Tom Howell Jr.

Michael McCaul: D.C. airspace vulnerable to small aircraft, drones

Rep. Michael McCaul says last week's gyrocopter incident at the U.S. Capitol exposed a security threat.

April 19, 2015

Bernie Sanders says he would seek victory, not just soap box, in presidential run

Sen. Bernie Sanders says he would run to win the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination, and not just aim to orate about income inequality.

April 19, 2015

Lindsey Graham readying for presidential run as a problem solver

Sen. Lindsey Graham says there's a "91 percent" chance he will seek the Republican nomination in 2016.

April 19, 2015

David Vitter wants to subpoena D.C. exchange; Move ratchets up Obamacare fight

Republican Sen. David Vitter will ask his Senate committee next week to authorize a subpoena against the D.C. health exchange, turning up the heat in his lengthy quest to find out who allowed Congress to use the city's small-business Obamacare portal.

April 17, 2015

Rick Scott: Obama administration acting like ‘Sopranos’ mobsters over health care

Florida Gov. Rick Scott has compared the Obama administration to HBO's "Sopranos" mob family, saying he's being strong-armed into expanding Medicaid under Obamacare because the feds want to phase out the low-income health program that he prefers.

April 17, 2015

Calif. says measles outbreak linked to Disneyland is officially over

California officials said Friday the measles outbreak that disease investigators traced to Disneyland is officially over.

April 17, 2015

Teen smoking fell as e-cigarette use boomed: CDC

Teenage use of e-cigarettes tripled from 2013 to 2014, according to a government study released Thursday that says use of electronic butts among middle and high school students now outpaces conventional cigarettes or any other tobacco product.

April 16, 2015

Rick Scott to sue Obama administration over Medicaid fight

Florida Gov. Rick Scott says he is suing the Obama administration for withholding hospital funds because the state won't expand Medicaid.

April 16, 2015

Obamacare’s birth control rules unevenly implemented by insurers: study

Some insurers are requiring women to pay all of the costs of their contraceptive drugs even though Obamacare requires birth control to be provided free of charge, according to a study released Thursday that blames vague federal guidelines for the uneven implementation.

April 16, 2015

Senate votes to negotiate final, GOP-driven budget with House

The Republican-led Senate voted Wednesday to enter final budget talks with allies in the House, clearing the way for a plan that seeks balance within a decade while cuing up a coveted path to repealing Obamacare.

April 15, 2015

IRS’s John Koskinen on Tax Day: 120M have filed so far

IRS Commissioner John Koskinen told Congress Wednesday that Obamacare's first dance with tax season has gone relatively smoothly and will only get better in coming years, despite horror stories about erroneous forms, surprisingly high tax penalties and faulty income estimates that forced some to pay back health-exchange subsidies.

April 15, 2015

John Boehner picks five House members to negotiate budget deal with Senate

House Speaker John A. Boehner asked five Republican members Tuesday to hammer out a final budget with the Senate this month, a key priority for Republicans who want to present a balanced-budget plan and win a coveted path to repealing Obamacare.

April 14, 2015

Senate passes Medicare overhaul, ending ‘doc fix’ ritual

The Senate rallied late Tuesday to pass a landmark Medicare overhaul that locks in doctors' rates while requiring wealthier seniors to pay more, erasing an awkward ritual in which Congress ignored scheduled provider cuts each year without funding a permanent fix.

April 14, 2015