Coburn puts hold on OPM nominee

Oklahoma Republican Tom Coburn said he will block a quick confirmation vote on the nomination of Katherine Archuleta to lead the Office of Personnel Management pending answers from the Obama administration on the status of legislative staffers under the 2010 health care law.

Archuleta's nomination was approved on a party-line 6-4 vote July 31 by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. But floor consideration will likely be stalled until Coburn releases his hold.

"There's no reason we should vote on this position until we know what the administration's position is for our employees' health insurance starting Oct. 1," Coburn said at the committee vote.

At issue is whether staffers will have to move from the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program to health care exchanges created under a provision of the 2010 law that covers members of Congress and congressional employees, and if Congress will be permitted to make contributions to defray the premium costs of employees. Coburn said his request to find out the coverage status of staffers was bounced from OPM to the Office of Management and Budget and back again.

"Hopefully [Coburn will] get the information very soon, and we can move forward with her nomination and confirmation," said Montana Democrat Jon Tester.

The committee also approved the nomination of John Thompson to lead the Census Bureau as well as a number of bills, including legislation to make it easier for agencies to sell unneeded property, a measure that would grant all federal agencies access to the Social Security Administration's complete Death Master File database to scrub deceased individuals from federal payment and annuity rolls, and a bill to permit OPM's inspector general to audit the revolving fund used to conduct security clearance investigations.