Under pressure from Trump, Price resigns as health secretary over private plane uproar

[rooster59]

Under pressure from Trump, Price resigns as health secretary over private plane uproar

By Steve Holland

 

FILE PHOTO:U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price speaks about efforts to repeal and replace Obamacare and the advancement of the American Health Care Act on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., March 17, 2017. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/File Photo

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price resigned under pressure from President Donald Trump on Friday in an uproar over Price's use of costly private charter planes for government business.

 

His abrupt departure was announced an hour after Trump told reporters he was disappointed in Price's use of private aircraft and did not like the optics of it.

 

"Secretary of Health and Human Services Thomas Price offered his resignation earlier today and the president accepted," the White House said in a statement.

 

Trump named Don Wright to serve as acting secretary. Wright is currently the deputy assistant secretary for health and director of the office of disease prevention and health promotion.

 

"I'm not happy. OK? I'm not happy," Trump told reporters on the White House South Lawn.

 

Candidates to succeed Price included Seema Verma, who is administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and who is close to Vice President Mike Pence, and Scott Gottlieb, a physician who serves as commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration.

 

The resignation leaves Trump with a second Cabinet position to fill. He has yet to pick a secretary for homeland security after hiring former Secretary John Kelly as his White House chief of staff.

 

It was the latest blow to the Trump White House, which has struggled to get major legislative achievements passed by Congress and has been embroiled in one controversy after another since Trump took office in January.

 

Price, a former congressman, was instrumental in the Trump administration's policies aimed at undercutting Obamacare, as well as working with governors across the country to slowly begin unravelling parts of the law.

 

In a resignation letter, Price offered little in the way of contrition. He said he had been working to reform the U.S. healthcare system and reduce regulatory burdens, among other goals.

 

"I have spent forty years both as a doctor and public servant putting people first. I regret that the recent events have created a distraction from these important objectives," he said.

 

Trump, currently trying to sell his tax cut plan and oversee the federal response to devastation wreaked by three hurricanes, saw the Price drama as an unnecessary distraction and behind the scenes was telling aides "what was he thinking?," a source close to the president told Reuters.

 

Price promised on Thursday to repay the nearly $52,000 cost of his seats on private charter flights. "The taxpayers won’t pay a dime for my seat on those planes," Price said.

 

But that was not enough to satisfy Trump.

 

Trump told reporters that the "optics" of Price's travel were not good since, as president, he is spending a lot of time trying to renegotiate U.S. contracts to get a better deal for taxpayers.

 

"Look, I think he's a very fine person. I certainly don't like the optics," Trump said.

 

Price had also been seen in the White House as having been ineffective in getting Congress to pass healthcare reform legislation, an effort that has fizzled on Capitol Hill.

 

Price was one of a handful of senior officials in Trump’s administration put on the defensive over reports about their use of charter flights and government aircraft, sometimes for personal travel, when they could have flown commercial for less money.

 

Presidential aides said Trump was considering imposing a ban on use of private charter planes by Cabinet officials.

 

The Washington Post on Friday reported that Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin attended a Wimbledon tennis match, toured Westminster Abbey and took a cruise on the Thames this summer during a 10-day trip to discuss veterans' health issues in Britain and Denmark.

 

Shulkin, who travelled on a commercial airline, was accompanied on the trip by his wife, whose airfare was paid for by the government and who received a per diem for meals, the Post said, noting that the Department of Veterans Affairs said she was travelling on "approved invitational orders."

 

His six-person travelling party included an acting undersecretary of health and her husband as well as two aides. They were accompanied by a security detail of as many as six people, the Post said.

 

Washington news media outlet Politico has reported that Price had taken at least two dozen private charter flights since May at a cost to U.S. taxpayers of more than $400,000.

 

Senior U.S. government officials travel frequently, but are generally expected to keep costs down by taking commercial flights or the train when possible.

 

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin have also been in the spotlight for their travel habits.

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-09-30

[inThailand]

The guy abused the system and DT did the right thing. He rarely says the right thing but his actions are not bad.

[MajarTheLion]

There should be far more DC hacks flying commercial. This guy broke the rules, he's got to go. That's pretty much it. 

[bendejo]

The tip-off was yesterday when Fox covered this story, threw him into the outrage machine.  Word must have come down from The Big Orange, otherwise it wouldn't have been mentioned.

 

There's a lot about this WH that Fox does not cover, like the Russia stuff.  Bad news is fake news.

 

 

[stevenl]

1 hour ago, inThailand said:

The guy abused the system and DT did the right thing. He rarely says the right thing but his actions are not bad.

Agree, he rarely says the right thing.

