Attorney General Miyares Leads Coalition of 17 State AGs Urging Federal Government to Stop Putting Unions Above Americans’ Health Care Needs

Richmond, Va. – Today, Attorney General Miyares of Virginia announced the sending of a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) demanding that they immediately reinstate the contractual agreement that was made with Maximus—a private call center headquartered in Virginia that handles calls about crucial Medicare and Health Insurance Marketplace information—in September of 2022.

Despite the existing contract, HHS and CMS are now soliciting a new call center contract with the requirement that the solicitations include a “labor harmony agreement”—a pledge that the bidding company would work with labor unions in the event of labor stoppages. This provision would violate Congressional statutes governing labor relations, as well as right-to-work laws in many States, including Virginia.

“Virginians deserve to know that their healthcare benefits will be available at all times and not hindered by Biden-Harris pro-union policies,” said Attorney General Miyares, “I urge HHS and CMS to realize that catering their policies towards unions does not make life easier for the everyday American.”

The letter highlights how this situation is indicative of the Biden-Harris Administration’s desire to put labor unions over the rights of everyday Americans who simply want to access their healthcare benefits. Additionally, the letter details that it is the job of Congress to set federal labor policy, and HHS, like many other agencies in the Biden-Harris Administration, has ignored federal labor law as set forth by Congress.

Congress has openly endorsed policies providing that employees have the right to refrain from union activities. Americans require healthcare services that run smoothly and are unhindered by the pro-union desires of the Biden-Harris Administration.

Joining Attorney General Miyares in this letter to the Department of Health and Human Services and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid are attorneys general from the States of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, and Utah.

To read a copy of the letter, click here.

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