Sebelius Apologizes For Health Law, Job Before House Committee

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Wednesday she's sorry consumers have had to waste so much time dealing with technical problems on the Obama administration's health insurance website.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius

Sebelius told the House Energy and Commerce Committee she apologizes for access problems that have been "miserably frustrating" for many Americans and said she's accountable for fixing them — by the end of November.

She added that the system is getting better by the day.

But as the hearing got underway, consumers trying to log in from Virginia got this message: "The system is down at the moment."

New Jersey Congressman Frank Pallone (D) sits on the committee.

Obama Heads To Boston To Sell Health Plan

President Barack Obama is citing the slow start of the Massachusetts health care system to keep expectations low for early sign-ups for his own overhaul.

And he's pointing to the bipartisan effort to get the program launched in Massachusetts to encourage his opponents to stop rooting for his law's failure.

The president was speaking about the law Wednesday at Boston's historic Faneuil Hall, where Massachusetts Republican Gov. Mitt Romney was joined by the late Democratic Sen. Ted Kennedy to sign the state's 2006 health care overhaul bill.

The White House said Obama would point to Massachusetts' sluggish start while visiting Boston. Only 123 paying consumers signed up the first month of the Massachusetts law, with 36,000 enrolling by the time penalties for failing to have insurance kicked in.