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Articles by Tom Howell Jr.

Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell fired a major shot Thursday, taking to the chamber floor to say the rules amount to a declaration of war on free speech and vowing the GOP will try to block them. 
 "Every American needs to know about this abuse of power," said Mr. McConnell, Kentucky Republican. "Let me be clear: What the administration is proposing poses a grave threat to the ability of ordinary Americans to freely participate in the Democratic process."

Repealing employer mandate won’t cripple Obamacare, study finds

A new study says scrapping one of Obamacare's most controversial aspects — the employer mandate — would not leave significantly more Americans without health insurance, despite the political fervor that surrounds any attempt to strip down the signature overhaul.

May 11, 2014
Sylvia Mathews Burwell, President Barack Obama’s nominee to become secretary of Health and Human Services, appears before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee for her confirmation hearing, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, May 8, 2014. Burwell has found favor with both Republicans and Democrats in her current role as the head of the Office of Management and Budget and would replace Kathleen Sebelius who resigned last month after presiding over the Affordable Care Act and its problematic rollout. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Burwell grilled, but unscathed, in confirmation hearing

Sylvia Mathews Burwell, President Obama's pick to be the new Health and Human Services secretary, survived her first round of grilling Thursday on Capitol Hill, staving off GOP lawmakers' concerns about the health of Obamacare and vowing to help states that want to expand their Medicaid programs on their own terms.

May 8, 2014
Thom Tillis speaks to supporters at a election night rally in Charlotte, N.C., after winning the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate Tuesday, May 6, 2014. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

GOP support for tea party wing is declining, Gallup poll says

A new poll finds only one in four Republicans or right-leaning independents consider themselves supporters of the tea party, offering another sign the wing's influence is waning after it failed to make inroads during this week's GOP primaries.

May 8, 2014
**FILE** Sen. Chris Murphy, Connecticut Democrat, speaks Sept. 4, 2013, with reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Associated Press)

Congressional Dems to GOP: The Obamacare fight is over

Congressional Democrats on Wednesday called on their GOP counterparts to end their assault on Obamacare, saying sign-ups totaling 8 million and stories from back home show the war is lost and that it's time to move on.

May 7, 2014