Tom Howell Jr.
Articles by Tom Howell Jr.
Sebelius touts Obamacare in Texas; Gov. Perry says don’t bother
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius will promote the health care law in Texas on Thursday, meeting with mayors and other stakeholders less than two months before Americans without employer-based health coverage start to enroll in state-based insurance markets. Published August 8, 2013
D.C. health exchange chief ‘thrilled’ to serve Congress, staff
Mila Kofman, chief of the D.C. health exchange set up under President Obama's health care law, said Thursday she is "thrilled" to be able to serve members of Congress and staff members who are forced to use the state-based insurance markets because of a provision in the law. Published August 8, 2013
Religious university balks at ‘accommodation,’ re-files suit over Obamacare’s contraception mandate
Colorado Christian University on Wednesday re-issued its lawsuit over the "contraception mandate" tied to the federal health care law, becoming the first religious nonprofit to revamp its civil complaint after the Obama administration finalized an "accommodation" in late June designed to assuage concerns among religious institutions, according to the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty. Published August 7, 2013
Administration will fix huge increase in health care premiums for Congress
The Obama administration detailed Wednesday how the government can keep contributing to health care premiums of members of Congress and their staffers even as they purchase coverage through state exchanges tied to the president's health care law. Published August 7, 2013
Norquist endorses drive to defund Obamacare
Anti-tax activist Grover Norquist and a coalition of advocacy groups on Wednesday sent a letter to Republican congressional leaders asking them to join the campaign to defund Obamacare in the upcoming spending debate on Capitol Hill. Published August 7, 2013
White House touts accounts for health exchanges
Although virtual insurance markets tied to the health care law will not enroll people for another two months, the Obama administration on Tuesday encouraged Americans who plan to use the state-based exchanges to set up an online account ahead of time. Published August 6, 2013
Michelle Obama cheers declining obesity rates among some pre-schoolers
First lady Michelle Obama trumpeted a government study released Tuesday that found obesity among low-income pre-schoolers declined slightly in 19 out of 43 states and territories studied from 2008 to 2011. Published August 6, 2013
Rep. Stockman backs ‘defund Obamacare’ drive
Texas Rep. Steve Stockman has stepped forward as a vocal advocate in the House for a divisive strategy being pushed by high-profile Senate Republicans to "defund Obamacare" through the upcoming debate on federal spending. Published August 6, 2013
Cruz, others press effort to deny funds to health reform law
Despite warnings from their own party leaders, a breakaway group of conservative Republicans pushed ahead Thursday with a plan to defund President Obama's new health care law as part of an upcoming spending battle, even as administration officials assured Congress they will be ready to implement the health reforms on time. Published August 1, 2013
Administration readies income checks for Obamacare
The Obama administration is set to unveil new procedures that will greatly expand the government's ability to verify the income of Americans who seek government subsidies under the federal health care law. Published August 1, 2013
GOP questions legality of Obamacare subsidies
The House's top investigators Wednesday accused the Obama administration of illegally trying to paper over the flaws in the new health care law, saying the president and his aides are going beyond their powers to cover up for the fact that so many states have rejected federally run exchanges. Published July 31, 2013
Tea party asks its grass roots to help kill health care law
Tea party Republicans are girding for a fight with the White House — and members of their own party — over how to block President Obama's health care law, saying Congress must not miss the chance to use this year's funding bills to try to starve Obamacare to death. Published July 31, 2013
Congress takes passive stance as D.C. fires up medicinal pot program
Congress, which for years has needled the District of Columbia from atop Capitol Hill, watched from the sidelines this week as the city launched its medicinal pot program. Published July 30, 2013
Cruz seeks ‘millions’ of activists for Obamacare defunding fight
Outspoken conservative Sen. Ted Cruz said Tuesday the fight to defund Obamacare in the next 60 days "is likely to prove the most important battle that this Congress faces." Published July 30, 2013
Democrats getting out to explain health law benefits
Two federal lawmakers from Maryland, a state that embraced the new health care law from the start, pitched the benefits of Obamacare to constituents Monday — even as congressional Republicans about 25 miles up the road prepped last-ditch efforts to dismantle the law from their perch on Capitol Hill. Published July 29, 2013
Birth control pill available to girls hits store shelves
A morning-after birth control pill that set off a bruising court battle and forged an unusual alliance between President Obama and social conservatives has hit store shelves and increasingly will become available without any restrictions. Published July 28, 2013
Israeli-Palestinian talks to start Monday
Israel and the Palestinian Authority will resume peace talks Monday in Washington after a three-year break, the result of months of lobbying and a personal invitation over the weekend by Secretary of State John F. Kerry. Published July 28, 2013
Treasury’s Jack Lew warns against brinkmanship over debt ceiling
Treasury Secretary Jack Lew on Sunday called on Congress to "do its job" and avoid what could be a bruising budgetary standoff this fall, arguing Washington cannot afford a repeat of the type of "self-inflicted wounds" inflicted on the U.S. economy in the damaging showdown over the debt ceiling in 2011. Published July 28, 2013
Sen. Mike Lee: Go ahead and fund the government, but without Obamacare
Sen. Mike Lee on Sunday acknowledged Sunday that the federal government likely will avoid a shutdown after a high-stakes budget debate this September, but he wants to see the government continue its work without President Obama's health care law. Published July 28, 2013
Anthony Weiner under pressure to drop out as campaign manager quits
Embattled candidate Anthony D. Weiner faced mounting pressure Sunday to reconsider his mayoral ambitions in New York City after he confessed last week to swapping illicit messages and photos with women on s social media — a practice he now admits continued even after he resigned from Congress in 2011 because of similar acts. Published July 28, 2013
