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Articles by Tom Howell Jr.

Constituents respond as Rep. Rod Blum, Iowa Republican, tries to reassure them about health care. (Associated Press/File)

Obamacare exchanges squeeze lawmakers for quick fix

With Obamacare still the law of the land, Republicans and Democrats are searching for quick fixes that will help Americans who live in parts of the country that insurers have forsaken, saying they just can't make money under the strictures of the 2010 health care law.

May 21, 2017
Ivanka Trump hosts a meeting on human trafficking with congressional leaders, Wednesday, May 17, 2017, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Democrats pressure Trump family over health care

Six women from the House Democratic caucus on Thursday invited Ivanka Trump to a "constructive discussion" on women's health, as her father weighs pivotal moves on birth control and cheers on legislation that would defund Planned Parenthood.

May 18, 2017
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, speaks at the Economic Club of Washington on various topics including the Zika virus in Washington on Jan. 29, 2016. (Associated Press) **FILE**

National Institutes of Health lobbies Congress to maintain funding

House lawmakers signaled Wednesday that President Trump's proposed budget cuts to the National Institutes of Health will never see the light of day, saying the loss of funds would derail life-saving work and induce budget-busting medical costs down the road.

May 17, 2017
"It is premature to come to a conclusion based on media reports built on anonymous sources," said Sen. Ted Cruz, Texas Republican, said about reports that President Trump shared top-secret security information with Russia Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. (Associated Press/File)

Donald Trump’s drama a Republican distraction

Republicans said they would prefer less drama from the White House but generally reserved judgment on reports of President Trump's sharing of potentially classified information. They said they weren't sure how to sort out accusations by anonymous sources in news articles.

May 16, 2017
President Donald Trump walks back to the White House in Washington after escorting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to his vehicle following Erdogan's visit, Tuesday, May 16, 2017. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

GOP lawmakers hold fire against Trump — at least for now

Republicans said they'd prefer less "drama" coming from the White House, but generally reserved judgment on the latest reports on President Trump's sharing of potentially classified information, saying they weren't sure how to sort out accusations by anonymous sources in news articles.

May 16, 2017
President Donald Trump speaks during the 36th annual National Peace Officers Memorial Service, Monday, May 15, 2017, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Trump cancels small-business enrollment on HealthCare.gov

Obamacare's small business outreach has been such a flop that the Trump administration announced Monday it was nixing part of the federal HealthCare.gov website aimed at helping those companies enroll in the health law.

May 15, 2017
In this March 24, 2017, file photo, President Donald Trump with Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price are seen in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)

Koch-aligned group uses Obamacare rates to cheer repeal

A Koch brothers-aligned group launched an ad campaign Monday highlighting the potential for yet another round of rate hikes on the Obamacare exchanges next year, hoping to spur the GOP's effort to repeal the program.

May 15, 2017
"In past years, the budget has only been a vision, but now, with the Republican Congress and a Republican White House, this budget is a plan for action," said Rep. Diane Black, Tennessee Republican. (Associated Press/File)

Diane Black, House budget chair, eyes more changes to Medicaid

House Budget Committee Chairman Diane Black on Monday called the House GOP health care bill a "good start" but said she wants to overhaul Medicaid, the government insurance program for the poor, even further in the Republican budget for the coming year.

May 15, 2017
Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, New York Democrat, displays a letter to Republicans about health care while speaking to the media last week We didn't lay out our exact specific plan," Mr. Schumer told reporters. "We laid out where we want to go." (Associated Press)

Democrats lack clear health care plan

For six years, Democrats taunted Republicans for holding dozens of votes to repeal Obamacare without rallying around a legislative alternative, while Republicans saw little need to craft and vote on a plan that President Obama would kill with his veto pen.

May 14, 2017
Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, a doctor and former congressman, testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington on March 29, 2017, before a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing to outline the Trump administration's proposals to trim the HHS budget. (Associated Press) **FILE**

Tom Price, HHS secretary, predicts Senate health vote by summer

Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price said Friday he thinks the Senate will pass its Obamacare replacement bill this summer, even though leading Republicans have refused to commit themselves to a firm timeline, saying they'll get it done before the end of the year.

May 12, 2017
Dr. Scott Gottlieb, President Donald Trump's nominee to head the Food and Drug Administration, appears at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, April 5, 2017. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Trump FDA pick Scott Gottlieb confirmed by Senate in 57-42 vote

The Senate on Tuesday confirmed Dr. Scott Gottlieb, President Trump's pick to oversee the Food and Drug Administration, as every voting Republican and a handful of supportive Democrats overpowered critics who said he wouldn't serve as an adequate check on drug companies in the midst of a national opioid crisis.

May 9, 2017