Sen. Lamar Alexander (R., Tenn.) continued to criticize Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius Tuesday on Fox News for raising money from nonprofits for Obamacare and doing an "end run" around Congress, saying she was inappropriately fundraising from people she regulates.
"That's a conflict of interest and that's what's happening," Alexander said. "And it may not seem like as big a problem to make an end run on Congress but it's a pattern that we've been seeing, just like the president making recess appointments when the Senate isn't in recess. The founders didn't want a king. They created Congress and a Bill of Rights to stop the king, and these end runs around Congress are specifically illegal."
The House Committee on Energy and Commerce sent a letter to Sebelius announcing an investigation into the HHS for those actions:
The leaders wrote, "Currently, health insurers are seeking HHS approval to qualify for the health exchanges established by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act so that they may attempt to sell their services to the public when enrollment begins in a few months. Your agency also has the power to review the insurance rates that providers wish to charge."
The leaders requested HHS provide by May 27, 2013, a list of individuals, companies, and organizations that have been received the fundraising pitch, a list of HHS employees that participated, a summary of the communications and information relayed, and detailed information on the funding sources and amount spent/allocated to implement the law.