Sebelius botches farewell speech

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Kathleen Sebelius botches farewell speech

Outgoing HHS secretary forced to adlib after discovering page missing from her prepared text

Though no stranger to the occasional glitch, outgoing Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius flubbed part of her farewell speech when she realized one of her pages was missing.

She gave her speech in the Rose Garden at the White House Friday alongside President Obama and his nominee to replace her, Sylvia Matthews Burwell. Sebelius announced her resignation on Thursday, just days after the ObamaCare enrollment period drew to a close.

Sebelius was praised by Obama for her five years of service, and was speaking about the families benefiting from the new health law. She turned one of the pages and lost her place. She spent a moment rummaging through her notes and told the audience, "Unfortunately, a page is missing."

The audience laughed, she smiled and Obama looked on.

She continued undeterred and spoke about the honor she felt to be part of the Affordable Care Act, which she called "the most significant social change in the country" in the last 50 years. She also praised her potential successor, the current White House budget director.

Obama told the audience that Sebelius told him in March about her plans to leave once the first enrollment period ended. He said, "After five years of service and more than seven million signed up on exchanges, she's earned that right."