HHS Secretary Tom Price Resigns
The secretary of Health and Human Services, Tom Price, has resigned amid investigations of his costly travel on charter flights.
Price is the first member of President Donald Trump's Cabinet to be pushed out.
House Speaker Paul Ryan is praising Price, saying in a statement that the former Georgia congressman and House Budget Committee chairman is a "good man."
Ryan says Price was a "leader in the House and a superb health secretary," and he credits Price for helping the House pass a health care bill earlier this year. That measure went nowhere in the Senate.
Former Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price says he regrets that the controversy over his travel created a distraction for the Trump administration and its health overhaul agenda.
Price writes in his resignation letter to President Donald Trump: "I have spent 40 years both as a doctor and public servant putting people first."
He adds: "I regret that the recent events have created a distraction from these important objectives."
Price says he will continue to support Trump's priorities.
His resignation takes effect at 11:59 p.m. on Friday.
The resignation of Tom Price as secretary of Health and Human Services is drawing partisan responses from lawmakers.
Price resigned Friday amid investigations into his costly travel on charter flights.
House Speaker Paul Ryan is praising Price, saying in a statement that the former Georgia congressman and House Budget Committee chairman is a "good man."
On the Democratic side, Sen. Patty Murray of Washington state says Price was always unacceptable for the job because of his "ideologically driven" views on health care, especially women's health. Murray says the Trump administration lets top officials "put themselves and partisan politics ahead of families."
Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden says Price "betrayed the agency's mission to improve Americans' health care." He says Price's replacement must implement federal health care laws and work to reduce prescription drug prices.