Senators call for ouster of Sebelius

A group of republican senators called for President Barack Obama to remove Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius from her post in a letter sent on Thursday.

The letter cited issues with the healthcare exchange website established under the Affordable Care Act.

Senate Committee on Finance Ranking Member Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) said he addressed numerous concerns over the handling of the health exchange website with Sebelius during a committee meeting on Wednesday.

“I reminded (Sebelius) of the numerous warnings she was given that the exchanges were not going to be ready on time and that there was a high risk for privacy and security of personal information if she did not heed this advice,” Roberts said. “Throughout the implementation of the exchanges, this administration failed to be transparent about the problems they were facing and what that could mean for the American people. I think that concern was shared by members of this committee on both sides of the aisle.”

Roberts first called for Sebelius to resign in October.

Roberts was joined in his call for Sebelius’s ouster in the letter sent on Thursday by Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), James Risch (R-Idaho), Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo), James Inhofe (R-Okla.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.).

“While assurances have been made that solutions are forthcoming, we have little confidence that immediate resolution is imminent,” the letter said. “After spending more than $400 million on the failed website, taxpayers should not trust the same failed leadership to fix it. We believe that action must be taken swiftly to protect the American people from further fallout. If a similar rollout from any other national company or private sector business resulted in overwhelming and sustained problems, a high profile dismissal would be expected and appropriate.”