been introduced by Congressman Dave Camp to push federal employees out of the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) and into the insurance exchanges established under the Affordable Care Act (ACA),” according to a form letter drafted by leaders of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), which represents IRS employees.
NTEU members currently get health coverage through FEHBP, which represents federal employees, but Republican House Ways and Means chairman and Michigan Republican Rep. Dave Camp seeks to obliterate that program and push legislation that would put federal employees into Obamacare exchanges.
“If the ObamaCare exchanges are good enough for the hardworking Americans and small businesses the law claims to help, then they should be good enough for the president, vice president, Congress, and federal employees,” Camp’s spokesperson said, making clear that Camp’s move has political motives.
“Camp has long believed every American ought to be exempt from the [Obamacare] law, which is why he supports full repeal,” Camp’s spokesperson also said.
NTEU is not happy.
“H.R. 1780 would put federal employees in a special class where they would be prohibited from receiving health insurance through their employer. It would treat federal employees differently from state and local government employees and most employees of large private sector companies who receive health insurance benefits through their employer. The primary purpose of the Affordable Care Act was to provide a marketplace for the sale and purchase of health insurance for those who do not have such coverage – not to take coverage away from employees who already receive it through their employers,” the letter reads.
“I work hard and am proud of the services that I provide to your constituents every day. One of the main benefits I receive as a federal employee is the ability to purchase health insurance coverage through the FEHBP with an employer contribution towards those benefits. Please let me know your views on this legislation. I look forward to hearing back from you,” the letter concludes.
NTEU recently made news by preventing acting IRS commissioner Danny Werfel from fully canceling taxpayer-funded employee bonuses this year as he promised, citing the union’s labor contract with the IRS.
