Reid: Kennedy girding for healthcare fight

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WASHINGTON, Mass., May 20 (UPI) -- Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., a year after a brain tumor was diagnosed, is eager to press ahead on healthcare reform, the Senate's Democratic leader said.

Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada said Kennedy, 77, still is undergoing chemotherapy, which "is not unusual," the Boston Globe reported Wednesday. Asked if the Massachusetts lawmaker's cancer was in remission, Reid said, "as far as I know, it is, yes."

Responding via e-mail, Reid spokesman Jim Manley clarified his boss's comments saying the majority leader "will leave the diagnosing to doctors. But he does look forward to the prospect of Senator Kennedy's return to the Senate as soon as he is able."

Kennedy has attended hearings, meetings and some other events, but has curtailed his activities and his Senate work while he recuperates, the Globe reported. He also has dropped his senior position on the Senate Judiciary Committee so he can focus on healthcare.