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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.

FILE - This Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2017 file photo shows an arrangement of pills of the opioid oxycodone-acetaminophen, also known as Percocet, in New York. Cities and counties of all sizes have sued companies that make and distribute prescription opioids. Among the plaintiffs so far: Philadelphia; the state of Ohio; Princeton, West Virginia; the Cherokee Nation; and a consortium of counties across Wisconsin. (AP Photo/Patrick Sison)

Donald Trump pitches ways to improve opioid education, prevention

President Trump called for Americans to rally against opioid abuse in his State of the Union address Tuesday as Republicans in Congress said they'll schedule hearings to figure out what help Washington can provide states slammed by the epidemic. Published January 30, 2018

Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, a member of the Senate Finance Committee, speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2017. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) ** FILE **

State Dept. eyes mailroom data by 2020 to intercept foreign fentanyl

The State Department, hoping to mollify lawmakers who say deadly opioids are being mailed illegally into the country, told Congress on Thursday that within two years most countries will be able to describe packages to inspectors before the parcels enter the U.S. Published January 25, 2018

**FILE** Packages wait to be sorted in a Post Office in Atlanta on Feb. 7, 2013, as U.S. Postal Service carrier Michael McDonald gathers mail to load into his truck before making his delivery run. (Associated Press)

USPS delivers opioids from China with easy sales

Purchasing opioids from China requires little more than a Google search, a credit card and a mailbox, senators said Thursday in a report that accuses the U.S. postal system of failing to "recognize and prepare for" a tide of packages containing deadly fentanyl. Published January 24, 2018

FILE - In this Jan. 9, 2018, file photo, Alex Azar testifies during a Senate Finance Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington. A Senate committee has signed off on Azar, President Donald Trump's pick for health secretary, clearing the way for final confirmation by the full Senate. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Senate approves Alex Azar as HHS secretary

The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Alex Azar as secretary of the Health and Human Services Department, entrusting a former pharmaceutical executive to tamp down drug prices and steer President Trump's attempts to reshape Obamacare. Published January 24, 2018

"Let us be frank — we have a health system designed to make enormous profits for insurance and drug companies," said Sen. Bernard Sanders. (Associated Press)

Bernie Sanders pitches ‘Medicare for all’ plan on Facebook

Sen. Bernard Sanders took to Facebook on Tuesday to pitch his "Medicare for all" plan to the public, hoping to rally liberal voters — but putting red-state Democrats in a tough spot ahead of November's elections. Published January 23, 2018

People participate in the March for Life on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, Jan. 19, 2018. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) ** FILE **

HHS announces pro-life moves amid March for Life

The Trump administration on Friday rescinded an Obama-era crackdown on states that tried to defund Planned Parenthood and said it will require health care providers to follow conscience-protection laws as a condition of federal funding. Published January 19, 2018

Pro-life demonstrators arrive on Capitol Hill for the March for Life, marking the anniversary of the 1973 Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion. Organizers say Donald Trump will become the first sitting president to address the gathering, speaking live from the White House. (Associated Press)

March for Life activists target abortion funding from taxes

As pro-life marchers descend on Washington on Friday they are confronting a new battlefield in the abortion debate, having to fend off increasing challenges to a decades-old agreement that acknowledged while abortion may be legal, taxpayers shouldn't be forced to pay for a procedure that many of them find abhorrent. Published January 18, 2018

Pro-life activists converge in front of the Supreme Court in Washington, Friday, Jan. 27, 2017, during the annual March for Life. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) ** FILE **

HHS launches office to enforce religious-freedom laws

The Trump administration launched a division at the Health and Human Services Department on Thursday to protect doctors and medical providers who object to participating in abortions and assisted suicide on religious or moral grounds. Published January 18, 2018

Alex Azar testifies during a Senate Finance Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2018, to consider his nomination to be Secretary of Health and Human Services. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Senate Finance panel advances Trump’s HHS pick Alex Azar

The Senate Finance Committee advanced Alex Azar's nomination to lead the Health and Human Services Department on Wednesday, nearly four months after President Trump's first secretary resigned amid questions about his pricey business travel. Published January 17, 2018

In this Oct. 18, 2017, file photo, the Healthcare.gov website is seen on a computer screen in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) ** FILE **

Uninsured rate rose in Donald Trump’s first year: Gallup poll

An estimated 3.2 million Americans became uninsured during President Trump's first year, Gallup said Tuesday in a survey that says rising premiums, declining competition in Obamacare markets and confusion over the GOP's repeal plans drove the losses. Published January 16, 2018

While Obamacare enrollment is a distant memory in much of the country, the bluest areas are still hitting the pavement. (Associated Press/File)

Obamacare enrollment volunteers seek uninsured in blue regions

While Obamacare enrollment is a distant memory in much of the country, the bluest areas are still hitting the pavement. They have sign-up periods well beyond the six-week enrollment that President Trump allowed for the 39 states that rely on the federal HealthCare.gov site. Published January 15, 2018

President Donald Trump, right, and Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin, left, talk during a prison reform roundtable in the Roosevelt Room of the Washington, Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Trump administration OKs Medicaid overhaul in Kentucky

The Trump administration on Friday said Kentucky can require Medicaid recipients to work as a condition of coverage, barely pausing for a breath after it laid out a welcome mat Thursday for states that want to force able-bodied people off the rolls unless they find jobs, volunteer or meet other conditions. Published January 12, 2018

Seema Verma, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, speaks during a news conference in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) ** FILE **

Trump admin. offers roadmap for Medicaid work requirements

The Trump administration on Thursday followed through on its promise to "turn the page" in doling out Medicaid benefits, releasing new guidance on how to require able-bodied recipients to seek work or new skills as a condition of their taxpayer-funded coverage. Published January 11, 2018

In this Nov. 13, 2017, file photo, Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello speaks during a news conference, in Washington. In a news conference in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 10, 2018, Mr. Rossello called on Congress to grant statehood to the island commonwealth. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

Puerto Rico launches vocal bid for statehood

Weary of their "colonial" status, a delegation of Puerto Ricans marched on Capitol Hill Wednesday to demand statehood, saying the island territory pays taxes and serves in the military but is being short-changed by federal programs and lacks the political clout to recover from crises like Hurricane Maria. Published January 10, 2018