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ROCKY MOUNT -- In the final week of Congress' August recess, 5th District Rep. Tom Perriello still doesn't see himself voting for the proposed health care reform bill as it currently stands before the House of Representatives.

"I really, really want to get to a 'yes' vote," he told a crowd in Franklin County on Saturday. "I'm really unhappy with the status quo."

Perriello, D-Albemarle County, continued his series of town hall meetings in the district, answering questions and listening to concerns at The Franklin Center.

More than 400 people attended the congressman's 20th town hall meeting, passionately stating their views but remaining civil to the congressman and one another.

One topic of concern expressed by some of the speakers was tort reform, changing the rules for malpractice lawsuits.

Perriello said he supports tort reform because the cost of litigation, malpractice insurance and defensive medicine all increase the cost of health care for individuals. But the fight will be a hard one because of the lobbying power of trial lawyers, he said.

"So the government can get on doctors for what they charge but not get on lawyers for what they charge?" said Mary Martin of Martinsville. "That's despicable."

Martin took Perriello to task on some of his votes in the House, including the cap-and-trade bill that he supported. She reminded him that everyone was watching his vote on the health care proposal.

"Are you going to be a leader or are you going to be a follower?" she said.

"I hope you'll be a leader. Your vote on H.R. 3200 [the health reform bill] will determine whether you're safe or whether you're out," she said.

Other speakers complained about the language and length of the bill, which is more than 1,000 pages long. Perriello said he has read all three versions of the bill and agrees that the way bills are written is a problem.

"It creates a distance between people and their government," he said.

More often than not, attendees had comments and stories rather than questions for Perriello. Some shared stories about trying to take care of a family member while battling with their insurance companies, and some business owners explained how they can't afford health care for their employees.

The congressman said he hears stories every day about families struggling with health care costs.

Thoughts on health care around the district vary, Perriello said. Some residents are focused strictly on the government takeover aspect, while others are simply worried about costs. There are groups that feel compassion for the uninsured and just want to see help for those struggling, while others are interested in corporate accountability for private insurance companies, he said.

"I want to hear from as many people as I can," Perriello said, acknowledging that some groups will be unhappy with his decision, no matter what it is.

Perriello's last town hall meeting in this series will be held Monday in Appomattox County.