The Timing Of Healthcare Legislation

The Hill is reporting today that Harry Reid has cancelled the Senate's Columbus Day recess so that healthcare legislation can be passed during the week of October 12th.  The Heritage Foundation Blog is reporting:

"Senate Majority Leader Reid has stated an intention to take the HELP Committee product and merge it with the Senate Finance Committee markup that is expected to be over by this Thursday or Friday. Their plan is to proceed to a House passed non-health care bill to provide a shell of legislation to give Obamacare a ride to the House and then straight to the President's desk."

The Hill reports:

"The pressure on Democrats to pass healthcare reform, however, has raised the stakes. Some Senate aides speculated that Reid did not want to give conservative activists a chance to stall progress by staging a second round of angry demonstrations during townhall-style meetings over the recess."

Michael Moore has threatened any Democrats who do not support the healthcare reform with primary opponents and defeat in their next run for the Senate.

The current healthcare proposals are not popular.  They are particularly not popular among senior citizens.  Senior citizens vote in higher percentages than other voting blocs.  I suspect many Democrats are beginning to wonder if passing healthcare reform will cost them their Senate seats.