Obama taps economic aide to work on Web site fixes

10/22/2013

President Barack Obama gestures while speaking in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Monday, Oct. 21, 2013, on the initial rollout of the health care overhaul. Obama acknowledged that the widespread problems with his health care law's rollout are unacceptable, as the administration scrambles to fix the cascade of computer issues. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON — President Obama’s longtime economic adviser, Jeffrey Zients, is being brought in to work on issues with the health care Web site.

That’s according to a senior administration official, who wasn’t authorized to discuss the decision by name and demanded anonymity.

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Widespread problems have plagued the Web site since its rollout Oct. 1. Obama has already pledged a “tech surge” to fix it.

Zients is a long-time management consultant who joined the White House in 2009 as chief performance officer, heading an effort to streamline government and cut costs. Obama later chose him twice as acting director of the Office of Management and Budget.

Zeints has already been named to take over as Obama’s chief economic adviser next year.