Who Runs Gov

Senator Harry Reid is so determined to get health care passed before Congress adjourns on recess in August that he’s contemplating the unthinkable, his spokesperson tells me: Making Senators work on weekends.

The terror-inducing warning from Reid’s office comes after Roll Call reported today that the current hopes for getting health care through the Senate before August are “all but dead,” meaning Congress’ chances of getting a bill to President Obama’s desk by October 15th are grim.

As Congressional insiders know, the delay is looming because of the thorny task of getting the Senate HELP and Finance committees to merge their two versions of the bill. The problem: The Finance committee hasn’t even started “mark up,” in which individual Senators slice and dice the legislation, potentially putting off final Senate debate on the bill until after August — and giving reform opponents more time to sow doubts.

Reid, however, is so dead set against a delay that he’s considering imposing the draconian demand that Senators work longer than five days a week — in summer, no less!

“Reid is determined for there to be a health care bill in July, even if it means Senators have to work on weekends,” Reid spokesperson Rodell Mollineau tells me.

If that doesn’t light a fire under Senatorial posteriors, nothing will.

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