Tom Howell Jr.
Articles by Tom Howell Jr.
Kevin McCarthy, House majority leader, pulling out of race for House speaker
Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy abruptly ended his bid Thursday to be the next House speaker, shocking GOP colleagues who walked into a noon meeting expecting to coronate him as their pick, and instead walked out amid chaos, leaving the party rudderless as it stumbles toward a series of major policy showdowns. Published October 8, 2015
Nancy Pelosi has no sympathy ‘at all’ for leaders in fractured GOP
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said Thursday she has no sympathy "at all" for Republican leaders who've dealt with a fractious caucus and must navigate a messy race to replace Speaker John A. Boehner, who decided to resign rather contend with the divisions any longer. Published October 8, 2015
Kevin McCarthy faces possible floor fight in speaker bid as conservatives back Daniel Webster
The conservative House Freedom Caucus announced Wednesday that it would back Rep. Daniel Webster to be the next speaker, which would provide enough support to the Republican conference to deny the position to establishment favorite Kevin McCarthy, the current majority leader. Published October 7, 2015
House votes to investigate Planned Parenthood, other providers’ harvesting of fetal tissue
The House voted Wednesday to set up a special panel to find out whether Planned Parenthood and similar abortion providers are following the law when harvesting fetal tissue for research. Published October 7, 2015
Export-Import Bank roils House GOP discussion ahead of leadership vote
A bid by rank-and-file Republicans to revive the federal Export-Import Bank is further dividing the House GOP amid its messy quest to choose new leaders in the wake of Speaker John A. Boehner's decision to resign. Published October 7, 2015
Daniel Webster’s bid for House speaker gives GOP another option
Rep. Daniel Webster officially announced his bid for House speaker Tuesday morning, giving Republicans three options for their vote later this week on a replacement for retiring Speaker John A. Boehner. Published October 6, 2015
Obamacare ‘Cadillac tax’ repeal threatened by fight over how to fill $90 billion budget hole
Everyone from Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton to Rep. Paul Ryan, Wisconsin Republican, wants to scrap the "Cadillac tax" on generous health care plans — a rare bipartisan push to tweak Obamacare — but there is little consensus on how to fill the $90 billion budget hole that a repeal would leave. Published October 6, 2015
Steny Hoyer: Up to GOP caucus to decide next speaker
House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer said Tuesday it will be up to the Republican majority to decide who replaces departing Speaker John A. Boehner this month, downplaying what role, if any, Democrats will play if his likely successor cannot rally majority support from the chamber. Published October 6, 2015
House budget-minders tee up moves to dismantle Obamacare
House Republicans announced Friday they will forge ahead next week with efforts to dismantle Obamacare through a fast-track budget process, wasting little time after three panels recommended ways to repeal the 2010 law's most unpopular mandates, taxes and regulations. Published October 2, 2015
House votes to delay Iran sanctions relief until terror victims get paid
Taking the first steps to try to scuttle the Iran nuclear agreement, the House approved a bill Thursday that would block President Obama from lifting sanctions on Tehran until the regime makes billions of dollars in court-ordered payments to American victims of state-sponsored terrorism. Published October 1, 2015
House passes funding bill, averting government shutdown
The House approved a stopgap spending bill Wednesday to fund federal operations for 10 more weeks, clearing the bill for President Obama's signature with several hours to spare before a midnight deadline to keep the government open. Published September 30, 2015
John Boehner, Mitch McConnell, Obama look to avoid next showdown
House and Senate Republican leaders have kicked off budget talks with President Obama as Congress searches for ways to get out of yet another shutdown showdown jam later this year. Published September 29, 2015
House panel votes to scrap Obamacare mandates
The House Ways and Means Committee moved Tuesday to chip away at Obamacare by using a fast-track budget tool to repeal the law's most unpopular taxes and provisions, including the mandate requiring Americans to hold insurance. Published September 29, 2015
Senate advances bill to avert gov’t shutdown; Ted Cruz decries ‘surrender’
The Senate took a major step Monday toward keeping the government open and funded beyond this week, staving off hard-line conservatives' push to threaten a government shutdown over funding for Planned Parenthood, as House GOP leaders settled on a new strategy to force the pro-life issue onto President Obama's desk. Published September 28, 2015
House plans to use fast-track budget tool to attack Obamacare, Planned Parenthood
Republicans in charge of top House committees want to use a fast-track budget tool to take a big bite out of Obamacare and redirect funding away from Planned Parenthood amid controversy over its abortion practice. Published September 28, 2015
GOP bid to avoid shutdown nixed by Senate Dems to save Planned Parenthood funding
A bid by Republican Senate leaders to strip funding from Planned Parenthood failed Thursday when eight Republicans joined Democrats to filibuster the move, dooming conservatives' hopes of forcing a shutdown showdown with President Obama over the fate of the abortion provider. Published September 24, 2015
Ted Cruz on gov’t shutdown: Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid are ‘de facto’ leaders of Congress
Republican Sen. Ted Cruz cued up the GOP's opening bid Thursday to avert a government shutdown by accusing his own party's leaders of surrendering before the fight, saying they've allowed President Obama and his Democratic allies to pull the strings in Washington despite a "tidal wave" of Republican success in the 2014 midterms. Published September 24, 2015
Pope Francis reflects before statue of Saint Junipero Serra
Moments after his speech to Congress, Pope Francis paused for reflection before a bronze statue of the first saint canonized on U.S. soil. Published September 24, 2015
Pope Francis pays surprise visit to nuns suing Obama over birth control rules
Pope Francis made an unscheduled visit to a convent of the Little Sisters of the Poor, an order that is suing the Obama administration over its birth control rules on employers. Published September 24, 2015
House GOP freshmen, top Democrat Steny Hoyer seek offramp from looming shutdown
Nearly a dozen freshmen Republicans pushed their party colleagues not to pursue hard-line tactics that risk yet another federal shutdown, while a top Democrat said Wednesday his party will not "burn down the House," as congressional factions jockeyed to meet next week's deadline to fund the government. Published September 23, 2015