An agitated President Obama has expressed frustration to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius about the faulty ObamaCare enrollment website.
A visibly annoyed Obama behind closed doors has made clear to Sebelius that it’s her responsibility to fix what has become an unwanted second-term blunder, according to senior administration officials.
White House officials say the strong words from Obama don’t mean Sebelius is necessarily in the doghouse but that she’s responsible for fixing the problem.
In the words of one senior administration official, “She’s in a tough spot. She’s on the hook.”
Sebelius is scheduled to appear before the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Wednesday amid a sea of negative press.
She has been lambasted by Republicans and even parodied in a “Saturday Night Live” opening sketch.
Senior officials maintain that Obama is sticking with Sebelius.
“She has his full support,” White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett said in an interview.
“They have a good relationship, one of mutual respect,” which has “developed over time,” Jarrett said.
Obama has a reputation for sticking by Cabinet officials who get in trouble.
When Attorney General Eric Holder was held in contempt by the House for his role in the “Fast and Furious” gun tracking controversy, Obama defended him. He did so again when Holder was criticized for secretly subpoenaing The Associated Press’s phone records.
Those close to Obama say the president is taking the long view and feels that Sebelius is also responsible for positive aspects of the law that have gone well.
“The president isn’t looking for a scalp to win the news cycle,” one senior administration official said.
One former senior administration official added: “The way he sees it is, ‘Does this one problem negate four or five years of good work?’ ”
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