Local Congressmen React To Health Care Passage

By Matt Bush

Two local Congressmen who voted for the health care bill are touting its benefits. Democrat Chris Van Hollen represents Maryland's Montgomery County. He says there's plenty to like about the bill's passage.

"Thirty-two million Americans who aren't covered today will be when his bill is fully phased in," Van Hollen says. "You can be sure there will be lots of people in our community who will get benefits out of this bill."

Gerry Connolly, a Democrat who represents Northern Virginia, dismissed claims that the bill will hurt health care providers.

"Well, INOVA Healthcare, which is the largest provider in my district, endorsed this legislation. Most of the medical providers I talked to in my district welcomed health care reform as trying to, frankly, make a broken system a lot better," Connolly says.

But Virginia's General Assembly has passed legislation opposing a federal mandate requiring individuals to buy health insurance and state attorney general Ken Cuccinelli is planning to sue to stop mandates from being implemented, saying they are unconstitutional.