Posted on 04/13/2014 8:06:47 AM PDT by Sub-Driver
April 13, 2014, 10:09 am
Sebelius: Pressure after rollout was 'awful'
By Elise Viebeck
Outgoing Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said she was "flat-out wrong" to believe that HealthCare.gov was ready to go on Oct. 1, 2013.
Sebelius made the comment to NBC's Andrea Mitchell on "Meet the Press" in her first post-resignation interview. The secretary has only a handful of weeks left at HHS until her replacement is confirmed.
In candid remarks about the healthcare rollout, Sebelius said she regretted not asking different questions when HealthCare.gov was under construction.
"If I had a magic wand and could go back to mid-September and ask different questions based on what I know now," I would, she said. "I thought I was getting the best information from the best experts but clearly that didn't go well."
The former Kansas governor reportedly handed in her resignation to President Obama in early March, when the enrollment numbers on the exchanges began to rise.
Asked whether she was pushed out of the administration, Sebelius insisted the departure is her choice.
"I thought that at the end of open enrollment was a logical time to leave," though there is "never a good time," Sebelius said.
As the official in charge of the healthcare rollout, Sebelius was blamed for the massive technical problems with the federal enrollment website, and soon became the target of partisan attacks over the law itself.
She said Sunday that "clearly, the estimate that it was ready to go Oct. 1 was flat-out wrong."
"That was very alarming" when HealthCare.gov crashed for the first time, she said, "because that took some real diagnostics in terms of what the problems where and then analysis" about whether the system could be fixed.
Sebelius did not mince words when describing the pressure of last fall.
"It was awful. It was awful. But all you could do is say, 'We're going to fix it' [and] 'Hold me accountable.'"
Obama has nominated White House budget director Sylvia Burwell to replace Sebelius at HHS.
Are you suggesting that I am not a Christian?
I have no idea if you’re Christian or not. I was responding to a post where you stated, and i quote, “She is going to hell”. You can interpret it as you’d like.
Sounds to me like you were judging my salvation.
Sounds to me like you think I'm destined for Hell.
Nice try. Its not my job to judge the salvation of others. I have many faults, but that is one thing I would never deem to attempt.
Clearly you think its YOUR job. Good for you.
Then maybe you should be a little more concerned about YOUR failings than mine.
You are the one who brought up the plank/splinter analogy. Maybe you should practice what you preach.
A little defensive are we? :) Again, you evidently believe you have the insight to determine the salvation of others. Congratulations!! Use your powers wisely.
How about “She looks to be in terrible need of salvation.”
Very well stated!! I have no idea the state of her salvation (if any). But from outward appearance, it looks... questionable (at best).
Well I’m certainly glad that you would never deign to judge anyone else. (Besides me, of course).
Judge not, lest ye be judged. I judge no one, and haven’t judged you. I’ve only used your own words. You’ve used that to come to your own conclusions.
LOL
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.