U.S. Senator Steve Daines has called on the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to stop allowing taxpayer dollars to fund elective abortions through congressional health insurance plans. In a letter sent today, Daines cited the Smith Amendment, which prohibits federal funds from being used for elective abortion coverage under the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program.
“We urge you to stop the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) from administering government contributions for Members of Congress and Congressional staff in connection with health insurance plans that cover elective abortion, in violation of the longstanding Smith (NJ) Amendment.
… This longstanding provision of law restricts OPM from administering government contributions in connection with any health plan for federal employees that covers elective abortion.
However, OPM is currently subsidizing plans that cover elective abortion in clear violation of the Smith Amendment… In plan year 2019, 87% percent of the Gold level plans on the DC SHOP covered elective abortion. Only 9 out of 67 plans excluded such coverage.
… Taxpayers, who contribute 72 to 75 percent of these health benefit premiums, do not want their hard-earned tax dollars to pay for abortions. The Smith Amendment does not allow Members of Congress and Congressional staff to operate under a different set of rules than other federal employees when it comes to taxpayer funding of abortion. For 2026, there are only two health plans offered through DC Health Link that do not cover abortion, CareFirst’s BluePreferred PPO Gold and United Healthcare’s Choice Plus Gold.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter. We look forward to working with you to ensure the health and safety of the American people,” he wrote in the letter.
The full text of Daines’ letter is available online.