Tom Howell Jr.
Articles by Tom Howell Jr.
Obamacare repeal bill offers something for everyone on Capitol Hill
Democrats swiftly blasted Senate Republicans up for re-election in 10 states for voting to repeal Obamacare, saying it would "pull the rug out" from under thousands of people who are newly eligible for Medicaid coverage in their states. Published December 6, 2015
Republican repeal of Obamacare heads to president’s desk
Senate Republicans brushed aside five years of frustration Thursday and fast-tracked an Obamacare repeal bill to President Obama's desk, fulfilling their pledge to hold Democrats and the White House accountable for a 2010 law they still view as fiscally ruinous and politically misguided. Published December 4, 2015
Legally armed citizenry seen as mass-shooting, terrorism deterrent
Democrats ramped up their push Thursday for more firearms restrictions even as alarm over recent mass shootings, including one linked to Islamic terrorism, fueled calls for citizens to play a greater role in their own protection. Published December 3, 2015
Gun bans for terrorist watch list rejected in Senate as part of Obamacare repeal bill
The Senate turned aside a measure Thursday that would prohibit people on a terrorist watch list from buying guns, as a marathon vote series to amend an Obamacare repeal bill morphed into a heated debate over the reach of the Second Amendment. Published December 3, 2015
GOP beats back attempt to restore Planned Parenthood funding in budget bill
The Senate voted Thursday to preserve fast-track budget language that would defund Planned Parenthood for one year as punishment for its abortion practice, part of a marathon session of votes on a bill that most notably repeals Obamacare. Published December 3, 2015
GOP set to pass Obamacare repeal for first time; Dems vow to make it painful, force votes on guns
Senate Republicans brushed aside five years of frustration Thursday and fast-tracked an Obamacare repeal bill to President Obama's desk, fulfilling their pledge to hold Democrats and the White House accountable for a 2010 law they still view as fiscally ruinous and politically misguided. Published December 3, 2015
Obamacare prompts 5 percent increase in health spending
Health spending spiked by more than 5 percent last year as Obamacare took full effect, according to a new government analysis Wednesday that said the low-growth trend that had prevailed for most of President Obama's time in office changed as new prescription drugs came on the market and Americans started using more services. Published December 2, 2015
White House says it will veto Obamacare repeal bill
The White House formally signaled President Obama's intent Wednesday to veto a Republican bill that would dismantle his signature health overhaul, saying Congress should work to promote the law instead of making a political statement ahead of the 2016 elections. Published December 2, 2015
1 in 10 large nonprofits has sought protection from HHS birth-control rules: survey
One in 10 large nonprofits has asked the administration to shield it from Obamacare's birth-control rules, according to a survey released Tuesday that says many of them are likely Catholic colleges or hospitals that would qualify for the "accommodation" at the heart of an upcoming fight before the Supreme Court. Published December 1, 2015
Mitch McConnell: Obamacare repeal bill is near
Senate Republicans put themselves on track to pass a long-sought bill this week to dismantle Obamacare and strip funding from Planned Parenthood for one year, finalizing a measure Tuesday that will put a major repeal of the Affordable Care Act on President Obama's desk for the first time. Published December 1, 2015
HHS: 87K fewer deaths from hospital-related conditions in 2010-2014
An estimated 87,000 fewer patients died between 2010 from 2014 because of a marked reduction in infections and other conditions that can be acquired during hospital stays, according to an Obama administration report Tuesday that said the decrease saved $20 billion in health costs. Published December 1, 2015
Kevin McCarthy: Congress will avoid shutdown
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said Monday he expects Congress to navigate a thorny debate over national security and abortion politics and strike a deal to keep federal operations moving past Dec. 11. Published November 30, 2015
Bill to gut Obamacare, defund Planned Parenthood threatened by warring conservative lobbies
Senate GOP leaders face a major test over the next two weeks in trying to round up enough Republicans to back a bill that would gut Obamacare and strip funding from Planned Parenthood — but they're caught in a tug-of-war between powerful conservative lobbies who view the issues in very different ways. Published November 29, 2015
Obamacare waivers present dilemma for administration
President Obama faces a major decision on Obamacare over the next year as states begin to apply for waivers to the sweeping law, pressuring the administration to either welcome or resist experimentation with his top domestic achievement. Published November 26, 2015
Obama judicial nominees in limbo as ‘nuclear option’ backfires on Democrats
The Republican-controlled Senate is confirming President Obama's judicial nominees this year at a slower pace than Democrats did after taking the Senate majority in 2007 under President George W. Bush, prompting court watchers to warn that politics is skewing the process. Published November 25, 2015
About 1.6M have picked Obamacare plans so far: HHS
Roughly 1.6 million people have selected coverage on HealthCare.gov, the Obama administration said Wednesday in a snapshot of enrollment through the first three weeks of signups for the 2016 plan year. Published November 25, 2015
Conservatives urge GOP to hamstring Obamacare risk program
Over two dozen conservative groups asked GOP leaders Tuesday to make certain that a looming spending deal reins in a part of Obamacare designed to protect insurers during the overhaul's early -- and financially precarious -- rounds of enrollment. Published November 24, 2015
Prescription drug abuse plagues U.S., stymies policymakers
More than half of all Americans say they or someone they know has abused prescription painkillers, according to a poll being released Tuesday that also found a significant share knew someone who died from opioid use. Published November 24, 2015
2016 Republicans pitch rejecting Syrians, NSA snooping, mosque surveillance to thwart terror
Republican presidential contenders outlined a series of strategies Sunday for thwarting terrorism — including dialing up U.S. snooping powers, repelling Syrian refugees and spying on U.S. mosques — even as the Homeland Security secretary said no credible threats of a Paris-style attack on U.S. soil exist and urged Congress instead to reform a visa waiver program that allows easy travel from Europe. Published November 22, 2015
Donald Trump leads Republican polls, debates terrorism, weakens party pledge
Flamboyant businessman Donald Trump basked Sunday in the glow of a poll that shows he is walloping his rivals in the Republican presidential field, elbowing his way into the anti-terrorism debate by proposing surveillance of certain mosques, condoning waterboarding and signaling that he is willing to retreat from a pledge he signed in September to forgo an independent run if he is not "treated fairly." Published November 22, 2015