[halloween]

2 hours ago, rooster59 said:

did not like the optics of it.

Is another perversion of the English language by our american friends?

[klauskunkel]

2 hours ago, rooster59 said:

"I certainly don't like the optics," Trump said.

fake focus?

[rudi49jr]

And another one bites the dust. How many more to come before the orange buffoon calls it quits ....

[simple1]

Does Trump consider "the optics" of his travel costs costing millions to his privately owned retreats nearly every weekend? Complete hypocrisy!

[wayned]

3 hours ago, inThailand said:

The guy abused the system and DT did the right thing. He rarely says the right thing but his actions are not bad.

If the POTUS did the right thing he should find a mirror and offer to resign and accept the offer!  He has already bankrupted the Secret Security Service budget with his weekend trips to Trump owned facilities rather than use the normal secure Camp David retreat. I assume that the security detail are also staying at the Trump owned properties putting a huge amount of cash directly into Trump's pockets.  He said he was going to "drain the swamp" but instead he has become the "Swamp Master". Talk about abusing the system!

[CaptHaddock]

It's like nailing Al Capone for tax evasion.  Price's main goal was to take health insurance away from 20 million Americans.  In a sane world that's what he would have been fired for.  His unjustifiable use of private and military aircraft ran to $1 million, not $400k.

[Yann55]

4 hours ago, rooster59 said:

"I'm not happy. OK? I'm not happy," Trump told reporters on the White House South Lawn.

 

OMG, the kid-POTUS is not happy .... that's devastating ... he might even break a toy or two in the process ... Let's just hope he doesn't pick the one with the red switch on top ... But hey, cheer up, Donald ! you will soon meet with the Thai PM, who is a expert on happiness issues and will help you fix your problem in no time at all.

 

 

Edited September 30, 2017 by Yann55

[attrayant]

2 hours ago, halloween said:

Is another perversion of the English language by our american friends?

 

Trump means it wasn't really a bad thing, it just looked that way.  Next time his cabinet members need to do a better job of hiding their corruption because of those damned optics.

[wayned]

I'm surprised that thee hasn't been some discussion on the forum about Trump's outrage at the NFL players kneeling during the National Anthem. Even though it's known to be a protest against racial inequality and police brutality he keeps saying that it disrespectful to the country and the military, on and on!  It makes me wonder about  his deferment from military service for sore feet!  I'm the same age as Trump and the only way to avoid the draft and not end up in Vietnam was either a deferment for school, which ended the day you graduated, booking it to Canada as a conscientious objector or getting a letter from a doctor stating a medical condition.  I graduated from college and was called up for my draft physical 15 days later,  I knew  many people that went to Canada and some that tried to become professional students and a few others that got medical deferments. The medical deferment route was mostly reserved for the well to do as many doctors would accept payment for a letter and medical write up

 

He accused Obama of not being a US citizen, it would be  appropriate if someone looked into how he obtained his medical deferment and found out that his father actually bought it.  I think that paying to not serve in the military is high on the list of being disrespectful to your country!

[stevenl]

4 minutes ago, wayned said:

I'm surprised that thee hasn't been some discussion on the forum about Trump's outrage at the NFL players kneeling during the National Anthem. Even though it's known to be a protest against racial inequality and police brutality he keeps saying that it disrespectful to the country and the military, on and on!  It makes me wonder about  his deferment from military service for sore feet!  I'm the same age as Trump and the only way to avoid the draft and not end up in Vietnam was either a deferment for school, which ended the day you graduated, booking it to Canada as a conscientious objector or getting a letter from a doctor stating a medical condition.  I graduated from college and was called up for my draft physical 15 days later,  I knew  many people that went to Canada and some that tried to become professional students and a few others that got medical deferments. The medical deferment route was mostly reserved for the well to do as many doctors would accept payment for a letter and medical write up

 

He accused Obama of not being a US citizen, it would be  appropriate if someone looked into how he obtained his medical deferment and found out that his father actually bought it.  I think that paying to not serve in the military is high on the list of being disrespectful to your country!

Like this?

 

[Silurian]

Hey Donny John, how was that Air Force One plane trip to Bedminster for your upcoming weekend of golfing?

 

I'm sure that is a perfectly good use of tax payer money. Don't you worry about Puerto Rico and those pesky US Citizens that live there.

 

Tom Price resigns over private jet scandal — but Trump’s golf trips cost taxpayers far more

https://www.salon.com/2017/09/29/tom-price-resigns-for-private-jets-but-trumps-golf-trips-are-far-more-expensive/

 

'Trump’s golf trips cost taxpayers at least $180 million'

Edited September 30, 2017 by Silurian

[fakename]

Speaking or bad optics, maybe trump could leave his wife at home sometimes. Why does she need a free ride around the world? 

