Tom Howell Jr.
Articles by Tom Howell Jr.
Donald Trump to introduce wife Melania in Cleveland and return to NYC
Donald Trump will fly to the Republican National Convention on Monday to join his wife, Melania, on stage as the campaign kicks off a four-day affair designed to introduce the mogul to a broad swath of America that is still taking measure of the man. Published July 18, 2016
CDC: In a first, woman passed Zika to man through sex
A New York City woman infected a man with Zika through sex, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday, adding a new layer to what scientists know about the latest public health scare. Published July 15, 2016
Senate Democrats maintain filibuster, block Zika deal for second time
Senate Democrats on Thursday voted to maintain their weeks-long filibuster of Zika-fighting money, sending Congress home for a seven-week recess without any additional funding for vaccine research or mosquito eradication. Published July 14, 2016
Paul Ryan’s health care blueprint is ‘starting point,’ House GOP says
House Republicans say their long-awaited plan to replace Obamacare is generating enough buzz to be a springboard for legislative work in 2017, so long as the election goes their way, though members say the election-year proposal is a "starting point" and not a shovel-ready plan. Published July 13, 2016
Opioid bill breezes through Senate after Democrats abandon spending demands
A long-awaited bill to combat the prescription painkiller and heroin epidemic breezed through the Senate on Wednesday and onto President Obama's desk, delivering a major win to Republican leaders who stared down Democrats itching for a fight over spending. Published July 13, 2016
CDC study: Olympics unlikely to spark Zika virus tranmission; four nations at risk, though
The Olympic Games in Brazil are unlikely to spark the global spread of the Zika virus, even though up to 500,000 visitors and athletes from more than 200 countries will travel to the epicenter of the mosquito-borne outbreak next month, the Centers for Disease Control said Wednesday. Published July 13, 2016
Senate advances bill to tackle opioid addiction
A long-awaited bill to combat the prescription painkiller and heroin epidemic breezed through a Senate test vote Wednesday, clearing the way for final passage and President Obama's signature. Published July 13, 2016
Mike Enzi to propose bipartisan overhaul of Congress’ budget process
Senate Budget Committee Chairman Mike Enzi on Wednesday will propose the first bipartisan overhaul of Congress' budget process in four decades, saying lawmakers should outline two years of spending at a time and then stick to their plans. Published July 12, 2016
Obama pushes Congress on health care ‘public option,’ Medicaid expansion
President Obama urged Congress on Monday to both preserve and build on his health care legacy, saying insurance remains out of reach for millions despite the lofty goals of his signature domestic achievement. Published July 11, 2016
GOP to Obama: Back our Zika plan if you want Puerto Rico to start aerial spraying
The White House should drop its objections to a $1.1 billion plan to combat the Zika virus if it really wants Puerto Rico to start spraying for disease-carrying mosquitoes, congressional Republicans said Monday. Published July 11, 2016
Steny Hoyer: Federal government can play positive role
Partisan paralysis in Congress is poisoning the other branches of government and quashing the voice of everyday Americans, Democratic Rep. Steny Hoyer said Monday in a speech that argued secret donors, voter restrictions and craftily drawn House districts have cast a dark cloud over Washington. Published July 11, 2016
House easily passes anti-opioids package
The House easily passed a bill to combat the prescription opioid and heroin epidemic Friday after Democrats who'd demanded more funding beat a retreat, saying they would fight for money another day. Published July 8, 2016
Paul Ryan: Don’t let police shootings ‘harden our divisions’
House Speaker Paul D. Ryan told Americans to "defy predictions" and come together in the wake of the Dallas shooting that killed five police officers late Thursday. Published July 8, 2016
CDC, Democrats make last-ditch plea for more Zika money
The Obama administration and Democratic allies made a last-ditch plea for extra Zika funding Thursday, citing its rapid spread in Puerto Rico and the rising tally of U.S. babies born with defects tied to the disease. Published July 7, 2016
Treasury cooked up excuse for Obamacare payments: GOP report
The Obama administration ignored its own advice and forged ahead with Obamacare payments to insurers without permission from Congress, House Republicans said Thursday in a scathing report that says the White House dismissed the Constitution's separation of powers and swiped $7 billion from taxpayers. Published July 7, 2016
CDC urges Puerto Rico to start aerial mosquito spraying, citing ‘rapid’ spread of Zika
The Obama administration late Wednesday said Puerto Rico should begin to spray for mosquitoes, citing multiple studies that show the Zika virus is "spreading rapidly" and could infect thousands of vulnerable residents on the island territory. Published July 6, 2016
Opioid funding bill in doubt as GOP refuses immediate $1 billion
Republicans shot down Democrats' efforts Wednesday to add nearly $1 billion in funding to a bill designed to combat the nationwide opioid epidemic, leaving the fate of the measure in doubt as Democrats regroup and decide whether they can live without the quick cash injection. Published July 6, 2016
Democrats threaten to oppose opioid plan over funding
Democratic negotiators threatened to oppose an emerging plan to address the nation's prescription opioid and heroin epidemic Wednesday after Republicans rebuffed their attempts to add nearly $1 billion to the deal, raising doubts about yet another effort to address a public health crisis in jeopardy. Published July 6, 2016
Justice Dept. signals it will appeal court defeat over Obamacare
The Justice Department formally signaled Wednesday it will appeal a May ruling that said the administration is unlawfully reimbursing insurers under Obamacare. Published July 6, 2016
GOP leaders resist Democratic calls for gun votes
House Republican leaders signaled Tuesday they won't cave to Democratic demands for a vote on "no fly, no buy" gun legislation because it would strip people of their constitutional rights and reward the minority party for waging a boisterous sit-in on the chamber floor. Published July 5, 2016
