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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.

“[With] a need so great as unemployed veterans, this is not the time to draw a technical line on the budget," said Sen. Bill Nelson, Florida Democrat. (Associated Press)

Florida Dem senator defends NSA snooping efforts

Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida takes issue with a new report that would roll back the National Security Agency's phone records program, saying the program collects "business records" and requires a court order to get the actual content of calls. Published December 19, 2013

Sen. Johnny Isakson, Georgia Republican

Calls for military pension fix grow

Georgia senator joins the chorus of lawmakers Thursday who want to see the pain of budget cuts spread around to alleviate the pressure on military retirees. Published December 19, 2013

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, pictured, joins Republican gubernatorial candidate for Virginia governor Ken Cuccinelli at a campaign rally at their Bristow campaign headquarters, Bristow, Va, Tuesday, October 29, 2013. (Andrew Harnik/The Washington Times)

La. Gov. Jindal defends suspended Duck Dynasty star

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal has weighed in on A&E's decision to suspend the patriarch of its popular show, "Duck Dynasty," saying it is "a messed-up situation when Miley Cyrus gets a laugh, and Phil Robertson gets suspended." Published December 19, 2013

"Our view of the law is that it — if somebody is here without sufficient documentation, that is not reason for deportation," House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, California Democrat, said in an interview with Telemundo, a Spanish-language network. "If somebody has broken the law, committed a felony or something, that's a different story." (associated press)

Pelosi raises alarm over handling of classified Obamacare documents

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi asked Speaker John A. Boehner on Wednesday to hold a classified briefing on Obamacare documents acquired by Rep. Darrell Issa — the chamber's top investigator — that Democrats say could compromise HealthCare.gov's security. Published December 18, 2013

Kurt DelBene, President of the Microsoft Office Division, talks about Microsoft Office 365 at a news conference in San Francisco, Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2010. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

GOP lawmaker: Best ‘fix’ for Obamacare is a mercy killing

A Louisiana Republican lawmaker is recommending that Kurt DelBene, the former Microsoft executive who will oversee the federal Obamacare website next year, should just advise President Obama to scrap his signature health care law. Published December 18, 2013

President Barack Obama speaks as he stands with Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and people who support the Affordable Care Act, his signature health care law, in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2013. Congress plunged the nation into a partial government shutdown Tuesday as a long-running dispute over President Barack Obama's health care law forced about 800,000 federal workers off the job, suspending all but essential services. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

5 million fall into Obamacare coverage gap

The Kaiser Family Foundation said Tuesday that roughly 5 million Americans will earn too much money to qualify for a government health-insurance program and too little to qualify for subsidized coverage under Obamacare next year. Published December 17, 2013

** FILE ** Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2013, before the House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing on the difficulties plaguing the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)

Expert: Obamacare ‘death spiral’ fears exaggerated

A new report says is it important that younger Americans enroll in the new insurance markets tied to Obamacare, but fears of a "death spiral" for the new law if they don't may be overblown. Published December 17, 2013

** FILE ** Marilyn Tavenner, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2013, before the House Ways and Means Committee hearing on the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Administration cites Obamacare boost for seniors

The Obama administration said Tuesday more than 25 million people on traditional Medicare received at least one free preventive care service during the first 11 months of this year because of the new health care law. Published December 17, 2013

President Barack Obama, accompanied by Vice President Joe Biden, gestures as she speaks to media before a meeting with newly-elected mayors from across the country, Friday, Dec. 13, 2013, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, to discuss job creation and ensuring middle class families have a pathway to opportunity. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Obama meets with tech executives from Apple and Google

President Obama's meeting Tuesday with executives from tech companies such as Apple and Google will focus in part on the flawed rollout of HealthCare.gov, the federal web portal tied to Obamacare. Published December 17, 2013

** FILE ** Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2013, before the House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing on the difficulties plaguing the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

Administration sees Obamacare progress, but deadlines loom

One week from a key deadline, health officials said Monday the federal Obamacare website is working consistently but they are still working to smooth out bugs and make sure enrollee data are reported accurately. Published December 16, 2013

**FILE** President Obama pauses as he speaks about the new health care law during a White House Youth Summit on Dec. 4, 2013, in the South Court Auditorium in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex in Washington. Americans who already have health insurance are blaming President Barack Obama's health care overhaul for their rising premiums and deductibles, and overall 3 in 4 say the rollout of coverage for the uninsured has gone poorly. (Associated Press)

OBAMASCARE: Huge premium hikes rock employer-insured workers

While most of the early Obamacare rollout problems have focused on the uninsured and those who get their policies through the individual market exchanges, more than 150 million Americans who get coverage through their employers are likely to feel the fallout as well. Published December 16, 2013