Tom Howell Jr.
Articles by Tom Howell Jr.
Bernie Sanders’ bill would force drug companies to match foreign prices
Capitol Hill progressives said Tuesday they've crafted legislation that compels drug companies to charge Americans no more than the median price for prescriptions in Canada, the U.K., France, Germany and Japan. Published November 20, 2018
House Democrats to press Justice Dept. over Obamacare lawsuit
Incoming House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler warned acting Attorney General Matthew G. Whitaker that Democrats will scrutinize the Trump administration's decision not to defend Obamacare against a state-driven lawsuit in Texas, saying the move appeared to be a "cynical pretext" for launching another repeal attempt. Published November 19, 2018
House Democrats push rule change for hijab-wearing freshman
The House imposed a rule in the mid-1800s requiring members to remain "uncovered" while the chamber was in session, effectively barring them from wearing a hat in the august body. Published November 19, 2018
Kaleo boosted EVZIO price by 600 percent: Senate probe
A drugmaker capitalized on the opioid epidemic by hiking the price of its overdose-reversing drug by 600 percent during the height of the crisis, Senate investigators charged Sunday. Published November 18, 2018
Nancy Pelosi challenged by Democrats for House speaker
Despite overseeing Democrats' surge back to the majority, Nancy Pelosi is facing a serious challenge from within her own ranks from a rump group of lawmakers who say the party needs new blood at the top. Published November 18, 2018
Ebola fight resumes after shell attack in Beni, Congo: WHO
The World Health Organization said Sunday it has resumed Ebola-fighting efforts in the Democratic Republic of Congo after another scary attack hit Beni, a town at the heart of the outbreak. Published November 18, 2018
Sherrod Brown reveals 2020 playbook: Defeat Trump by exposing ‘phony populism’
Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio said Sunday he's still mulling the "intensely personal decision" of whether to run for president in 2020, though he's already devised a playbook for defeating President Trump. Published November 18, 2018
Lindsey Graham demands prison reform vote
Sen. Lindsey Graham urged to President Trump on Sunday to "pick up the phone" and order Republican leadership to put a prison reform bill on the floor in the lame-duck session, saying it's a substantive way to mend post-election divisions. Published November 18, 2018
Adam Schiff says Matt Whitaker a ‘flawed appointment’
Rep. Adam Schiff of California on Sunday said Democrats will be keeping a close eye on acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker, deeming him a "flawed appointment" who cannot be trusted to guide the Russia investigation. Published November 18, 2018
House freshmen rip Donald Trump for not visiting Arlington National Cemetery on Veterans Day
A trio of incoming House freshman on Sunday said President Trump should have visited Arlington National Cemetery instead of focusing on other business last Monday, when Veterans Day was observed as a federal holiday. Published November 18, 2018
Jeff Flake says protecting Robert Mueller trumps confirming federal judges
Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona on Sunday said confirming federal judges is important but it doesn't override his concern that President Trump replaced Jeff Sessions with acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker to curtail special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Published November 18, 2018
FDA moves to limit sale of flavored e-cigs, ban menthol cigarettes
The Food and Drug Administration announced Thursday it plans to ban flavored cigars and menthol cigarettes, and restrict the sale of flavored e-cigarettes, saying the U.S. must reverse a ballooning "epidemic" of teen use. Published November 15, 2018
Mitch McConnell, Kevin McCarthy to lead Republicans in Congress
House and Senate Republicans elected their leaders for the next Congress on Wednesday, largely sticking with the same team that led them to disappointing results in last week's midterm elections. Published November 14, 2018
Nancy Pelosi says she will be speaker, isn’t sweating discontent
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday said she's not sweating a potential revolt from incoming and existing Democratic members who romped to victory on election night, as lawmakers on both sides of the Capitol stood by old captains or sought new leadership for the new Congress. Published November 14, 2018
‘Reinsurance’ Obamacare fix wins bipartisan support in Senate
Senators on both sides of the aisle want to bring back a bipartisan "reinsurance" plan, in which federal dollars blunt the costs of pricey customers in states' markets, so everyone else can pay less. Published November 13, 2018
JUUL to yank flavored e-cigs from stores, close social media accounts
Facing intense pressure from the Trump administration, the nation's leading e-cigarette maker said Tuesday it will clamp down on teen use by shuttering its social media accounts and yanking flavored products from the 90,000 retail shops where they're sold. Published November 13, 2018
Ebola outbreak worst in Congo’s history
The Ebola outbreak in Congo has infected nearly 330 people, making it the worst in the troubled nation's history. Published November 12, 2018
Advisory board ‘highly concerned’ about Medicaid lockouts
A nonpartisan commission on Thursday told the Trump administration it is "highly concerned" about the number of Arkansans who were kicked off Medicaid coverage because they failed to report work hours or community engagement. Published November 8, 2018
Lawyers seek end to birth-control mandate battle: ‘Stop fighting nuns’
Lawyers for Catholic nuns who challenged the Obama-era "contraception mandate" cheered the Trump administration's expanded carve-out Thursday, saying they hoped the final rules would end "a long and unnecessary culture war fight." Published November 8, 2018
Mitch McConnell: GOP hopes to ax Obamacare are gone
The Senate's top Republican admitted Wednesday that the party's hopes for repealing Obamacare are dead in Congress after Democrats captured control of the House, leaving in place a law that few think is working. Published November 7, 2018