Tom Howell Jr.
Articles by Tom Howell Jr.
Senate Dems to GOP: What’s your plan to fix crumbling highways?
Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and Senate Democrats urged Republicans Thursday to reveal their plan for a long-term extension of highway funds, saying the lack of a clear strategy is sowing uncertainty on Capitol Hill and among states that have placed projects on hold. Published July 9, 2015
FDA delays menu-labeling rules by one year
The Food and Drug Administration said Thursday it will give chain restaurants an extra year to comply with an Obamacare rule requiring chain restaurants to post calorie counts for the foods they sell. Published July 9, 2015
No Child Left Behind rewrite narrowly passes House
House Republicans brushed aside a White House veto threat Wednesday and passed a rewrite of the No Child Left Behind law by just five votes, muscling through an education overhaul that shifts power from the federal government to the states after a legislative false start earlier this year. Published July 8, 2015
House Democrats, advocates call for tighter gun control after Charleston killings
House Democrats reignited an uphill battle for tighter federal gun control laws Wednesday, exactly three weeks after nine black members of a historic Charleston, South Carolina, church were killed in a shooting spree fueled by racial hatred. Published July 8, 2015
Capitol Hill spending clashes revive shutdown fears
Congress returned from its July 4 recess Tuesday fumbling for a way to avert a second government shutdown in three years, as GOP majorities forged ahead with spending bills that President Obama has threatened to veto, saying they're insufficient to meet the nation's needs and are beholden to misguided spending caps. Published July 7, 2015
Steny Hoyer pleads with GOP to drop sequester to avoid shutdown
House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer said Tuesday it is time for the GOP to relent and jettison the so-called sequester caps on spending as the parties march toward a possible government shutdown this fall. Published July 7, 2015
Obamacare premium hikes, exhange woes persist as hurdles despite Supreme Court win
President Obama says it's time to move on, but challenges abound for Obamacare, even if it's on a firmer legal ground. Published July 6, 2015
Voter ID laws’ impact on election turnout unclear as Democrats allege disenfranchisement
Hillary Rodham Clinton and her Democratic allies are shining a bright light on voter ID laws and other perceived roadblocks to the ballot box, yet drawing a straight line from laws designed to crack down on fraud to low turnout in a single contest is notably difficult, analysts say, and data on the most recent elections tend to lag behind the fast-moving debate. Published July 5, 2015
Religious nonprofits not losing faith after latest failed Obamacare birth control mandate appeal
Religious nonprofits hoping to force yet another Obamacare showdown before the Supreme Court haven't chalked up the appellate win they need to put the issue on a glide path to the justices, but they aren't losing faith, saying it's only a matter of time before their legal campaign pays off. Published July 2, 2015
Obama takes health care victory lap in Tenn., urges partisans to expand, improve law
President Obama urged his critics Wednesday to abandon their Obamacare repeal agenda and work to strengthen the law, saying its latest victory before the Supreme Court sent a clear signal that it's time to move on. Published July 1, 2015
Ex-Im Bank’s website: Sorry, no new business
Visitors to the federal Export-Import Bank's website were greeted by a stark message Wednesday that announced its sudden inability to do new business. Published July 1, 2015
House Democrats blast GOP leadership on Ex-Im expiration
House Democrats blasted GOP leaders Tuesday for allowing the Export-Import Bank to expire at the stroke of midnight, saying a measure to reauthorize the agency would easily pass both chambers and preserve thousands of jobs. Published June 30, 2015
New Ebola case reported in Liberia, weeks after nation declared virus-free
Officials in Liberia say they've confirmed a new Ebola case, marking its first brush with the deadly virus since the outbreak was declared over in the West African nation more than a month ago. Published June 30, 2015
Supreme Court upholds use of independent boards to draw congressional districts
The Supreme Court ruled Monday that states can use independent commissions to redraw their congressional districts, turning away a challenge by Arizona lawmakers who said the Constitution clearly vested that power in state legislatures alone. Published June 29, 2015
Obamacare, gay marriage Supreme Court rulings force states to change laws
Pivotal Supreme Court rulings on same-sex marriage and Obamacare are reverberating in the states, where some officials are slow-walking overnight changes to their marriage laws and others want to retool their approaches to health care reform now that federal subsidies are on firm footing in all the states. Published June 28, 2015
Paul Ryan, Ways and Means chairman, hits Supreme Court ruling on Obamacare subsidies
Ways and Means Chairman Paul Ryan chided Supreme Court Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. on the court's decision to uphold Obamacare's subsidies in all the states. Published June 28, 2015
Bobby Jindal, Louisiana governor, says state will comply with Supreme Court same-sex marriage ruling
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said his state will comply, with the Supreme Court's decision to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide. Published June 28, 2015
Lindsey Graham, South Carolina senator, calls for Confederate flag’s removal from Statehouse
Lindsey Graham says the Confederate flag has become a "roadblock to the future of my state." Published June 28, 2015
Bernie Sanders, Democratic candidate, notes his appeal among minorities, common-sense gun rights
Bernie Sanders says he will garner support from minority voters during the Democratic presidential primary cycle. Published June 28, 2015
Mike Huckabee, GOP presidential candidate, hits Supreme Court’s same-sex marriage ruling
Mike Huckabee says the Supreme Court's decision to affirm same-sex marriage couples' will put Christian pastors and business owners in a bind. Published June 28, 2015
