April 11, 7 A.M. -- For five years, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has been a lightning rod for critics of President Barack Obama's health care law.
But with sign-ups exceeding expectations and a new face soon to be in charge at HHS, the White House is eager to see if the poisonous atmosphere might give way to more pragmatic efforts aimed at fixing problems with the nation's newest social program.
Obama will announce Sebelius' resignation Friday. He will also nominate his budget director, Sylvia Mathews Burwell, as her replacement.
The moves come just over a week after sign-ups closed for the first year of insurance coverage under the so-called Obamacare law.
April 10, 3 P.M. -- The White House announced today that Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius will step down from administration.
The move comes just a week after the close of the rocky enrollment period for President Barack Obama's health care law. Website failures marred the opening weeks of the six-month enrollment period, but the administration rebounded strongly by enrolling more than 7 million people in health insurance plans.
Sebelius' resignation could set the stage for a contentious election-year confirmation hearing for whomever Obama nominates to replace her. Sebelius has served as HHS secretary since the start of the Obama administration.
The official was not authorized to discuss Sebelius' resignation ahead of the formal announcement and requested anonymity.
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