Tom Price resigned Friday amid a controversy over the cost of his government travel.
The following statement was issued by the White House.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 29, 2017
Statement from the Press Secretary
Secretary of Health and Human Services Thomas Price offered his resignation earlier today and the President accepted. The President intends to designate Don J. Wright of Virginia to serve as Acting Secretary, effective at 11:59 p.m. on September 29, 2017. Mr. Wright currently serves as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health and Director of the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.
“I’m disappointed in him,” President Donald Trump said earlier in the day. “He’s a good man but I’m disappointed.”
Price said Thursday he would reimburse the US government for the cost of his private air travel, although not for the full cost of chartering the planes, which ran into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
A spokesperson for HHS said Price would cut a check to the US Treasury for $51,887.31 which is the amount for his seat on the private flights he took.
(CNN contributed to this report.)
