After a week of controversy and mounting speculation over his role in the Trump administration, Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price resigned on Friday.

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The secretary and former congressman struggled to respond this week to news that he cost the taxpayers more than $1 million since May by using military flights and private jets.

Price's resignation is effective at the end of the day on Friday.

Read Price's letter of resignation, as provided by the White House, below.

Dear Mr. President:

It is an honor and privilege to serve you as the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Under your leadership, the Department is working aggressively to improve the health and well-being of all Americans. This includes working to reform a broken health care system, empower patients, reduce regulatory burdens, ensure global health security, and tackle clinical priorities such as the opioids epidemic, serious mental illness and childhood obesity.



I have spent forty years both as a doctor and public servant putting people first. Iregret that the recent events have created a distraction from these important objectives.



Success on these issues is more important than any one person. In order for you to move forward without further disruption, I am officially tendering my resignation as the Secretary of Health and Human Services effective 11:59 PM on Friday, September 29, 2017.



You may rest assured that I will continue to support your critical priorities going ahead because failure is not an option for the American people.

Yours truly,

Thomas E. Price, M.D.