The Hill News

A 40-year-old Tennessee man will go on trial Nov. 15 for allegedly threatening to burn down the home of Democratic Rep. John Boccieri (Ohio) during the debate over healthcare reform.

The Associated Press reported Friday that a federal judge set up the mid-November trial for James Schmidlin, who threatened the congressman over the phone in early March. Schmidlin was charged in early October and later pleaded not guilty. He faces up to 10 years in prison.

Boccieri was one of several lawmakers from both parties to receive threats from the public during the course of the debate. Several indiv! iduals have been charged or convicted of making the threats in recent weeks.

Several weeks after authorities allege the threat was made, Boccieri released a statement saying,  "Having flown missions in and out of Iraq and Afghanistan, I know what it’s like to be in harm’s way. But I never imagined serving in Congress could feel the same."

His office, however, did not reveal the nature of the threat.

The freshman lawmaker, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan as a member of the Air Force Reserve, was one of a handful of House Democrats to switch their vote from no to yes on the healthcare legislation.