Tom Howell Jr.
Articles by Tom Howell Jr.
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
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
First responders exempt from Obamacare employer calculations: Treasury
The Treasury said Friday it will not count "nominally compensated" volunteer firefighters or emergency medical services personnel as full-time employees when the employer mandate tied to Obamacare takes effect next year. Published January 10, 2014
White House to switch Obamacare contractors for HealthCare.gov
The Obama administration plans to replace the lead contractor on HealthCare.gov, the glitchy federal website that hindered the fall rollout of the new health care law, with another company. Published January 10, 2014
House passes Obamacare security-notification law; 67 Democrats join GOP majority
The House passed a bill Friday that requires the federal government to notify consumers within two days if their personal data has been breached on online-based insurance markets tied to the new health care law. Published January 10, 2014
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
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
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
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
Rep. Issa hints at prosecuting Sebelius for ‘false’ Obamacare testimony
The House’s top investigator told Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on Wednesday she must recant her “false” testimony to Congress about the rollout of Obamacare and warned she could face criminal prosecution for lying to Congress. Published January 8, 2014
Illegal aliens still get Medicare benefits, but feds vow crackdown, $70M savings
Federal health officials vowed this week to crack down on illegal immigrants who get Medicare — signaling that one part of the Obama administration believes it has authority to deny taxpayer-funded benefits going to those in the country without authorization. Published January 7, 2014
Rate of health spending growth remained low in 2012, government actuaries show
Health care spending in the United States grew at a rate of 3.7 percent in 2012 to $2.8 trillion, actuaries for the Obama administration said Monday, a rate similar to that of recent years amid a stretch of historically low spending growth. Published January 6, 2014
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
Sen. Ron Johnson to sue over Obamacare’s special treatment for lawmakers, staffers
Sen. Ron Johnson sued Monday to take away his fellow lawmakers' health care subsidies, saying members of Congress and staff who must enter the Obamacare marketplace should not get financial perks that regular Americans cannot obtain. Published January 6, 2014
Obamacare release form stokes uproar in nuns’ contraception fight
The fight over a contraception rule tied to Obamacare has religious liberty advocates and women's health groups at loggerheads over a simple act: What does it mean when a group of Colorado nuns signs a release form? Published January 5, 2014
White House urges Supreme Court to reject nuns’ appeal for birth control exemption
The U.S. government said Friday that a Colorado congregation of Catholic nuns had no reason to seek and obtain an 11th-hour Supreme Court reprieve from an Obamacare rule that requires employers to insure contraception. Published January 3, 2014
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
Organizers preaching the word of Obamacare
Every Sunday, Hannah Gravette goes to church to spread the word about Obamacare to Southern Californians. Published January 1, 2014
Obamacare mandate takes effect; court’s move on contraception clouds milestone
The "individual mandate" requiring Americans to have health insurance, a giant political issue for most of President Obama's tenure, finally takes effect Wednesday with hardly a passing notice — though the law's contraception rules drew renewed scrutiny from a Supreme Court justice late Tuesday. Published December 31, 2013
Sebelius touts Obamacare as ‘new day’
President Obama's top health official said Tuesday that 2014 marks a "new day in health care for millions of Americans," with more than 2 million people having enrolled in a private plan as of Saturday and nearly 4 million finding out they're eligible for Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program through the end of November. Published December 31, 2013
