Tom Howell Jr.
Articles by Tom Howell Jr.
Pelosi ‘optimistic’ DOMA will be struck down
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi says she is "very optimistic" the Supreme Court will strike down a 1996 law that defines marriage as the union of a man and a woman for all federal purposes, leading a chorus of Democratic lawmakers asking the judges to do so. Published March 27, 2013
Obama administration under fire in gay marriage arguments
Gay marriage is on trial but it was the Obama administration facing the heat as the Supreme Court began the second of two days of landmark oral arguments on the constitutionality of gay marriage. Published March 27, 2013
S.D. Sen. Johnson retires for family, health reasons
Democratic Sen. Tim Johnson said Tuesday it is time to "close a circle that began 36 years ago" and leave the upper chamber in Washington when his term expires in 2014. Published March 26, 2013
Both sides optimistic, uncertain as gay marriage arguments end
Attorneys who are challenging and defending California's ban on gay marriage before the Supreme Court struck an optimistic tone as they emerged from arguments on Tuesday, even if they conceded they have no idea how the justices will rule about three months from now. Published March 26, 2013
Key justice: ‘Immediate injury’ in gay marriage ban
Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, often pegged as a key swing-vote between the court's conservative and liberal blocs, has signaled that children of same-sex couples suffer an "immediate legal injury" from California's ban on gay marriage, according to an account of the high court's oral arguments provided by Bloomberg News. Published March 26, 2013
Republicans gather steam to take the Senate with Tim Johnson’s retirement
Bookended by a pair of standing ovations, Sen. Tim Johnson, South Dakota Democrat, announced Tuesday that it is time to "close a circle" of service than began more than 30 years ago and leave the upper chamber in Washington when his term expires in 2014. Published March 26, 2013
Corporation rights drive divergent rulings on contraception
A federal judge has rejected a Michigan company's urgent plea for protection from the contraception mandate in President Obama's health-care law, noting that a corporation's rights are not always the same as an individual's. Published March 25, 2013
Mississippi lawmaker dead in an apparent suicide
Mississippi officials are reacting with sadness to reports of a 53-year-old Republican lawmaker's death in an apparent suicide. Published March 25, 2013
Ex-RNC head Michael Steele knocks down Christie criticism
Former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael S. Steele said Monday that conservatives' decision to ostracize popular New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie for embracing President Obama in a time of crisis was "nothing short of moronic." Published March 25, 2013
Sen. Bob Casey reveals ‘substantial shift’ on gun laws after deadly Newtown school shooting
Sen. Bob Casey Jr. of Pennsylvania says the Connecticut school shootings in December caused a significant change in his position on gun laws and now favors limits on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines. Published March 25, 2013
Donald Trump warns of ‘dangerous precedent’ in Cyprus bank skimming
Real estate tycoon and political gadfly Donald Trump said Monday a proposal to skim funds from bank accounts in Cyprus is a "very dangerous precedent" for other nations struggling with debt. Published March 25, 2013
Senate narrowly passes first budget in four years
Saturday's razor-thin, predawn approval of a spending plan in the Senate is being called a victory by Democrats — but Republicans emerged from the all-nighter with momentum on two key issues: deficit reduction and the Keystone XL pipeline. Published March 22, 2013
Firefighters, birth control lead off Senate budget votes
The Senate kicked off what promises to be a lengthy "vote-a-rama" session tied to their budget plan Friday afternoon by swiftly approving funds for forest firefighters out West and then defeating, largely along party lines, an amendment that would have let secular employers refuse to insure contraception. Published March 22, 2013
‘Obamacare’ still a work in progress
Marking the third anniversary of the health care law's passage in Congress, Republicans and Democrats agreed on one thing Thursday — President Obama's signature legislative achievement could use some changes. Published March 21, 2013
Senate votes to kill Obamacare-related tax
The Senate on Thursday voted to repeal a sales tax on medical devices that is part of President Obama's health-care law, a rare bipartisan attempt to strip away a section of the controversial reforms. Published March 21, 2013
GOP still trying to take apart ‘Obamacare’
President Obama's health care law passed Congress three years ago and remains almost entirely intact, but Republicans say they are still gathering support to dismantle it, betting that the overhaul will lose its political heft as Americans feel the brunt of its taxes and regulations. Published March 20, 2013
House GOP accuses agencies of failing to prepare for sequester cuts
House Republicans on Tuesday accused federal agencies of failing to prepare for the automatic sequester cuts, saying they had two years to get ready but instead the administration spent time on "scare tactics." Published March 19, 2013
If states decline to expand Medicaid, feds could reallocate funds
States complain that they will suffer in the budget sequesters, but they themselves have a lot to say about how much money the federal government has available to spend. Published March 18, 2013
Lawmakers push bill on primary-care doctor shortage
Five members of Congress reintroduced a bill Monday that takes on the nation's shortage of primary-care doctors by increasing the number of government-funded training slots at teaching hospitals. Published March 18, 2013
71M Americans eligible for one free service of Obamacare, health officials say
Health officials on Monday said President Obama's health care law deserves credit for making 71 million Americans with private health insurance eligible to receive at least one free service, such as a flu shot or mammogram, in 2011 and 2012. Published March 18, 2013
