RALEIGH, N.C. — U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge, D-N.C., announced Friday that he will support health care reform, saying he believes it will "save lives and save money."

"The working families of the 2nd District need solutions, not more fear, neither the real fears of rising cost nor the false fears spread by special interests. We cannot continue to allow the current system to kill jobs and bust the budgets of our families and our nation," he said in a statement on his Web site.

Twenty-two Democrats have already said they plan to vote against the reform bill, including three from North Carolina – 7th District Congressman Mike McIntyre, 8th District Congressman Larry Kissell and 11th District Congressman Heath Shuler.

"This is the best chance we have to reduce sky-rocketing health care cost for North Carolina families," Etheridge said.

Etheridge voted for health reform last fall.

Obama has traveled to Pennsylvania, Missouri and Ohio in recent weeks to drum up grassroots support for the bill.