Paul Ryan: HHS secretary should step down over Obamacare
(CNN) - Rep. Paul Ryan on Tuesday joined a growing list of Republicans who want Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to step down over rampant problems in the launch of Obamacare’s HealthCare.gov.
The 2012 GOP vice presidential nominee was on a conference call with reporters, helping fellow Republican and Virginia gubernatorial candidate Ken Cuccinelli make the case against a Medicaid expansion in the state championed by Cuccinelli’s opponent, Democrat Terry McAuliffe.
Cuccinelli has already said that Sebelius should step down. When Ryan was asked if he felt the same way, he responded: “I do agree with that.”
“This rollout has been a fiasco,” the House Budget Committee chairman said, and “not just because they have bad tech,” but because the entirety of the law is flawed.
Sebelius gave members of Congress the impression the health care website’s launch would be flawless despite knowing otherwise, said the congressman from Wisconsin.
“I think some people should be held responsible,” Ryan added.
Much of the call was devoted to Cuccinelli attempting to paint the differences between himself and McAuliffe. Cuccinelli, the Virginia attorney general, argued that his opponent has little experience and would drive the state to financial ruin by expanding Medicaid.
McAuliffe, a businessman and former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, has accused Cuccinelli of tea party extremism. Two weeks before the election, he leads Cuccinelli by single digits in the latest public opinion polls.
–CNN’s Bryan Koenig contributed to this report.
Isn't it tiring that whenever there are problems the teahadists demand someone be either fired or impeached. Under that premise, the entire Republican House delegation should be impeached, including Lyin Ryan.
Ryan and the GOP have been dogging Obamacare for the last 4 years. They have been eagerly trying to kill it and hope for its failure. Why such a keen interest in it now? Could it be that he knows that it's a well intentioned program for the nation after all and might deserve a chance, just like Social Security and Medicare that no party is bold enough to touch?
Obviously they have to fix this but this is about a million light years from a reason to resign. GOPs have NOTHING else, so they're grandstanding over this. Heard one say today that it's a national embarrassment. But closing down the government and almost defaulting on our debts was not? Sad, sad people with nothing left in the play book.
We had HSA for family of 4 totaling 302/month w 6500 deductible
We got a letter stating that that plan no longer exists as of jan 1st and our hlt ins premiums will be 1132 /month for similar coverage
How is this affordable for us
Just saw your interview w HHS secretary
I am not frustrated about not able to sign up but the fact that out ins has increased x4
Will be happy to provide w letter we got
I think the secretary should resign and BTW I am a democrat
Thank you!
Mack Fischer , MS, OT
Occupational Therapist
Paul Ryan should resign.
It should be the other way around Mr. Ryan......you should resign and take the rest of the batcrazies with you.
Why is he not calling for Ted Cruz to resign... The damage he caused on shutting down government is 24 billion$
She should have sat down with several of the lead engineers and spent an hour or so running through the real system. Prototypes, demo systems, and beta sites are not acceptable since they all have software hacks in them for sales and marketing reasons. A hour of her time would have uncovered the boo-boos and let the developers have time to fix the problems. Sometimes the boss has to get her hands dirty and see what engineering is up to. Status reports and progress meetings are generally a huge bag of lies, promises, and non-functional software. Been there – done that.
You should resign for being in cahoots with the Koch boys...
DUH! Would you expect anything else from ANY Republican?
I think Paul Ryan should resign. He's been trying to be significant since the Romney-Ryan ticket lost the election. Paul -ypu're nobody!
Its ok if the GOP asks for Secretary Sebelius' resignation, provide that Senator Rafael Edward Cruz resigns as well given his failure is 85 times more expensive for the US tax payer.
ain't her fault. and who cares? it'll get better.
Perhaps Paul Ryan should do the resigning.
Umm...this is coming from a guy that just cost the country 21 billion dollars for a shutdown his party forced? He shouldn't throw rocks in glass houses or capitol Houses either...
Actually Paul Ryan and most Republicans in the House should resign. Disgraceful.
Oooooh, I shouldn't have said "blasphemy! That's has religious connotations and I don't want to be associated at all with Christians so they are obviously all horrible hypocrites!
Run for President and pick your own team. She retains my support.
Maybe Paul should volunteer to resign from Congress...since he and his fellow congressmen can't seem to accomplish ANYTHING.
Oh give me a break Ryan. Your approval rating ain't all that great either. Why don't YOU step down?
By the way, healthcare.gov is still not up in Spanish. Wow. Why do democrats hate Latinos so much? Why don't they want Latinos to get affordable healthcare? Democrats are obviously racist since they don't care that healthcare.gov is still not up in Spanish.
Any member that suggests she should step down should step down themselves for not doing their job. They were elected and paid to do their job and still let the government shutdown. Now THATS embarrassing.
This is the first time – and I suspect the last – that I can say I agree with Paul Ryan, but Sebelius must go. She is ineffective as an administrator, and a waffling babbler as a spokesperson. She is doing this administration no favors by staying.
Ryan should resign for being part of the effort to close down the government.
Mr. Ryan. if we were to fire every administrator for every screwed up web page, we will never fix things. .... Not everything needs to be dramatic. Please govern You are by far the greatest and smartest amongst them all, do not give in to the rhetoric.