1. United States
2. Mo.
3. Letter

I am writing to express my outrage over the continued assault on federal employees, federal agencies, and the basic privacy and security rights of the people who work for and depend on our federal government. The latest example is OPM’s continued effort to collect detailed health claims information on federal employees, retirees, spouses, children, and other family members. OPM’s own records notice encompasses medical claims, pharmacy claims, encounter data, provider information, dates of service, and other highly sensitive health information. The proposal also contemplates maintaining this information for decades. This is deeply troubling. Americans should be able to seek medical care without wondering whether their private health information could eventually be accessed, analyzed, shared, or used against them by the federal government. I am particularly concerned about the direction being taken by OPM Director Scott Kupor and OMB Director Russell Vought. This administration has repeatedly pursued policies that undermine federal agencies, destabilize the federal workforce, and create tremendous uncertainty for the people who serve the American public. Federal employees have endured enough disruption, fear, and uncertainty. They should not also have to worry that their most private medical information is being placed into an enormous government database that could potentially be reidentified or disclosed. Six U.S. senators have raised many of these same concerns, warning that supposedly pseudonymized records could still potentially be linked over time using information such as ZIP code, birth year, provider, dates of service, diagnoses, procedures, and prescription information. They have also raised concerns about OPM’s ability to reconnect those records to individual people. This is not an abstract privacy issue. This information could involve reproductive health, mental health, substance use treatment, prescriptions, diagnoses, and other extraordinarily sensitive medical matters. It can affect not only federal employees but also their children, spouses, retirees, and other family members who have no employment relationship with OPM. I expect you to stand up for your constituents and demand accountability from this administration. You have a responsibility to protect the people you represent, including federal employees and their families who are increasingly being subjected to policies that create fear, instability, and uncertainty. I am asking you to publicly oppose the unnecessary and overly broad collection of federal employees’ and their families’ private medical information. I also urge you to demand that OPM suspend implementation of this health records collection plan until Congress and independent privacy experts can fully examine its legality, necessity, security safeguards, retention requirements, and potential uses. Enough is enough. The continued dismantling and destabilization of federal agencies and the continued traumatization of federal employees cannot simply be treated as business as usual. You work for the people who elected you. Your constituents are watching what you do at this moment, and we will remember which elected officials stood up for federal employees, privacy, and responsible government and which ones remained silent. If you ever want to earn the continued support of your constituents, now is the time to stand up and fight for them. The American people will have an opportunity to make their voices heard in the midterm elections, and I strongly urge you to consider what your constituents are telling you right now. I strongly urge you to take action now.