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Articles by Tom Howell Jr.

House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wis. arrives with Health and Human Services Secretary-designate, Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga. on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2017, for a closed-door GOP strategy session. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Obamacare repeal: House conservatives demand vote

House Republicans floated legislation Thursday to start replacing Obamacare bit by bit, but some vocal conservatives said the GOP needs to speed the whole process up, saying they promised voters during last year's campaign a quick vote on repealing the health law.

February 2, 2017
From left: Republican Sens. John Cornyn of Texas, Orrin G. Hatch of Utah and Chuck Grassley of Iowa confer on Wednesday after the Judiciary Committee, after angry partisan exchanges, voted to approve the nomination of Jeff Sessions as attorney general. (Associated Press)

Cabinet battle signals Democratic resistance to Trump

Senate business ground to a halt Wednesday as Democrats and Republicans turned to hardball tactics in the fight over President Trump's Cabinet nominees, signaling the wall of opposition the administration is likely to face for the foreseeable future.

February 1, 2017
Supporters of the Affordable Care Act, who are also opponents of Colorado's GOP-led plan to undo Colorado's state-run insurance exchange, gather for a rally on the state Capitol steps in Denver, Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2017. The state GOP measure, a bill which would dismantle Connect For Health Colorado within a year, is an indication of how Republicans plan to chip away at Obamacare. If the federal health care law remains unchanged, it would force Coloradans shopping for private insurance to use the federal exchange. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)

Insurers, regulators seek clarity on ACA’s future

Key players in the U.S. health insurance market told Congress on Wednesday to tread carefully with Obamacare, saying the law hasn't worked as intended but clumsy repeal efforts could made a stressed marketplace even worse.

February 1, 2017
Health and Human Services Secretary-designate, Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., right, accompanied by Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., pauses while testifying on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2017, at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Finance Committee. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Senate GOP suspends rules, advances Donald Trump picks without Democrats

Republicans who lead a key Senate panel suspended their own rules Wednesday and advanced President Trump's picks to lead the Treasury and Health and Human Services departments unilaterally, saying they had no choice after Democrats boycotted committee votes for a second day in a row.

February 1, 2017
Steve Mnuchin has seen his confirmation for Treasury Secretary stalled due to tactics led by Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer and other members of the Democratic Party. (Associated Press)

Democrats stall Trump Cabinet picks with boycott, panel shutdown

Democrats launched an all-out assault Tuesday on President Trump's Cabinet picks, boycotting one committee to block the health and treasury nominees and using arcane rules to force another panel to shut down before it could vote on attorney general nominee Sen. Jeff Sessions.

January 31, 2017
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, center, accompanied by, from left, Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.Y. and Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., speaks in the hallway on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2017, to discuss opposition to Human Services Secretary-designate, Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) **FILE**

Democrats boycott markup of key Trump picks

Senate Democrats on Tuesday boycotted a critical markup of President Donald Trump's nominations to lead the Treasury and Health and Human Services departments, leaving a senior GOP leader aghast and saying there is "no excuse" for "this type of crap."

January 31, 2017
The HealthCare.gov website is still up and running, days after congressional Republicans imposed a deadline to begin their promised Obamacare repeal. (Associated Press) ** FILE **

Obamacare final open enrollment period closing

Obamacare entered its final hours of open enrollment — perhaps its last ever — under a cloud of uncertainty this week, as President Trump did little to prop up the program he's now tasked with administering.

January 30, 2017
House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin and others listen as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington on Dec. 8, 2016. (Associated Press) **FILE**

GOP leaders eye health care, tax overhaul by August recess

Congressional Republicans leaders outlined an aggressive agenda Thursday for the first 200 days of their partnership with President Trump, pledging to overhaul the U.S. health care and tax systems while looking for up to $15 billion to pay for Mr. Trump's border wall with Mexico.

January 26, 2017
President Obama had a cadre of appointees who relied on Democratic opposition research to push Trump collusion claims into the public domain. They also leaked sensitive material to news media, some of it grossly misleading, according to a congressional investigative report. (Associated Press/File)

Obamacare helped those in deep-red states: Study

Poor adults in red states that expanded Medicaid under Obamacare were twice as likely to say the law had helped them than harmed them, according to a study released Wednesday that underscores the challenge before Republicans who want to revamp the program as part of their repeal-and-replace strategy.

January 25, 2017
Senate Foreign Relations Committee member Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky. listens at right as Secretary of State-designate Rex Tillerson testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017, during his confirmation hearing before the committee. (Associated Press) **FILE**

Rand Paul files Obamacare alternative

Sen. Rand Paul said Wednesday he filed legislation that would replace Obamacare with a plan that lets Americans shop for insurance across state lines and use tax credits to save for care and prescription drugs.

January 25, 2017
Health and Human Services Secretary-designate Rep. Tom Price faced tough questions on Capitol Hill by senators concerned over abortion restrictions. (Associated Press)

Trump moves to end Obama’s cost-free birth control mandate

The Trump administration will have to make quick decisions about Obamacare's mandate of cost-free birth control, facing looming legal and political deadlines that will determine just how much flexibility the new president wants to give on the thorny issue.

January 23, 2017