Healthcare reform law holds up Obama appointment for non-healthcare role

The latest Capitol Hill debate about the Affordable Care Act centers not on the law itself but, rather, the appointment of a new deputy director for the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), according to the National Journal. Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) is holding the nomination of retired U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Earl Gay to the position because the OPM decided that official Congressional staff can sign up for health insurance using the District of Columbia small-business health marketplace and do not need to use the DC Health Link insurance exchange. This makes official staffers eligible for employer contributions to their health plans. Unofficial staffers, on the other hand, must use the exchange and cannot get employer contributions. Until Vitter gets an explanation for the discrepancy, he plans to prevent Gay's nomination from going through. Article