[inThailand]

I love the idiots posting here.

What you think about Obama's countless vacation trips they were ok? This is what WD does all the time but because it's Trump's administration it makes news, even though he fires the guy.

Are you still sore he was right about the election or kneeling during the anthem? 

[Opl]

6 minutes ago, inThailand said:

I love the idiots posting here.

What you think about Obama's countless vacation trips they were ok? This is what WD does all the time but because it's Trump's administration it makes news, even though he fires the guy.

Are you still sore he was right about the election or kneeling during the anthem? 

 

I love numbers reflecting facts 

" According to the website Trump Golf Count, the president has traveled to his courses at least 60 times since his inauguration . Assuming each trip costs $3 million each, this means that U.S. taxpayers have spent $180 million indulging Trump's desire to visit his golf properties. The $1 million spent by Price pales in comparison. The cost of the president's frequent traveling to his golf courses has become so enormous that it is literally making the Secret Service go broke trying to pay agents to protect him, USA Today reported in August"

https://www.salon.com/2017/09/29/tom-price-resigns-for-private-jets-but-trumps-golf-trips-are-far-more-expensive/

 

 

Edited September 30, 2017 by Opl

[inThailand]

15 minutes ago, Opl said:

 

I love numbers reflecting facts 

" According to the website Trump Golf Count, the president has traveled to his courses at least 60 times since his inauguration . Assuming each trip costs $3 million each, this means that U.S. taxpayers have spent $180 million indulging Trump's desire to visit his golf properties. The $1 million spent by Price pales in comparison. The cost of the president's frequent traveling to his golf courses has become so enormous that it is literally making the Secret Service go broke trying to pay agents to protect him, USA Today reported in August"

https://www.salon.com/2017/09/29/tom-price-resigns-for-private-jets-but-trumps-golf-trips-are-far-more-expensive/

 

 

Why don't you quote O idiots trips for comparison?  

[stevenl]

19 minutes ago, inThailand said:

Why don't you quote O idiots trips for comparison?  

You'd be greatly disappointed, Obama spent less in 8 years and golfed less, than Trump in 6 months.

[inThailand]

3 minutes ago, stevenl said:

You'd be greatly disappointed, Obama spent less in 8 years and golfed less, than Trump in 6 months.

Michelle spent more on shopping than this.

[attrayant]

26 minutes ago, inThailand said:

Why don't you quote O idiots trips for comparison?  

 

Because we have better things to do than sit here all day and night spoon-feeding you information that's easily accessible.  But here it is:

 

 

 

Eight years of Obama = $85-96M

Eight months of Trump = $62M

 

Trump is fast approaching Obama's total in only one-twelfth the time.

 

*This is all vacation time, not just golf.

 

2 minutes ago, inThailand said:

Michelle spent more on shopping than this.

 

Using taxpayer money?

Edited September 30, 2017 by attrayant

[stevenl]

Just now, inThailand said:

Michelle spent more on shopping than this.

You really have no clue, or you're trolling. I hope for your state of mind it is the latter.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

As the musical group Queen famously sang:

 

"Another One Bites the Dust!!!" 

 

Still waiting for the biggest one to fall into the dust bin...

 

[MajarTheLion]

15 hours ago, bendejo said:

The tip-off was yesterday when Fox covered this story, threw him into the outrage machine.  Word must have come down from The Big Orange, otherwise it wouldn't have been mentioned.

 

There's a lot about this WH that Fox does not cover, like the Russia stuff.  Bad news is fake news.

 

 

Why was that the big tip off? I guess my not having cable TV and you being a Fox News fan has me at a disadvantage. Do tell. 

 

And if bad news is fake news, why then did Fox cover this story about Price resigning? Your assertions seem to be in conflict with each other.

 

 

[ilostmypassword]

1 hour ago, inThailand said:

Michelle spent more on shopping than this.

On the one hand your comment is unintelligent, but on the other hand, it's also false and reeks of ignorance.

[ilostmypassword]

17 minutes ago, MajarTheLion said:

Why was that the big tip off? I guess my not having cable TV and you being a Fox News fan has me at a disadvantage. Do tell. 

 

And if bad news is fake news, why then did Fox cover this story about Price resigning? Your assertions seem to be in conflict with each other.

 

 

Trump made clear his disapproval of price. If you want to look for ignored news, just try to find info on fox about the recently reexpired health care attempt. Or a discusson of the Republican tax proposals.

[Scott]

posts removed.