LGBT groups were among those applauding
the resignation of Secretary of Health and Human Services Tom Price.
Price stepped down amid a growing
chorus of criticism over his travel budget, which reportedly included
over $1 million in private jets since taking office in February.
President Donald Trump accepted Price's resignation on Friday.
In his resignation letter, Price told
Trump that he regrets how “recent events have created a
distraction” from the president's agenda, including efforts to
repeal the ACA, also known as Obamacare.
LGBT groups said that repealing or
undermining former President Barack Obama's signature health care law
would harm the LGBT community.
“We welcome Tom Price's resignation
because he jeopardized the health and well being of LGBTQ people and
other marginalized communities,” said David Stacy, director of
government affairs at the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). “Americans
deserve a secretary of Health and Human Services who will stand up
for them and look out for their best interests no matter who they
are, where they come from or whom they love.”
As a member of the U.S. House, Price
routinely voted against LGBT rights, including a 2006 vote for a
constitutional amendment that sought to define marriage as a
heterosexual union. He also voted against repeal of “Don't Ask,
Don't Tell” and a bill that sought to ban employment discrimination
based on sexual orientation (Employment Non-Discrimination Act of
2007).
GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate
Ellis also applauded Price's resignation.
“After decades of targeting
marginalized communities for his own profit, karma finally caught up
with Tom Price,” Ellis said in a statement. “It’s a relief that
an anti-LGBTQ activist like Price was removed from the Trump
Administration’s highest ranks, but LGBTQ Americans must remain
vigilant and prepare for the next nomination – as they could bring
the same discriminatory agenda as the rest of the president’s
picks.”