Politics
White House Steps Up Damage Control on Healthcare Rollout
President Barack Obama gestures while speaking in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Monday, Oct. 21, 2013, on the initial rollout of the health care overhaul. Obama acknowledged that the widespread problems with his health care law’s rollout are unacceptable, as the administration scrambles to fix the cascade of computer issues. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
(Reuters) – The White House sought to limit the political damage from the troubled rollout of the government’s healthcare website on Wednesday as Republicans increased the pressure to delay parts of President Barack Obama’s signature domestic policy.
Obama administration officials held a closed-door briefing for Democrats in the House of Representatives and a private session with insurance company executives to discuss efforts to fix the Healthcare.gov website.
Republican critics in Congress demanded a delay in a requirement of the healthcare law that uninsured Americans must purchase insurance or face a tax penalty and said they would intensify their investigations into the launch of the 2010 Affordable Care Act, known as “Obamacare.”
“It is our job to hold them accountable, and when it comes to Obamacare clearly there is a lot to hold accountable,” House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner told reporters on Wednesday.
