Tom Howell Jr.
Articles by Tom Howell Jr.
Republican budget proposals a tough sell within increasingly polarized GOP
They've written their budgets, but now Republican leaders must try to round up the votes to pass them amid an ever-more polarized GOP riven with disputes over defense spending and the pace of cutting entitlements. Published March 19, 2015
John Boehner: House GOP split on defense spending in budget proposal
Speaker John A. Boehner said Thursday his chamber likely will debate additional defense spending when his party's budget resolution heads to the floor next week. Published March 19, 2015
House leaders say they’re close to fixing hated Medicare funding formula
Congressional leaders released a bipartisan bill Thursday to scrap an outdated Medicare payment formula and replace it with a system that's more predictable for doctors and rewards the quality — not quantity — of care they provide. Published March 19, 2015
Obamacare still disliked more than liked, but gap narrowing: poll
More Americans disapprove of Obamacare than those who favor it, 43 percent to 41 percent, although the gap between those camps has narrowed to its closet margin in over two years, according to a March tracking poll released Thursday. Published March 19, 2015
Senate GOP unveils budget with Obamacare repeal, dismisses president’s ‘unserious’ plan
Senate Republicans released a budget Wednesday that achieves balance in 10 years but does not mimic the House GOP's defense-spending ploys or sweeping changes to Medicare, as tough contests loom for dozens of the party's senators in 2016. Published March 18, 2015
Chris Van Hollen on GOP budget: ‘Fakery is hard to sell’
The House Democrats' top budget man was still making his way through the GOP's budget when he faced reporters Tuesday, but it's safe to say he's not impressed. Published March 17, 2015
GOP budget repeals Obamacare, cuts $5.5 trillion
House Republicans unveiled a 2016 budget Tuesday that would cut $5.5 trillion from spending over the next 10 years, repeal Obamacare and change Medicare into a voucherlike system — key parts of a fiscally punishing blueprint designed to end red ink in less than a decade. Published March 17, 2015
HHS touts drop in uninsured rate under Obamacare; 16 million gained coverage
More than 16 million Americans have gained insurance coverage in the five years since Obamacare was signed, the administration said Monday in a report designed to cheer the law's "historic" strides while Republican lawmakers redouble efforts to scrap it completely. Published March 16, 2015
Adam Schiff: GOP using Benghazi probe to cast bad light on Hillary Clinton
A Democrat on the House Benghazi committee says Republicans have turned the probe into a special investigation of former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and her emails. Published March 15, 2015
Trey Gowdy wants to wrap up Benghazi probe this year
Rep. Trey Gowdy says he has no interest in stretching out his investigation of the Benghazi terrorist attacks into 2016. Published March 15, 2015
John Kerry chides GOP for Senate letter on Iran nuclear deal
Secretary of State John F. Kerry says the decision by Senate Republicans to interject themselves into nuclear negotiations with Iran was "calculated to interfere" with his efforts to limit Tehran's ability to build an atomic bomb. Published March 15, 2015
Mitch McConnell: First human trafficking bill, then Loretta Lynch confirmation
Mitch McConnell says the Senate must finish a human trafficking bill before it can vote on confirming Loretta Lynch as attorney general. Published March 15, 2015
Mitch McConnell defends GOP warning letter to Iran on nuke deal
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell defended a controversial letter his caucus sent to Iranian leaders last week, saying it would be foolish for Republicans to stand down. Published March 15, 2015
House leaders say they’re working on fix to outdated Medicare formula
Top House lawmakers said Friday they're inching closer to a plan that repeals the formula that pays doctors for each service provided under Medicare and replaces it with one that rewards providers for high-quality care — a measure that both sides of the political aisle have said is long overdue. Published March 13, 2015
Tax preparers scamming filers for Obamacare ‘individual mandate’ tax: IRS
The IRS warned Americans taxpayers Friday of a scam that leverages Obamacare's penalty for lacking insurance in 2014. Published March 13, 2015
Democrats urge HHS to let pregnant women sign up for Obamacare throughout year
The Obama administration should let women enroll in Obamacare-related plans if they get pregnant outside of the normal signup period, dozens of Democrats said. Published March 13, 2015
Obamacare special enrollment for penalty payers a one-time deal, admin says
The Obama administration said Friday the special enrollment period that kicks off this weekend for uninsured Americans who missed Obamacare's signup deadline and face a tax penalty will be a one-time deal, as the nation confronts the confluence of health care and tax season for the first time. Published March 13, 2015
McConnell cedes to Reid threat to stall trafficking bill over abortion language
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Thursday he will offer Democrats an up-or-down vote on their request to remove abortion language from an otherwise-bipartisan bill to help victims of human trafficking. Published March 12, 2015
Harry Reid threatens to kill trafficking bill over abortion language, setting up showdown
A bill to combat human trafficking was supposed to be a major bipartisan achievement — instead it's devolved into a bitter fight over abortion, with Democrats objecting to language that would prevent spending federal funds for the procedure and Republicans saying it's the same provision Democrats have accepted dozens of times before. Published March 11, 2015
Senate Conservatives Fund helps Republicans on right, picks fight in Congress
Congress may have moved on from its shutdown showdown over homeland security, but a spat between Republicans loyal to House Speaker John A. Boehner and those who will fight President Obama's immigration policy at any cost is rolling right along. Published March 10, 2015
