White House Press Secretary Jay Carney is resigning from his position after three years on the job.
President Barack Obama announced Carney's resignation in the White House briefing room on Friday, ABC News reported. He is to be replaced by Josh Earnest, the deputy press secretary.
Carney's resignation comes just hours after Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki announced he was stepping down in the midst of a Veteran health care scandal. Obama accepted both of their resignations.
Obama said Carney, who has served as press secretary since 2011, was one of his "closest friends."
Carney "is a great press secretary and a great adviser...he has great temperament...and he has a good heart.
"I will continue to rely on him as a friend and adviser," Obama added, ABC News reported. "Today the flak jacket is officially passed to a new generation- Mr. Josh Earnest."
Earnest is set to take Carney's place by the middle of June. But Earnest will be traveling with Obama next week on a planned trip to Europe, Fox News reported.
Shinseki announced his resignation after an investigation revealed that employees at health care clinics were told to hide the fact that veterans were made to wait weeks at a time for appointments. Carney has defended Obama throughout the VA scandal.
Several congressmen called for the VA Secretary's removal.
"Obviously General Shinseki came to the conclusion that he'd lost the confidence, at least, of Congress," said Representative Peter Welch, a Democrat from Vermont, Reuters reported. "He stepped aside so the debate could be about fixing the VA as opposed to his status."
Obama said he accepts Shinseki's resignation "with considerable regret."
The job as press secretary had been a "strain" on Carney's family, Obama said according to Fox News.
"It's been a privilege," Carney said after Obama left the briefing room.
