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Articles by Tom Howell Jr.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, walks to a room on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, March 2, 2017. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) ** FILE **

Rand Paul: Told to ‘take it or leave it’ on Obamacare strategy

Sen. Rand Paul on Friday said conservatives are being told to "take it or leave it" when it comes to the emerging House GOP plan to repeal and replace Obamacare, setting up a major clash with leaders hoping to mark up legislation as soon as next week.

March 3, 2017
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., right, and Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah return to their offices on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, March 2, 2017, after votes to confirm two of President Donald Trump's cabinet picks. Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson was confirmed as secretary of the Department of House and Urban Development on a vote of 58-41. A few hours later, the Senate backed former Texas Gov. Rick Perry to be energy secretary, 62-37. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Obamacare repeal bill gets locked away by Republicans

The Capitol Hill debate over health care shifted Thursday from what's in an Obamacare repeal bill to how it's being crafted, as Democrats and at least one Republican senator accused House Republicans of squirreling away the latest version of their plan because it falls short of party promises or amounts to "Obamacare lite."

March 2, 2017
Conservatives are far from united on a long-promised "repeal-and-replace" plan for Obamacare under President Trump, and citizens have flooded town halls to decry any Republican plans that leave them without coverage. (Associated Press)

Donald Trump Obamacare plan does not unite GOP factions

President Trump's prime-time appeal to scrap Obamacare energized Republicans but did little to bridge the divide between GOP factions jockeying for position in the push to repeal and replace the law before moving on to tax reform and other fights.

March 1, 2017
House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wis. speaks to reporters outside the White House in Washington, Monday, Feb. 27, 2017, following a meeting with President Donald Trump inside. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Paul Ryan downplays divisions over health plan

Conservatives openly rebelled Tuesday over Republican leaders' Obamacare plans, saying voters don't want Congress to replace President Obama's costly entitlement program with a massive GOP version.

February 28, 2017
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski speaks during a news conference Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2017, in Juneau, Alaska. Murkowski, a Republican and Alaska's senior U.S. senator, spoke to reporters after delivering her annual address to a joint session of the Alaska Legislature. (AP Photo/Becky Bohrer)

Lisa Murkowski won’t vote to scrap Medicaid expansion if Alaska wants it

Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski says she will not vote to repeal Obamacare's expansion of Medicaid so long as state lawmakers in Alaska want to keep it, a bold stance that underscores the challenge before GOP leaders who want to dismantle the 2010 health law and phase out its vast expansion of government insurance for the poor.

February 23, 2017
Cleone Hermsen expresses her concern at a meeting with Sen. Joni Ernst, Iowa Republican. (Associated Press)

Anti-Obamacare ads aim to boost Republicans

Republican-aligned groups poured millions of dollars into ad campaigns Wednesday urging Congress to gut and replace Obamacare, hoping to remind voters why they disliked the health care law and to stiffen spines among wavering Republicans on Capitol Hill.

February 22, 2017
House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wis. meets with reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) ** FILE **

Support for Obamacare repeal has dipped since Donald Trump took office: Poll

The share of voters who want Congress to fully or partially scrap Obamacare has dipped noticeably since January, according to a poll released Wednesday that finds zeal for repeal is waning even as President Trump and congressional Republicans craft plans to gut and replace the law with market-oriented reforms.

February 22, 2017