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Tom Howell Jr.

Tom Howell Jr.

Tom Howell Jr. covers politics and the White House for The Washington Times. He can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.

Articles by Tom Howell Jr.

Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, speaks during a news conference at a Kroger supermarket as the company announces new associate benefits attributed to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Monday, April 16, 2018, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) ** FILE **

House, Senate reach deal on bill to thwart opioids in mail

House and Senate lawmakers said Friday they've reached an agreement on legislation that requires shippers sending packages into the U.S. to provide more data on what's being sent, in an effort to cut the flow of illegal synthetic opioids from clandestine labs overseas. Published June 8, 2018

In this April 25, 2018, file photo, Attorney General Jeff Sessions speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington. The Trump administration said in a court filing late Thursday that it will no longer defend key parts of the Affordable Care Act, including the requirement that people have health insurance and provisions that guarantee access to health insurance regardless of any medical conditions. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)

House GOP: No need to panic over Obamacare lawsuit

House Republicans said Friday they aren't sweating the Trump administration's refusal to defend Obamacare against a lawsuit that could nix popular health care protections, saying the case is in its infancy and they acquitted themselves by offering an alternative health plan last year. Published June 8, 2018

In this photo taken Wednesday, May 30, 2018, a World Health Organization aid worker from Congo gets vaccinated in Mbandaka, Congo. More than 680 people have received Ebola vaccinations in the three health zones where dozens of cases of the deadly virus have been confirmed, Congo's health ministry said Friday, June 1, 2018. (AP Photo/Sam Mednick)

WHO optimistic that Ebola is under control in major city

The World Health Organization said Friday it feels "cautiously optimistic" one month after an Ebola outbreak was confirmed in the Democratic Republic of Congo, citing progress in the large city that raised fears of widespread transmission. Published June 8, 2018

A diverse group gathers on the steps of the Utah state capitol in Salt Lake City, Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2017, with Comunidades Unidas (Communities United), an organization that says that the Trump administration's plans to end the DACA program is bad for Utah's families and economy. Individuals including "Dreamers" spoke out for Congress to come up with alternative legislation. (Al Hartmann/The Salt Lake Tribune via AP) **FILE**

House GOP struggles for answers on immigration

House Republicans emerged from a critical meeting on immigration Thursday to say they are committed to writing a bill that matches President Trump's four pillars of reform -- but didn't make much headway on settling big issues such as whether illegal immigrants will get full citizenship rights. Published June 7, 2018

"There's not incentive for insurance companies in any way to contain their cost increases," Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said Wednesday. He said Obamacare's problem is its design, since taxpayer subsidies chase rising premiums. (Associated Press)

Democrats demand action to solve rising Obamacare premiums

Democrats left little doubt Wednesday that heath care will be their signature issue in the mid-term contests, betting the GOP's decision to weaken Obamacare as part of its tax overhaul will give them a winning platform to run on while vulnerable senators are tethered to Capitol Hill this August. Published June 6, 2018

Nikko Johnson reviews the California primary election guide at San Francisco City Hall Tuesday, June 5, 2018. The 40-year-old nurse was waiting for her mother to arrive at the polling station so they could vote together. (AP Photo/Lorin Eleni Gill)

California Democrats appear poised to avoid getting locked out of key House races

Democrats seemed to have avoided a nightmare scenario in the California primaries after several of their candidates appeared well-positioned to advance to the general election in key congressional districts that could decide whether Republicans defend their vulnerable majority in the U.S. House. Published June 6, 2018

FILE - In this March 22, 2017 file photo, Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Seema Verma listen at right as President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington. The Trump administration says it's offering a path for states that want to seek work requirements for Medicaid recipients, and that's a major policy shift toward low-income people. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

Trump admin. launches Medicaid scorecard

The Trump administration unveiled a Medicaid "scorecard" Monday to measure whether states are going beyond strict compliance with federal rules and using tax dollars to actually make beneficiaries healthier. Published June 4, 2018

FILE - In this Sept. 1, 2004, file photo, medical bottles bearing tracking codes in the McKesson medical distribution center in Delran, N.J. President Donald Trump has made big promises to reduce prescription drug costs, but his administration is gravitating to relatively modest steps such as letting Medicare patients share in manufacturer rebates. (AP Photo/Brian Branch-Price, File)

HHS IG: Medicare drug spending rose despite fewer prescriptions

Medicare recipients used fewer brand-name drugs but the program still saw its drug costs rise, according to a federal report Monday that says skyrocketing prices set by manufacturers are taking a toll on taxpayers and seniors. Published June 4, 2018

U. S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., speaks at a gathering for Planned Parenthood, as Crystal Strait, left, chief executive officer and president of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California looks on, Thursday, May 31, 2018, in Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

Dianne Feinstein up big in Senate primary in California: Poll

Incumbent Dianne Feinstein holds a big lead ahead of Tuesday's Senate primary race in California, according to a poll Friday that says a little-known Republican challenger is "within striking distance" of state Senate leader Kevin de Leon, the favorite for the coveted No. 2 slot. Published June 1, 2018

This Feb. 19, 2013, file photo shows OxyContin pills arranged for a photo at a pharmacy in Montpelier, Vt. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot, File)

GAO: VA has room to improve in opioid treatment

The Veterans Affairs Department is doing a good job of slashing the use of opioids among veterans but is falling short on safety measures, such as checking whether patients have been prescribed addictive pills elsewhere, a government watchdog reported Tuesday. Published May 29, 2018

Peter Salama, left, deputy director-general for Emergency Preparedness and Response of WHO, sits next to Secretary General of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) Elhadj As Sy, right, as they inform the media about IFRC's and WHO's response on Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, during a press conference, at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Tuesday, May 29, 2018. (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP)

WHO claims success in Ebola vaccination effort in Congo

The World Health Organization on Tuesday said 400 people have been vaccinated against Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and there hasn't been an explosion of cases, making officials "cautiously optimistic" about the arc of the outbreak. Published May 29, 2018