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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.

Sen. Kay Hagan, D-N.C. makes a statement during a debate with Republican candidate for Senate Thom Tillis at UNC-TV studios in Research Triangle Park, N.C., in this Sept. 3, 2014, file photo. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome, File)

Hispanic groups say they won’t accept blame for Democratic losses this fall: report

Hispanic advocates say they won't entertain any blame if Democrats lose control of the Senate, a reflection of their disappointment in President Obama for delaying executive action on deportation reforms and apathy for Democratic candidates that haven't made a direct appeal to the demographic, according to the Wall Street Journal reported. Published September 30, 2014

Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe, a Democrat, hailed the state's 2 percent drop in insurance premiums as proof of Obamacare's success. (Associated Press)

Politics color information on Obamacare premiums

In Arkansas, Gov. Mike Beebe touted signs of a 2 percent drop in premiums in the state's Obamacare insurance exchange as proof the health law is working. Published September 29, 2014

FILE - In this Oct. 1, 2013 file photo Chongtou Yang, 59, of Cottage Grove, Wis., gets  guidance on the health insurance exchanges from counselor Lorraine McGowan at the Dane County Job Center in Madison, Wis. Figures released Wednesday, July 16, 2014 by Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's administration show that more than 60 percent of the people who lost state Medicaid coverage earlier this year did not purchase private insurance through the online marketplace. (AP Photo/Wisconsin State Journal, John Hart, File)

Medicaid sprawling under Obamacare, but some states ill-equipped: report

Some states are better than others at providing access to care and keeping tabs on their Medicaid managed care programs, according to a federal report released Monday that raises questions about government oversight of the massive health program for the poor, which is rapidly expanding under Obamacare. Published September 29, 2014

Medicaid Administrator Marilyn Tavenner. (Associated Press) ** FILE **

Obamacare keeps pace with needed numbers

About 7.3 million Americans were getting health insurance through Obamacare's exchanges as of last month, the administration said Thursday, releasing numbers that suggest most customers did sign up properly and pay their premiums. Published September 18, 2014

In this March 31, 2014, file photo, Parkland Hospital financial councilor Ricky Spain answers questions for people waiting to sign up for health care insurance at the business office of Parkland Hospital in Dallas. At first glance, Texas, with the highest rate of uninsured in the nation, was prime to benefit from President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act. But it’s now clear that those who signed up for insurance are largely not the same people currently receiving taxpayer-subsidized medical care. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Federal study: Uninsured rate down 2 points from 2013

The percentage of Americans who lacked health insurance in the first three months of this year is down 2 points from the same period last year, according to a federal study released Tuesday that fueled Democrats' claims that Obamacare is working. Published September 16, 2014

Sen. Thomas R. Carper, Delaware Democrat (Associated Press)

D.C. statehood hearing seeks ‘thoughtful solution’ to lack of voting rights

A Democratic senator held the first congressional hearing on D.C. statehood in 20 years to "restart the conversation" about the city's lack of voting representation on Capitol Hill, but the discussion barely got off the ground before a top Republican quickly dismissed the summit as a one-sided look at a measure that's going nowhere. Published September 15, 2014

Sen. Lindsey Graham says the Chris Christie scandal is a reflection on the New Jersey governor even though some of his aides were at the center of it. "It seems to me that this whole bridge thing reinforces a narrative that's troublesome about the guy. He's kind of a bully," the South Carolina Republican says. (Associated Press)

Republicans unconvinced Obama taking Islamic State threat seriously enough

The Obama administration struggled Sunday to define its strategy for beating back the Islamic State in Iraq and particularly in Syria, where its plan to rely on moderate fighters at this stage is complicating President Obama's sales pitch to Congress and his legacy of winding down wars in the Middle East. Published September 14, 2014