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Articles by Tom Howell Jr.

Resolution on contraceptive coverage getting closer for religious employers

Religiously devout employers who object to insuring contraceptives for their employees under President Obama's new health care law are closer to resolving — either through compromise or through the courts — their long-standing fight with the Obama administration under the banner of religious freedom.

July 22, 2013
Sen. Orrin G. Hatch, Utah Republican, is trying to work with labor unions “to provide relief from the law to all Americans and ensure that the law will no longer threaten access to insurance, increase costs.” (Associated Press)

Disillusionment of Obamacare shifts unions’ political alliances to GOP

Discord over President Obama's health care law is forging strange alliances, with top Republicans reaching out to union bosses who helped Democrats muscle the legislation through Congress three years ago but now say the reforms will "destroy the very health and well-being of our members."

July 21, 2013
Sen. John Barrasso foresees mounting labor opposition to President Obama’s health care law and an “outcry” if a deal is cut to accommodate unions. (Associated Press)

Obama’s health care law shifts big unions’ political alliances to GOP

Discord over President Obama's health care law is forging strange alliances, with top Republicans reaching out to union bosses who helped Democrats muscle the legislation through Congress three years ago but now say the reforms will "destroy the very health and well-being of our members."

July 21, 2013
** FILE ** President Obama speaks in the East Room of the White House in Washington on Friday, June 28, 2012. (Associated Press)

GOP sees Democrats wavering on health insurance

The House's vote this week to delay both the employer and individual mandates exposed the cracks in Democrats' unity behind the health care law and provided Republicans a springboard to keep the pressure on both the Senate and President Obama ahead of next year's elections.

July 18, 2013
** FILE ** Rep. Pete Sessions, Texas Republican (Associated Press)

Health care votes will force House Democrats to choose

The House is set to vote Wednesday on bills that delay mandates in the new health care law requiring individuals and large employers to have health coverage plans, forcing Democrats to align themselves with their party leader, President Obama, or distance themselves from his contentious reforms.

July 17, 2013
Rep. Jim McDermott, Washington Democrat

‘Evolving’ evidence led to health law delays: Treasury official

A Treasury Department official in charge of health policy said Wednesday the Obama administration's decision to delay the health care law's "employer mandate" was made "sometime in June" but had been considered for some time in coordination with the White House

July 17, 2013
Credit: U.S. Marine Corps

More security resources needed post-Benghazi: State Department

State Department officials said Tuesday they could use extra help to strengthen embassy security, but they said it's unclear whether measures being proposed by senators would have prevented last year's attack in Benghazi, Libya, that killed four Americans.

July 16, 2013

Some will need help with health law from ‘navigators’

President Obama's health care law will be available in Spanish and other languages, according to new rules the administration issued late last week that tell the "navigators," who are supposed to help Americans negotiate the labyrinthian law, to be prepared to help non-English speakers.

July 15, 2013
Sen. Ted Cruz

Senate GOP files bill to defund Obamacare

Rising stars in the Republican Party pushed Congress on Thursday to strip all funding from President Obama's health care law, even as Senate Democrats struck down piecemeal efforts to kill the law's most controversial mandates.

July 11, 2013
** FILE ** Rep. Paul Ryan, Wisconsin Republican

Democrats caught off guard on employer mandate delay, now blame GOP

President Obama's decision to delay part of his health care law left fellow Democrats flat-footed, but they have since regrouped and are now blaming Republicans for the situation, saying the GOP poisoned the law so badly that the administration had no choice.

July 10, 2013
**FILE** Sen. Rand Paul, Kentucky Republican (Associated Press)

Sen. Rand Paul threatens to block nominee, again, over drones

Sen. Rand Paul is threatening to block James Comey's nomination to lead the FBI if he does not get answers on the use of drones within the U.S. borders, just four months after his 13-hour filibuster of President Obama's pick to lead the CIA.

July 10, 2013

GOP: Health law delay shows Obama sided with business over people

House Republicans said Tuesday that President Obama sided with big business over average Americans when he gave large employers a one-year exemption to compliance with his health care overhaul, and staffers said the GOP is planning a series of votes that would force Democrats to align themselves with the embattled law.

July 9, 2013

Administration uses employer mandate delay to swat at court challenges

The Obama administration is using last week's delay of the health care law's employer mandate to try to get some of the legal challenges to the Affordable Care Act thrown out of court, arguing that with the changes, it's no longer clear what the final policy will look like so businesses shouldn't sue yet.

July 8, 2013