A Republican congressman said Tuesday that American taxpayers shouldn’t have to pick up the tab for repairs to the troubled Affordable Care Act website, HealthCare.gov.
Rep. Bill Johnson (R-OH) told Fox News Channel anchor Bill Hemmer that President Barack Obama “ought to reimburse the American people for any cost that’s associated with fixing or replacing” the website, which has been plagued by glitches since its launch earlier this month.
“I do not know if the president asked to see the web site before it was rolled out,” Johnson said. “That’ll be an interesting question. But here’s one thing I will tell you, Bill: the President ought to reimburse the American people for any cost that’s associated with fixing or replacing this website. Over $400 million have been spent. It’s been a flawed rollout. It’s a waste of taxpayer dollars. The American people need to be reimbursed.”
Obama has publicly expressed contrition for the website’s bugs, and an administration official apologized for the rocky rollout on Tuesday. Federal officials said Monday that two of the website’s glitches have been fixed.
