U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education, has reaffirmed his demand that U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius be forthright about the true costs of implementing the Affordable Care Act (ACA) health insurance Exchange. Six weeks have passed since Sen. Moran requested that HHS answer specific questions about the cost to taxpayers, but HHS has yet to respond to the Senator’s questions.

“On October 24, 2013, I asked the Department for a specific accounting of the funds spent on the federal Exchange established by the ACA. Incredibly, six entire weeks have passed without any answers,” Sen. Moran said. “This silence is unacceptable. The Department must be accountable for its use of taxpayer funds – especially when these funds have and continue to be spent without the consent of the Appropriations Committee. It is extremely important that we have a full understanding of the costs associated with implementing the federal Exchange, addressing the technical ‘glitches’ that have plagued the system for months, and the cost effects of the numerous delays relating to the ACA’s implementation.”

Sen. Moran is committed to making certain the Obama Administration is held accountable for its use of taxpayer dollars, especially considering the systemic problems plaguing the ACA website, healthcare.gov.

“Since passage of the ACA, this Subcommittee has not held one hearing on the implementation of the law and its associated costs,” Sen. Moran continued. “It is imperative that we hold one now, so we can get an understanding of the costs of this law now and into the future.”