Kathleen Sebelius defends ObamaCare, says resignation was her idea
Outgoing Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius says that ObamaCare is working despite the terrible rollout that greeted the administration back in October. And she claims her departure from the White House was not the president's decision, as some have speculated, but rather her own.
In an interview with NBC's Andrea Mithcell that aired on Sunday's Meet the Press, Sebelius said she informed President Obama he needed to have an HHS chief who could steward the law for the remainder of his presidency, a time commitment she wasn't willing to make.
"I made it pretty clear that that really wasn't an option, to stay on," she said. "I mean, I thought it was fair to either commit until January of 2017 or leave with enough time that he would get a strong, competent leader."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The White House announced late Thursday that Sebelius would resign, though ObamaCare critics have demanded since the initial rollout debacle that she be fired. And as problems with Healthcare.gov lingered, even some Democrats called on Sebelius to step down, if only to help the administration save face.
In the interview, Sebelius also called the ObamaCare launch "terribly flawed and terribly difficult," adding that the administration's belief it would be ready in time for the October 1 rollout was "just flat out wrong." Still, she said the law was more or less working as envisioned, and that it was already giving people access to more and better health care choices. --Jon Terbush
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.
-
Baltimore bridge disaster: Who is going to pay and how?
Today's Big Question Politicians, legal experts, and the insurance industry are all grappling with the financial fallout of America's worst infrastructure tragedy in years
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Melting polar ice is messing with global timekeeping
Speed Read Ice loss caused by climate change is slowing the Earth's rotation
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The Week contest: Stick guitar
Puzzles and Quizzes
By The Week US Published
-
US bans final type of asbestos
Speed Read Exposure to asbestos causes about 40,000 deaths in the U.S. each year
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Seattle Children's Hospital sues Texas over 'sham' demand for transgender medical records
Speed Read Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton subpoenaed records of any Texan who received gender-affirming care at the Washington hospital
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Afghanistan has a growing female suicide problem
Speed Read The Taliban has steadily whittled away women's and girls' rights in Afghanistan over the past 2 years, prompting a surge in depression and suicide
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US life expectancy rose in 2022 but not to pre-pandemic levels
Speed Read Life expectancy is slowly crawling back up
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Vallance diaries: Boris Johnson 'bamboozled' by Covid science
Speed Read Then PM struggled to get his head around key terms and stats, chief scientific advisor claims
By The Week UK Published
-
An increasing number of dog owners are 'vaccine hesitant' about rabies
Speed Read A new survey points to canine vaccine hesitancy
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Anger may be a powerful motivator for tough goals, new study suggests
Speed Read Keeping your cool might actually be less efficient than letting your anger drive you
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
A tropical skin disease is making the rounds in the US
Speed Read Leishmaniasis is endemic to the country and can cause ulcers and disfiguration
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published