Virginia Democrats Try To Salvage Health Care Reform

By Alex Keefe

Virginia senators say Democrats will need to make some big changes if they plan to pass a health care bill any time soon.

Democratic leaders have been meeting all week to work out what happens next with health care. It took months of negotiations to pass the Senate bill, and Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) says Congress could have used some more direction from the White House.

"Instead we had a piece of legislation that boiled up through five different congressional committees," says Webb. "It caused a lot of confusion in the country, so the concern that I have had has been for a long time and I think having the votes that we have taken, we need to respect the process and concern of our voters."

Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) says losing a seat in Massachusetts should send a message to his party.

"There needs to be a recognition that, no matter what the substance of the health care bill includes, that folks don't feel that it's gonna be moving in a right direction," he says.

Democrats may get some direction from President Obama's State of the Union next week.