Tom Howell Jr.
Articles by Tom Howell Jr.
Hospitals warn repealing Obamacare without safety net would create ‘crisis’
American hospitals warned Tuesday that repealing Obamacare without a safety net for those who lose coverage would spawn a "crisis," dumping costs on clinics and hospitals that will be flooded with uninsured patients and raising costs for health care overall. Published December 6, 2016
Republicans in Congress target governors for help in bid to ax Obamacare
Republicans are trying to rope the country's governors into their Obamacare repeal effort, soliciting feedback from the state executives Monday as they plot their strategy for early next year. Published December 5, 2016
Kevin McCarthy won’t defend Donald Trump 35-percent tariff
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy on Monday refused to back President-elect Donald Trump's push for a 35-percent tariff on companies that move operations abroad and then sell their goods back in the United States, saying corporate tax reform is the key to retaining American jobs. Published December 5, 2016
Paul Ryan: Obamacare repeal to avoid disruption in coverage
House Speaker Paul D. Ryan says the next Congress will pursue a repeal of Obamacare immediately, even before Republicans have a replacement in hand, though that repeal will not pull the rug out from 20 million-plus Americans who gained coverage from President Obama's signature program. Published December 4, 2016
Florida clears another Zika zone; virus only spreading in stretch of Miami Beach
Florida Gov. Rick Scott on Friday said the Zika virus is no longer spreading by mosquito bite in the Little River section of Miami, leaving a 1.5-square mile stretch of Miami Beach as the only area of local transmission in the state. Published December 2, 2016
MLB labor deal bans smokeless tobacco for new players; cancer-fighting groups cheer
A provision in Major League Baseball's five-year labor deal would ban new players from using an old-time staple of the dugout -- chewing tobacco. Published December 1, 2016
Obamacare repeal: Only a quarter of Americans support it: Poll
Americans' attitudes toward Obamacare remain split after the election, according to a tracking poll released Thursday that finds some Republicans are increasingly leery about following through on the party's plan for outright repeal of the 2010 law. Published December 1, 2016
House passes 21st Century Cures bill, funding medical research and fighting drug epidemic
The House overwhelmingly approved a medical-innovation bill Wednesday that fast-tracks regulatory approval of groundbreaking drugs, ushers in bipartisan mental health reforms and provides $1 billion to tackle America's prescription-painkiller and heroin epidemic. Published November 30, 2016
Tom Price advocates watchdog to report to Congress on budget process
House Budget Committee Chairman Tom Price, who is poised to become part of the Trump administration Cabinet, said tensions between Congress and the White House could be lessened if lawmakers could figure out how to write and stick to their budget. Published November 30, 2016
Donald Trump to nominate Tom Price for Health and Human Services secretary
President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday announced he plans to nominate Rep. Tom Price to be secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, saying Mr. Price has earned a reputation for being a "tireless problem solver" and "the go-to expert on healthcare policy." Published November 29, 2016
Congress to end term with legislation on cancer research, opioid treatment
They'd hoped for a legacy-defining trade deal, a major rewrite of the corporate tax code or a criminal justice overhaul that would have freed thousands of federal prisoners. Published November 28, 2016
Texas reports suspected Zika case by mosquito bite
A Texas woman likely caught the Zika virus through a mosquito bite in the Rio Grande Valley, state officials said Monday, in the first locally acquired case to be reported outside of Florida within the U.S. mainland. Published November 28, 2016
IRS assures no privacy violated as it lures new customers to Obamacare
The IRS is plowing ahead with controversial plans to use its files to try to prod more people to sign up for Obamacare -- but the tax agency has promised Congress it won't break any privacy laws. Published November 27, 2016
Republican advantage numbers in Senate hinge on Louisiana runoff
Democrats have insisted that they will push to win the only outstanding Senate race in the country -- a Dec. 10 runoff election in Louisiana -- but it appears to be trending toward the Republican candidate, which would give the party an effective 52-48 majority next year. Published November 24, 2016
Zika virus microcephaly can develop after birth: CDC study
The Zika virus can still cause severe defects in babies months after their births, scientists said Tuesday, issuing a grim warning to parents who thought they were in the clear once an infected mother gave birth. Published November 22, 2016
House asks appeals court to hold off on Obamacare payments lawsuit
Attorneys for the House of Representatives have asked a federal appeals court to put their lawsuit over certain Obamacare payments on ice until President-elect Donald Trump enters office and decides how he wants to proceed. Published November 22, 2016
Zika funding fight costly for Democrats in 2016 election
Rep. Tim Ryan says Democrats made a mistake by focusing so heavily on the Zika fight this summer, picking a parochial political battle over an issue that turned out not to be the disaster they'd been counting on. Published November 21, 2016
Chuck Schumer vows to work with Trump but won’t compromise on climate change, repealing Obamacare
Leading Senate Democrats on Sunday said they will not oppose President-elect Donald Trump's agenda just for the sake of it and will help him lift up workers who feel abandoned by Washington, yet they drew a red line on any efforts to repeal Obamacare, erode climate protections or push measures that smack of bigotry. Published November 20, 2016
Bernie Sanders, Vermont senator: Trump should lift up workers, but ‘no compromise’ on bigotry
Bernard Sanders said there will be "no compromise" with President-elect Donald Trump on climate change or issues that smack of bigotry. Published November 20, 2016
Reince Priebus: Trump administration not interested in registry of Muslims
Reince Priebus on Sunday rejected the idea of registering people based on their religious beliefs -- a fear among progressives, given President-elect Donald Trump's rhetoric on Muslims. Published November 20, 2016
