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Tom Howell Jr.

Tom Howell Jr.

Tom Howell Jr. covers politics and the White House for The Washington Times. He can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.

Articles by Tom Howell Jr.

FILE - In this Nov. 12, 2014 file photo, the HealthCare.gov website, where people can buy health insurance, on a laptop screen, is seen in Portland, Ore. Insurance coverage for millions of people is riding on the latest politically charged Supreme Court clash over President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul. The case being argued Wednesday focuses on who's eligible for federal tax subsidies intended to make health coverage affordable. Three years after Chief Justice John Roberts saved Obama’s health law in an epic, election-year fight over its constitutionality, the chief justice could again hold the pivotal vote.  (AP Photo/Don Ryan, File)

Uninsured rate continues to drop in Obamacare era: poll

The uninsured rate continued to drop in the age of Obamacare, according to a survey released Monday that showed a 1 percentage point dip from the final quarter of 2014 to the start of this year. Published April 13, 2015

Sen. Ron Wyden, Oregon Democrat (Associated Press)

Senate faces deadline on medical funding bill

Senators return to work Monday facing an immediate deadline for a bill to avert major pay cuts for doctors who treat Medicare patients, but grumbling among conservative fiscal hawks and some liberals could force the Senate to miss the cutoff. Published April 12, 2015

The House budget plan, written by Budget Chairman Tom Price, Georgia Republican, calls for spending $5.5 trillion less than currently projected over the next decade, while the Senate plan, written by Senate Budget Committee Chairman Michael B. Enzi of Wyoming, would spent $5.1 trillion less — a difference analysts said should be easily bridged when the two chambers meet in a conference committee. (Associated Press)

Republicans work against deadline to pass budget; Obamacare hopes hang in balance

Congressional Republicans are likely to miss an April 15 deadline the law sets for passing a unified budget, with lawmakers set to return from a two-week break on April 13, with plenty of differences still to hash out between the House and Senate over everything from the size of spending cuts to revamping Medicare. Published April 9, 2015

In this Thursday, Feb. 12, 2015 photo, a laptop shows the HealthCare.com web site during an Affordable Care Act enrollment event at the Fort Worth Public Library in Fort Worth, Texas. (Associated Press) ** FILE **

Health care coalition demands better data from Obamacare

Insurers, a tech company and advocacy groups banded together Thursday to demand that Obamacare provide better data to consumers on price and quality, saying it's easier to compare hotel rooms than it is to choose between health care plans. Published April 9, 2015

Sen. Jeff Sessions, Alabama Republican, said the "doc fix" would cost taxpayers a net $141 billion over the next decade, and would bring Congress disrepute. (Associated Press)

Conservatives push back against Medicare ‘doc fix’

Conservatives are pressing GOP congressional leaders to scrap or alter the Medicare doctor payments deal they struck with Democrats last month, insisting that Congress at least find a way to pay for all of the reforms so taxpayers don't get stuck with higher bills or debt later this decade. Published April 8, 2015

President Barack Obama speaks during his visit to Howard University in Washington, Tuesday, April 7, 2015. Obama visited the university's medical center to discuss the impact of climate change on public health and steps his administration is taking to reduce the health impacts of climate change on communities. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Obama: Health law deserves an ‘8’ out of 10

President Obama gives his signature health law an "8" on a scale from 1 to 10, saying there is still room to improve the 2010 overhaul that's been a political flashpoint since passage. Published April 8, 2015

"Colorado's decision to 'legalize' marijuana and the federal government's subsequent decision to limit enforcement of federal law in Colorado have combined to cause harm in Kansas ...," Derek Schmidt, Kansas Attorney General, said. (associated press)

Colorado’s neighbors want to stop its marijuana trade

Colorado's decision to legalize marijuana is stirring the pot in Nebraska and Oklahoma, where top officials say they're dealing with spillover effects from their neighbor's bright-line breach of federal law. Published April 2, 2015

Speaker of the United States House of Representatives John Boehner meets with Salim al-Jabouri, speaker of the Iraqi Parliament in Baghdad, Iraq, Monday, March 30, 2015. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)

Justice wants John Boehner-Obama lawsuit tossed

The Obama administration is refusing to flinch in its claim that House Speaker John A. Boehner used novel and invalid legal theories to sue over how the president implemented his signature health law. Published April 1, 2015

Schiavo

Obama regrets not speaking up for Terri Schiavo

The Rev. Frank Pavone, a pro-life leader, was one of the few able to visit Terri Schiavo in the final days of her life 10 years ago as she lay in a hospital bed, fixed to a feeding tube, the subject of an intense national debate over euthanasia. Published March 30, 2015

House Speaker John A. Boehner and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi reached a rare bipartisan accord with last month's passage of H.R. 2, which reforms Medicare physician reimbursements. (Associated Press)

Medicare payments to doctors expire April 1

Full payments for doctors who treat Medicare patients run out on April 1, but the Obama administration has a two-week grace period before it would actually have to begin cutting payments, giving Congress a short window next month to fix the problem before earning the ire of physicians nationwide. Published March 29, 2015