Tom Howell Jr.

Capitol Hill is skeptical, yet hopeful, as diplomatic solution to Syria emerges

Sen. John McCain said Tuesday "there's ample reason to be skeptical" about an emerging plan to compel Syria to surrender its chemical weapons to international control to avert a U.S. military strike.

September 10, 2013

GOP Sen. John Thune files bill to thwart Obamacare deal for unions

Sen. John Thune introduced a bill Monday that would thwart the White House from softening the impact of the new health care law on unions, a traditional set of White House allies who are rethinking their support for the controversial reforms.

September 9, 2013

Blunt, Alexander, Heitkamp join growing ranks of anti-war senators

Republican Sens. Roy Blunt of Missouri and Lamar Alexander of Tennessee said Monday they are opposed to military action in Syria, adding to an ever-increasing tally of senators who will not back President Obama's bid to punish President Bashar Assad for a chemical attack on Aug. 21.

September 9, 2013

Syrian President Bashar Assad: There’s no evidence I used chemical weapons

Syrian President Bashar Assad said Monday that Americans that they should "expect everything" in response to a U.S. military strike on his country, a declaration that many viewed as a chilling sign his regime could rely on allies like Iran and Hezbollah and does not feel hamstrung by its own limitations.

September 9, 2013

More than half of Americans say no to military action in Syria, polls show

Americans don't want President Obama to unleash missile attacks — even if Congress give the White House the green light, a pair of new polls found.

September 9, 2013

Obama pressed on Ariz. fatal-fire relief

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer and federal lawmakers are pressuring the Obama administration to reconsider its decision not to grant major-disaster aid to residents affected by the Yarnell Hill Fire, an early summer tragedy that killed 19 firefighters and prompted nationwide mourning.

September 8, 2013

GOP-backed delay to Obamacare would save $35 billion, report says

Congressional auditors said Friday the House-passed bill to delay by one year the individual mandate at the heart of President Obama's new health care law would reduce federal deficits by about $35 billion over the next decade.

September 6, 2013

Minnesota boasts of low coverage costs under Obamacare

Minnesota's insurance officials said Friday the state will offer some the lowest health insurance rates in the country on the state health exchange it will launch this fall to satisfy a key pillar of President Obama's new health care law.

September 6, 2013

Low-cost insurance could lead to high medical bills

Health insurance plans in Obamacare's state exchanges will cost less than initially projected, according to a study released Thursday that the administration and its allies said is proof that the law is working as intended.

September 5, 2013

Obamacare ‘employer mandate’ streamlined by Treasury, but delay stays

The Treasury Department proposed regulations on Thursday to implement reporting requirements for insurers and larger firms subject to the new health care law's "employer mandate," a controversial provision the White House quietly delayed for one year.

September 5, 2013

American Indians need more Obamacare benefits education, says GAO

Government investigators say more than half of Americans Indians and Alaskan Natives — "hundreds of thousands" of them — will be eligible for benefits tied to Obamacare, but federal officials are not doing enough to link them with coverage options that kick in next year.

September 5, 2013

Republicans question cost of Obamacare price break for unions

Anticipating a move by the White House to appease unions, top House Republicans asked Congress' auditors to estimate how much it would cost to provide Obamacare subsidies to workers who use multi-employer health plans.

September 5, 2013

Many will not get Obamacare benefits in states resisting Medicaid push: study

Two in five adults who were uninsured at some point in the past two years and live in states that opted not to expand their Medicaid enrollment under President Obama's health care overhaul will not be able to take advantage of new coverage options under the sweeping law, according to a new study.

September 5, 2013

Bill Clinton calls on Obamacare detractors to make the law work

Former President Bill Clinton on Wednesday called on Obamacare's opponents to embrace the new health care law, arguing Americans cannot tolerate from "now to eternity" a broken health care system that lags behind those of other rich nations.

September 4, 2013

Lawmakers demand Capitol Hill not be shielded from Obamacare

A quartet of Republican lawmakers on Tuesday accused the Obama administration of taking steps to "shield Washington insiders" from financial impacts of the new health care law and said it should reconsider its approach.

September 3, 2013

Obamacare foes claim 1 million signatures for defunding

The Senate Conservatives Fund and outspoken Republican lawmakers boasted Tuesday that more than one million people have signed an online petition that calls on Congress to strip funding from President Obama's health care law.

September 3, 2013

GOP wants decision overturned on taxpayer subsidies for Obamacare for Congress, staff

A growing chorus of Republican lawmakers is calling on the Obama administration to reverse its decision to let members of Congress and their staffs use taxpayer money to buy insurance under the new health care law, setting up a politically touchy debate as more of the law takes effect.

September 1, 2013