Perriello says he'll vote yes on health reform

One of Virginia’s four fence-sitting Democrats, Rep. Tom Perriello, D-Ivy, took a side Friday, landing in support of President Barack Obama’s health care reform package.

“At the end of the day, it comes down to the dollars and cents at the kitchen table,” the embattled freshman said.

But as heavy lobbying on both sides of the issue jammed congressional phone lines and overloaded e-mail inboxes, Reps. Glenn Nye, D-2nd; Rick Boucher, D-9th; and Gerry E. Connolly, D-11th, hadn’t made up their minds as of Friday.

Less than two days before the anticipated House vote on the $940 billion bill, things are bound to get pointy for straddling Democrats, a number of whom face tough re-election battles in the fall.

Democratic National Committee Chairman Timothy M. Kaine, the former Virginia governor, upped the ante while trolling for support for the president in Charlotte.

“We’re definitely trying to show all of our Democratic congressmen, ‘Stand with us and we’re going to stand with you,’” Kaine said.

The remaining two Virginia Democrats, Reps. Robert C. Scott, D-3rd, and James P. Moran, D-8th, previously declared their intention to support the bill. Virginia’s five Republican congressmen all oppose the Senate bill, scheduled for a vote Sunday.

Perriello said he would vote yes on the measure provided there was written agreement from 50 senators that “backroom deals” carved out for Louisiana and Nebraska would not be reinserted into the legislation.

He said a family of four making $60,000 a year would save $1,000 to $2,000, small businesses could save 7 percent to 10 percent in insurance costs to cover employees and reforms would help keep rural hospitals and physician practices open, preserving federal reimbursements.

“Doing nothing is the surest way to ensure we’re moving in the wrong direction,” said Perriello, who has stood with the president on other issues such as cap-and-trade legislation and stimulus funding.

Ahead of his conference call with reporters Friday, several major hospitals in his district endorsed the legislation and a Catholic organization said it was satisfied that the bill contains no federal funding for abortion services.

Undecided Virginia Democrats refused to tip their hands, saying they were still sorting through the legislation. Last November, Perriello and Connolly backed the House version of health-care legislation, while Nye and Boucher voted no.

“Congressman Nye takes very seriously his responsibility to read bills before voting on them, and he is currently reviewing the latest draft of the legislation,” said Clark Pettig, spokesman for Nye. The congressman “has serious concerns about the Senate-passed version of the bill, but he wants to thoroughly read and review the final bill text before making his decision,” Pettig said.

“Congressman Boucher is reviewing the bill carefully — the draft was only made available yesterday afternoon,” said his spokeswoman, Courtney Lamie.

A spokesman said Connolly was going through the revised bill “point by point.”

“He’s reviewing the pros and cons,” said spokesman George Burke. “He wants to make sure he is satisfied that the current legislation before him is in the best interests of the 11th District and of the nation.”

Republican leaders on Friday renewed their opposition to the bill.

“Like most Americans, Virginians prefer a step-by-step approach that builds upon what works in our current health-care system while lowering costs and increasing access to coverage,” said Rep. Eric I. Cantor, the House Minority Whip who represents Virginia’s 7th District.

“The people of our commonwealth want common-sense health-care reform, not an overhaul that will increase costs for small businesses, raise taxes on families, cut Medicare for our seniors and increase premiums for many Virginians.”

Jim Nolan reports for the Richmond Times-Dispatch.