Price raises issue of waste and corruption in Administration accused of waste and corruption
Developments on Day 255 of the Trump Administration:
Price is 1st Trump Cabinet Head to Quit
Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price resigns after criticism for using chartered flights — including for visits to his properties and family — that cost taxpayers more than $400,000.
Price finally gave way on Friday after days of pressure over his booking of chartered planes at least 24 times since May, rather than using commercial services.
Amid more revelations, led by Politico, the White House began putting out the line that — despite numerous conflicts of interest in the Trump Administration; Donald Trump’s own lavish expenditure to spend almost every weekend outside Washington; and the use of chartered and military aircraft by other Cabinet officials, including Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin — Price was undermining Trump’s promise to act against corruption in Washington.
Price was also vulnerable after Tuesday’s fourth and perhaps final failure to get Senate legislation to repeal ObamaCare. Trump said in July that he would dismiss the Health Secretary if a bill was not passed.
Earlier on Friday, Trump indicated that Price’s future was uncertain, telling reporters as he left for his New Jersey golf club, “I’m not happy, O.K.? I can tell you, I’m not happy.”
Trump called Price “a very, very fine man” but said Price’s offer to pay only for his seats on the flights — about $51,000 — rather than the full cost of the chartered aircraft “would be unacceptable”: “I was disappointed because I didn’t like it, cosmetically or otherwise. I was disappointed.”
“People informed about the meeting” said Trump dressed down Price in the Oval Office on Friday afternoon for about two hours before he spoke to the reporters. They said all Cabinet travel requests now must be cleared by the White House.
The announcement of Price’s departure gave none of the customary thanks for his service, saying only that he had “offered his resignation earlier today and the President accepted”.
Trump named Don Wright, director of the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, to serve as acting secretary.
Officials said earlier this week that candidates to replace Price include Seema Verma, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and Scott Gottlieb, the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration.