Three of the six Democrats in Virginia’s U.S. House delegation remain undecided heading into this weekend’s pivotal vote on President Barack Obama’s 10-year, $1.2 trillion health-care overhaul. A fourth, Rep. Gerald E. Connolly, D-11th, wants to listen to the debate but is leaning toward supporting the bill, his spokesman said. The Virginians conferred with constituents yesterday as House Democratic leaders acknowledged that they don’t yet have the 218 votes they need to pass the health-care package. House Democrats signaled that they might delay the vote until tomorrow or early next week.

Mark R. Warner took the oath of office as Virginia’s new U.S. senator yesterday, saying he hopes to help steer the country through even tougher economic challenges than Virginia faced when he became governor in 2002. Warner succeeds Republican John W. Warner, who retired after 30 years in the Senate. John Warner and Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., walked Mark Warner down the aisle of the Senate chamber to be sworn in by Vice President Dick Cheney.