Tom Howell Jr.

Health care groups, Chamber of Commerce urge Donald Trump to extend Obamacare payments

Health care groups implored President Trump Wednesday to preserve Obamacare payments that are critical to the stability of the insurance market, as Republicans struggle to plot out their next steps on health reform.

April 12, 2017

Zika fears return with warm weather

Rising U.S. temperatures are forcing federal and state officials to gird for yet another bout with Zika, the mosquito-borne disease that triggered unprecedented travel warnings to pregnant women and sent sales of bug-repellent soaring before fading from view over the winter.

April 11, 2017

Congress’ two-week recess inspires outside political groups to buy attack ads

Republican leaders say Congress' two-week recess offers a "cooling-off" period for GOP lawmakers who've failed to coalesce around a plan to repeal and replace Obamacare, but outside groups are dialing up the heat with ad buys and talking points before they can even unpack their bags.

April 10, 2017

Club for Growth targets 10 GOP centrists in anti-Obamacare campaign

The Club for Growth said Monday it will spend $1 million on ads prodding centrist Republicans to rally behind a White House plan that would allow states to waive parts of Obamacare that have been blamed for rising premiums.

April 10, 2017

Opioid policy unites Democrats, Republicans on Capitol Hill

Extreme partisanship is rampant on Capitol Hill, but a glimmer of hope for cooperation is emerging from a dark place -- the prescription painkiller and heroin crisis that's ravaging the country.

April 9, 2017

Revised Obamacare repeal bill aims to unite more Republicans

House Republican leaders revived their Obamacare repeal bill Thursday, modifying the plan to earn the support of wary conservatives and setting the table for a showdown when Congress returns from a two-week spring break.

April 6, 2017

Paul Ryan insists GOP is making progress on health care before recess

House Speaker Paul D. Ryan insisted Thursday the GOP is making "real progress" in rallying around an Obamacare replacement plan, citing a proposed change that would subsidize the costs of sicker consumers so that insurers can drive down costs for healthier ones.

April 6, 2017

Rob Portman urges Donald Trump to address synthetic opioids in meeting with Chinese leader

Sen. Rob Portman is urging President Trump to use an upcoming summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping to highlight the steady and deadly flow of powerful synthetic opioids from clandestine labs in Asia to the U.S.

April 5, 2017

Paul Ryan downplays odds of quick action on health care

House Speaker Paul D. Ryan said Wednesday he's hopeful that Republicans can rally around a health care bill, but he's not willing to place odds on their chances of success or a timetable for getting it done, after the first try failed in spectacular fashion.

April 5, 2017

Nikki Haley blasts Syria, Russia directly in address to U.N.

Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, blasted Syrian President Bashar Assad and his Russian and Iranian allies Wednesday in an impassioned and direct speech before the U.N. Security Council.

April 5, 2017

WHO registers alarm over pattern of toxic chemical attacks in Syria

The World Health Organization registered its alarm Wednesday over the apparent use of toxic chemicals in a Syrian attack that killed at least 70 people, saying it's part of a disturbing pattern and taxing hospital capacity in the region.

April 5, 2017

House Democrats try to force vote on bill to pry loose Trump’s tax returns

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and her Democratic troops said Wednesday they want to force a floor vote on legislation requiring President Trump, future presidents and their nominees to disclose their tax returns.

April 5, 2017

Hillary Clinton won’t return to family foundation after election loss: report

Former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton is unlikely to return to the Clinton Foundation, according to a report in The Hill.

April 5, 2017

Adam Kinzinger: Strikes are needed to force diplomatic end to Syrian conflict

Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois said Wednesday the U.S. and international community must deliver targeted strikes against Syrian President Bashar Assad to force a diplomatic solution to the country's horrific civil war.

April 5, 2017

Majority supports Obamacare for first time: Gallup poll

More than half of Americans support Obamacare, according to a Gallup poll taken amid floundering Republican efforts to scrap the law after seven years of promising a replacement.

April 5, 2017

Joaquin Castro flatly predicts Trump aides will ‘end up in jail’ after Russia probe

A House Democrat is openly predicting that some of President Trump's allies will "end up in jail" once the investigation into the campaign's alleged ties with Russia runs its course.

April 5, 2017

Russia offers alternate theory for Syrian attack, says regime hit chemical munitions depot

Russia's defense ministry is offering an alternate explanation Wednesday for the deadly gas attack that killed dozens in Syria -- the regime struck a large "terrorist" depot that produced chemical warfare munitions.

April 5, 2017

Zika caused birth defects in 10 percent of infected pregnant women: CDC

Zika spawned a 10 percent birth defect rate in infected pregnant women in the U.S. last year, the government said in a new study Tuesday that shed light on the risks of the mosquito-borne scourge.

April 4, 2017

Susan Rice insists she did not use intelligence for political gain

Former National Security Adviser Susan E. Rice said Tuesday the notion she used her powers to unmask members of the Trump campaign or transition for political purposes is "absolutely false."

April 4, 2017

Paul Ryan: Revived health care talks still in ‘conceptual stage’

House Speaker Paul D. Ryan said Tuesday his GOP troops are having constructive talks on reviving the stalled effort to repeal and replace Obamacare, though cautioned they were still in the "conceptual" stage and hadn't reached an agreement on the thorny issue.

April 4, 2017