Tom Howell Jr.
Articles by Tom Howell Jr.
Charlotte Ray Thomas, wife of Washington Times columnist, dies at 78
Charlotte Ray Thomas, a family counselor and wife of longtime syndicated columnist Cal Thomas, died Saturday in Falls Church, Virginia, after a long illness. She was 78. Published February 12, 2017
Chris Christie: No plans to join Trump administration when term is up
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said Sunday he has no plans to join the Trump administration after his second term in Trenton is over. Published February 12, 2017
Bernie Sanders: Trump’s ‘racist’ immigration moves distract from health reform
Sen. Bernard Sanders accused President Trump on Sunday of using his "extreme vetting" order and raids on illegal immigrants to distract from his decision to stack the Cabinet with bankers and billionaires and potentially overhaul popular health programs. Published February 12, 2017
Chuck Schumer on Trump travel ban: ‘Throw it in trash’
Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer on Sunday said President Trump should throw his "extreme vetting" order in the garbage instead of redrafting it or continuing to appeal court decisions that put it on hold. Published February 12, 2017
Elijah Cummings: Trump adviser must explain Russia calls
The House's top Democratic investigator on Sunday said National Security Adviser Michael T. Flynn needs to explain whether he discussed sanctions with Russia's ambassador, saying the retired general's shifting explanations are only raising new questions. Published February 12, 2017
Stephen Miller, Trump adviser: ‘No such thing as judicial supremacy’
President Trump is "pursuing all options" in response to an appeals court decision against his extreme vetting order, according to a top White House aide who accused federal judges Sunday of snatching powers away from the executive branch. Published February 12, 2017
Tom Price confirmed as health secretary in bitter fight — now faces massive agenda
Rep. Tom Price was confirmed early Friday, 52-47, by the Senate, after surviving yet another Democratic onslaught against a Trump nomination. President Trump's new health secretary already has a massive to-do list built up, with the White House saying it was awaiting his arrival to roll out a replacement for Obamacare, and to begin taking steps to ease the transition. Published February 9, 2017
Conservatives demand Obamacare repeal this spring
Congress must hurry up and repeal Obamacare this spring to avoid the wrath of voters who expected Republicans to ease the anxiety about soaring rates and dwindling insurance options in their home states, conservative lawmakers said Wednesday. Published February 8, 2017
Ted Cruz, Bernie Sanders agree health system broken — but not much else
Insurers and drug companies are making out like bandits under the current health care system, a leading Senate progressive and one of its most vocal conservatives said Tuesday, though they're far apart on what do about it. Published February 7, 2017
Black Rifle Coffee to Starbucks: Hire veterans instead of refugees
A Utah-based coffee company is hitting back at Starbucks' vow to hire 10,000 refugees in response to President Trump's extreme vetting program, saying it will hire an equal amount of military veterans instead. Published February 7, 2017
More than a third of Americans unsure if Obamacare and ACA are the same: Poll
More than a third of Americans still don't realize that the "Affordable Care Act" and "Obamacare" are the same exact thing, according to a poll released Tuesday. Published February 7, 2017
House panel advances bill to keep jackpot winners off Medicaid
House Republicans tried to kickstart their bid to replace Obamacare Tuesday by advancing bills that prevent lottery winners or other undeserving people from qualifying for Medicaid, saying the government insurance program for the poor is costing taxpayers too much and cannot bear enrollees who don't need it. Published February 7, 2017
Peter Roskam: Congress will overhaul tax code in 2017
Congress will pass an elusive overhaul of the U.S. tax code this year, a key member of the GOP's tax-writing team predicted Monday, saying lawmakers have reached an "inflection point" on onerous rules that are driving companies overseas and failing to reward those who stay. Published February 6, 2017
Obamacare replacement by Republicans facing bump of insurers’ concerns
The Trump administration and Capitol Hill Republicans are trying to stabilize the individual health insurance market, hoping to keep insurers from canceling plans or raising rates in 2018 as uncertainty builds over what a replacement for Obamacare might look like. Published February 6, 2017
Obamacare hits slump, falls short of 2016 pace
After years of steady growth Obamacare's sign-ups slumped in 2017, according to early numbers that suggest the law is struggling now that President Obama is no longer in office to give it a boost. Published February 5, 2017
HealthCare.gov signups fall short of last year, at 9.2M
The Trump administration said Friday that 9.2 million people signed up for health coverage this year on the main Obamacare website, a drop-off of about 400,000 customers from last year's effort. Published February 3, 2017
Obamacare repeal: House conservatives demand vote
House Republicans floated legislation Thursday to start replacing Obamacare bit by bit, but some vocal conservatives said the GOP needs to speed the whole process up, saying they promised voters during last year's campaign a quick vote on repealing the health law. Published February 2, 2017
Cabinet battle signals Democratic resistance to Trump
Senate business ground to a halt Wednesday as Democrats and Republicans turned to hardball tactics in the fight over President Trump's Cabinet nominees, signaling the wall of opposition the administration is likely to face for the foreseeable future. Published February 1, 2017
Insurers, regulators seek clarity on ACA’s future
Key players in the U.S. health insurance market told Congress on Wednesday to tread carefully with Obamacare, saying the law hasn't worked as intended but clumsy repeal efforts could made a stressed marketplace even worse. Published February 1, 2017
Senate GOP suspends rules, advances Donald Trump picks without Democrats
Republicans who lead a key Senate panel suspended their own rules Wednesday and advanced President Trump's picks to lead the Treasury and Health and Human Services departments unilaterally, saying they had no choice after Democrats boycotted committee votes for a second day in a row. Published February 1, 2017
