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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** President Obama listens to Andres Cruz, second from left, as he has lunch with five young people at The Coupe restaurant in the Columbia Heights section of Washington on Jan. 10, 2014. The five are spearheading creative outreach efforts to connect with and help enroll young consumers through the Marketplaces or are interested in getting more involved with these efforts. Seated at the table with Obama at left is Anne Johnson. (Associated Press)

Young enrollees of Obamacare fall well short of goal

Young adults are not signing up for Obamacare at a rate that could keep insurance premiums from going up — at least not yet —according to an Obama administration report that says nearly 2.2 million Americans have obtained private health coverage under the health care law. Published January 13, 2014

** FILE ** In this Oct. 29, 2013, file photo, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie speaks at the Superstorm Sandy-damaged home of John and Angela Ciangiotto in Union Beach on the one-year anniversary of the storm. (Associated Press)

Gov. Chris Christie faces federal probe over Sandy tourism ads

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, his hands already full with the "Bridgegate" scandal, now faces a federal inquiry into whether his state improperly used federal funds for Superstorm Sandy relief for tourism ads that featured Mr. Christie and his family. Published January 13, 2014

Associated Press Sen. Mike Johanns, Nebraska Republican, said he was pleased that the House vote on the Obamacare privacy bill had such strong bipartisan support and urged the Senate majority leader to allow a vote.

Transparency bill marks GOP’s shift on Obamacare for midterms

The Republican-controlled House this week is set to follow up passage of an Obamacare privacy bill with a transparency measure that could attract dozens of Democratic votes — a sign the GOP is shifting from efforts to repeal the health care law to a more nuanced approach in a midterm election year. Published January 12, 2014

A "step-by-step approach is the way to do it with enforcement coming first," said Rep. Bob Goodlatte, Virginia Republican, regarding immigration reform. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

D.C. authority at center of battle on abortion funding

Republicans signaled Thursday that they will try to permanently ban taxpayer-funded abortions in the District of Columbia, igniting a furious backlash from city officials who said the move is an effort to change a 40-year understanding between the city and the federal government. Published January 9, 2014

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon, a Democrat, calls radio and TV ads urging businesses in Missouri to leave for Texas misleading. (Associated Press)

Republican-led states rethink rejection of Medicaid expansion

With Obamacare now in effect across the country, some Republican-led states will revisit their decisions to reject an expansion of Medicaid, once again deciding whether their contempt for the Affordable Care Act outweighs the allure of additional federal money in the short term. Published January 9, 2014

** FILE ** In this Dec. 11, 2013, file photo, Rosemary Cabelo uses a computer at a public library to access the Affordable Health Care Act website, in San Antonio. The Obama administration says following a December surge, more than 1.1 million people have now enrolled for health insurance through the federal government's improved website. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)

House GOP changes tack on Obamacare, focuses on website security

The White House said Thursday it opposes — yet noticeably did not threaten to veto — a pair of House bills that would require the government to issue weekly reports on Obamacare enrollment and quickly notify consumers of any breach of their personal data on state-based insurance markets tied to the law. Published January 9, 2014

**FILE** Rep. Trent Franks, Arizona Republican (Associated Press)

D.C. officials: House GOP-led abortion bill redefines ‘federal government’

Republicans signaled Thursday that they will try to permanently ban taxpayer-funded abortions in the District of Columbia, igniting a furious backlash from city officials who said the move is an effort to change a 40-year understanding between the city and the federal government. Published January 9, 2014

**FILE** Sen. Ron Johnson, Wisconsin Republican (Associated Press)

GOP senator sues over Obamacare subsidies for Congress

Sen. Ron Johnson said Monday he will ask the courts to make sure that Congress is treated the same way regular Americans are treated in the Obamacare marketplace, even if it means taking away his colleagues' health care subsidies, because the financial aid is not in the Obamacare law they passed in 2010 and forces taxpayers to pay for part of lawmakers' premiums. Published January 6, 2014

FILE - In this Sept. 27, 2013, file photo, MNsure insurance exchange representatives Carlos Villanueva, left, and Emily Joyce prepare for the Oct. 1 open enrollment debut at the center in St. Paul, Minn. The federal government hasn’t released comprehensive data on how many people have signed up for health insurance in the 36 states using federally run exchanges, and in the 14 states running their own exchanges, lack of enrollment numbers also makes it hard to say if Obamacare is a success. (AP Photo/Jim Mone, File)

Report: Obamacare may increase use of emergency rooms

By urging states to expand Medicaid, Obamacare may actually increase the number of people who will get medical care from emergency rooms, according to a new report Thursday that counters previous Obama administration claims that the Affordable Care Act would stem the need for emergency visits. Published January 2, 2014