Rothfus to Speak at GOP Convention Monday: Will Advocate for Healthcare and Medicare Reform

By Emily Farah

A Pittsburgh area politician will have five minutes to address the delegates and the country at the Republican National Convention on Monday.

Keith Rothfus, is the Republican nominee running against U.S. Representative Mark Critz (D-PA-12) in the November election.  He admitted he's a little nervous, and that he wasn't planning on going to the convention before he was asked to speak, but said his selection is an honor.

His speech will focus mainly on healthcare reform, specifically repealing the Affordable Care Act, or as he and other opponents call it, "Obamacare."

"I'm going to be focusing on healthcare, focusing on saving Medicare, focusing on the damage frankly that Obamacare does to Medicare, and my contention that the first step to saving Medicare is to repeal Obamacare," Rothfius said.

Rothfus said his own personal experience with appendix cancer is one of the motivations for his healthcare centered speech.

"I can say I'm cured now, so I''m going to be a big healthcare advocate and make sure we're going to continue to have the innovation we need in America," Rothfus said.  "I was treated in America, I did not go to Toronto where they have universal healthcare, I did not go to London where they have universal healthcare.  The innovation is happening here in America."