Tom Howell Jr.
Articles by Tom Howell Jr.
Revised Obamacare repeal bill aims to unite more Republicans
House Republican leaders revived their Obamacare repeal bill Thursday, modifying the plan to earn the support of wary conservatives and setting the table for a showdown when Congress returns from a two-week spring break. Published April 6, 2017
Paul Ryan insists GOP is making progress on health care before recess
House Speaker Paul D. Ryan insisted Thursday the GOP is making "real progress" in rallying around an Obamacare replacement plan, citing a proposed change that would subsidize the costs of sicker consumers so that insurers can drive down costs for healthier ones. Published April 6, 2017
Rob Portman urges Donald Trump to address synthetic opioids in meeting with Chinese leader
Sen. Rob Portman is urging President Trump to use an upcoming summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping to highlight the steady and deadly flow of powerful synthetic opioids from clandestine labs in Asia to the U.S. Published April 5, 2017
Paul Ryan downplays odds of quick action on health care
House Speaker Paul D. Ryan said Wednesday he's hopeful that Republicans can rally around a health care bill, but he's not willing to place odds on their chances of success or a timetable for getting it done, after the first try failed in spectacular fashion. Published April 5, 2017
Nikki Haley blasts Syria, Russia directly in address to U.N.
Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, blasted Syrian President Bashar Assad and his Russian and Iranian allies Wednesday in an impassioned and direct speech before the U.N. Security Council. Published April 5, 2017
WHO registers alarm over pattern of toxic chemical attacks in Syria
The World Health Organization registered its alarm Wednesday over the apparent use of toxic chemicals in a Syrian attack that killed at least 70 people, saying it's part of a disturbing pattern and taxing hospital capacity in the region. Published April 5, 2017
House Democrats try to force vote on bill to pry loose Trump’s tax returns
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and her Democratic troops said Wednesday they want to force a floor vote on legislation requiring President Trump, future presidents and their nominees to disclose their tax returns. Published April 5, 2017
Hillary Clinton won’t return to family foundation after election loss: report
Former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton is unlikely to return to the Clinton Foundation, according to a report in The Hill. Published April 5, 2017
Adam Kinzinger: Strikes are needed to force diplomatic end to Syrian conflict
Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois said Wednesday the U.S. and international community must deliver targeted strikes against Syrian President Bashar Assad to force a diplomatic solution to the country's horrific civil war. Published April 5, 2017
Majority supports Obamacare for first time: Gallup poll
More than half of Americans support Obamacare, according to a Gallup poll taken amid floundering Republican efforts to scrap the law after seven years of promising a replacement. Published April 5, 2017
Joaquin Castro flatly predicts Trump aides will ‘end up in jail’ after Russia probe
A House Democrat is openly predicting that some of President Trump's allies will "end up in jail" once the investigation into the campaign's alleged ties with Russia runs its course. Published April 5, 2017
Russia offers alternate theory for Syrian attack, says regime hit chemical munitions depot
Russia's defense ministry is offering an alternate explanation Wednesday for the deadly gas attack that killed dozens in Syria -- the regime struck a large "terrorist" depot that produced chemical warfare munitions. Published April 5, 2017
Zika caused birth defects in 10 percent of infected pregnant women: CDC
Zika spawned a 10 percent birth defect rate in infected pregnant women in the U.S. last year, the government said in a new study Tuesday that shed light on the risks of the mosquito-borne scourge. Published April 4, 2017
Susan Rice insists she did not use intelligence for political gain
Former National Security Adviser Susan E. Rice said Tuesday the notion she used her powers to unmask members of the Trump campaign or transition for political purposes is "absolutely false." Published April 4, 2017
Paul Ryan: Revived health care talks still in ‘conceptual stage’
House Speaker Paul D. Ryan said Tuesday his GOP troops are having constructive talks on reviving the stalled effort to repeal and replace Obamacare, though cautioned they were still in the "conceptual" stage and hadn't reached an agreement on the thorny issue. Published April 4, 2017
President Trump jumps on reports Susan Rice ‘unmasked’ campaign aides
President Trump egged on scrutiny of President Obama's national security adviser Tuesday by re-posting a story that calls into question Susan E. Rice's alleged role in "unmasking" campaign aides who were swept up in intelligence monitoring. Published April 4, 2017
John McCain on Supreme Court standoff: ‘There’s no communication anymore’
Sen. John McCain said Tuesday the decision to "go nuclear" and force a rule change to avoid a Democratic filibuster of President Trump's Supreme Court is the result of a breakdown in comity between the parties. Published April 4, 2017
Tom Perez, DNC chairman, refuses to apologize for saying GOP leaders don’t care about people
Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez on Tuesday said he was referring to GOP leadership, and not regular voters, when he told activists over the weekend that Republicans simply don't care about people. Published April 4, 2017
Elijah Cummings: White House involvement in Russia probe is ‘highly unusual’
Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland on Tuesday said the level of White House involvement into the congressional probe of potential contacts between Russia and the Trump campaign is "highly unusual." Published April 4, 2017
White House denounces Syrian gas attack, blames Obama’s weak policy
The Trump administration joined governments around the world in condemning the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad for a horrific chemical weapons attack Tuesday that killed at least 58 people, including 11 children, saying the Obama administration shared some of the blame for refusing to enforce its "red line" against chemical weapons attacks by Mr. Assad's forces. Published April 4, 2017
