VA-11 News on Healthcare Repeal

Fimian, Herrity sign on to health care repeal pledges
By: William C. Flook

The two Virginia Republicans seeking to challenge 11th District Rep. Gerry Connolly have signed a pledge vowing to repeal the federal health care overhaul, further cementing the nearly $1 trillion initiative as the central issue in the June primary.
Both candidates already had denounced the legislation, which Connolly backed. Pat Herrity, a Fairfax County supervisor, labeled the Democratic incumbent "Gerry Pelosi" and announced he would "work tirelessly to repeal this bill." Keith Fimian, a businessman who ran against Connolly in 2008, charged the changes would "devastate the best health care system in the world."

But putting their names on a repeal pledge represents an irreversible promise to conservatives -- and other opponents of the health care overhaul -- who will decide the GOP nominee. And it signals that both Herrity and Fimian are putting great stock in public unease over remaking the nation's health care system.

"The two biggest problems we have are out-of-control spending and our failure to create jobs and get the economy back on track," Herrity said. "And this bill makes those two problems worse, and adds a whole new one in terms of threatening our quality of health care."

Read more at the Washington Examiner: