Tom Howell Jr.
Articles by Tom Howell Jr.
Kevin Brady and Fred Upton, GOP chairmen, threaten subpoena over Obamacare standoff
Two powerful Republicans threatened Friday to subpoena the Obama administration unless it explains by Jan. 28 why it is funding an obscure program under Obamacare without explicit approval from Congress. Published January 15, 2016
Jacob Lew, Treasury secretary, to visit Puerto Rico over fiscal crisis
Treasury Secretary Jacob J. Lew pressured Congress to act swiftly in solving Puerto Rico's debt crisis, warning the U.S. territory is in free fall while lawmakers work to throw it a lifeline by March 31. Published January 15, 2016
Paul Ryan touts an ‘inspiring’ 2016
House Speaker Paul D. Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell looked beyond the GOP's bitter presidential race Thursday and said they plan to offer a constructive agenda for voters who'll have the final say in November's general election. Published January 14, 2016
Steve Scalise: House plans ‘bold vision’ despite 2016 contests
House Majority Whip Steve Scalise said Thursday his chamber will forge ahead with spending bills and other initiatives in the coming year, even though the November elections will shorten the legislative calendar and it's unclear how often Senate Democrats will flex their power to block what they don't like. Published January 14, 2016
Congressional GOP preps for post-Obama era at annual retreat
Agreeing with President Obama's low expectations for Congress this year, GOP leaders cast their eye farther afield Thursday, saying they wanted to use the upcoming months to define the kinds of big philosophical choices voters will make in November's elections. Published January 14, 2016
Obama wants to reset clock on Medicaid expansion
President Obama wants to sweeten the deal for 19 states that have refused to expand their Medicaid programs under Obamacare, saying Congress should reset the clock on generous federal matching funds that were set to wind down after this year. Published January 14, 2016
Obamacare penalty fee increasing sharply in 2016
The Obamacare tax is set to hit particularly hard this year, and federal and state officials are hoping the threat of a $1,000 tax bill will finally be enough to prod reluctant Americans to sign up for the president's controversial health law. Published January 13, 2016
HHS reports slight uptick in HealthCare.gov signups
About 8.7 million customers had selected a plan on the federal HealthCare.gov exchange as of Jan. 9, according to a government update Wednesday that showed only a slight uptick in consumer interest between crucial deadlines to get covered under Obamacare in 2016. Published January 13, 2016
Obama defends health care law as Republicans look for repeal
President Obama used his final State of the Union address Tuesday to defend his signature health care law ahead of a momentous year for Obamacare, with just 12 months for him to address rising premiums, faltering health care plans and public doubt about the reforms. Published January 12, 2016
Members of Congress ask Supreme Court to shield religious groups from Obamacare
More than 200 members of Congress asked the Supreme Court Monday to protect faith-based colleges, charities and other nonprofits from Obamacare's birth control rules, citing an American track record of religious liberty that extends from the Pilgrims' landing in Massachusetts to a 1993 law designed to protect the faithful from government mandates. Published January 11, 2016
Paul Ryan invites nuns fighting Obamacare mandate to State of the Union
House Speaker Paul D. Ryan has invited a group of nuns fighting Obamacare's "contraception mandate" to be among his honored guests Tuesday at President Obama's final State of the Union address to Congress. Published January 11, 2016
Chris Coons, Delaware senator, calls on White House to punish Iran
Sen. Christopher A. Coons added his voice Monday to a chorus of other Democrats who have called on the Obama administration to quit waffling and punish Iran for testing a pair of ballistic missiles this fall, flouting international sanctions even as Tehran began to implement the nuclear deal it struck with the U.S. and other leading nations. Published January 11, 2016
Senate sluggish despite bipartisan deals, Washington Times Legislative Futility Index finds
Congress began to pull out of the legislative doldrums last year but still has a long way to go before it returns to full health and the kind of freewheeling legislative action of previous decades, according to The Washington Times Legislative Futility Index, which found that despite some big bipartisan deals, the Senate remains a major stumbling block to passing bills. Published January 10, 2016
Hillary Clinton emails release spark new security concerns
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton insisted Sunday she did not instruct an aide to send her classified information over nonsecure channels, pushing back at critics who say her unorthodox use of private email at the State Department repeatedly put sensitive information at risk. Published January 10, 2016
Ted Cruz leads in Iowa as ‘birther’ talk intensifies
Businessman Donald Trump on Sunday said he's got the momentum to win the GOP presidential nomination regardless of whether he finishes first in Iowa and again questioned his top rival's eligibility for the office. Published January 10, 2016
Hillary Clinton says revisiting her husband’s scandals is a loser for Donald Trump, GOP
Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton said Republicans will regret it if they revisit the Monica Lewinsky scandal that roiled the late 1990s instead of focusing on things like equal pay for women and health care. Published January 10, 2016
Rand Paul predicts Democrats would challenge Ted Cruz’s citizenship
Sen. Rand Paul on Sunday the Constitution's call for a "natural born" candidate poses a legal question for Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, should he become the GOP presidential nominee. Published January 10, 2016
Mitch McConnell says Obama’s ISIS plan is too timid
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell wants President Obama to use his final State of the Union address on Tuesday to outline how he will defeat the Islamic State. Published January 10, 2016
Rubio says voters will swing his way; knocks Cruz on phone-snooping
Sen. Marco Rubio said voters are still mulling their options and will flock to his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination over time. Published January 10, 2016
Sen. Ted Cruz opposes Donald Trump’s “police state” plan on deportations
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said Sunday he will win the presidency by "painting in bold colors, not pale pastels," and that his passion for repealing Obamacare, establishing a flat tax and enforcing immigration law will be a contrast to the "mushy middle" that doomed GOP nominees in 1996, 2000 and 2012. Published January 10, 2016
