While no stranger to taking sides during partisan fights about national policy on the floor of the House of Representatives, Rep. Frank Wolf (R) is emphasizing his work on local issues as he campaigns for re-election.

His two signatures items are transportation and gang prevention, topics he's willing to discuss whether prompted or not.

"Before we sent that task force out, there were MS-13 guys all over," said Wolf as he recalled his work to help set up the Northern Virginia Regional Gang Task Force which launched in 2003. Wolf mentioned prior machete attacks and other forms of particularly gruesome crime related to gangs, adding, "Now those things have pretty much stopped."

In 2009, a report by the Task Force suggested gangs were leaving Northern Virginia due to police crackdowns. Some Maryland officials disputed the idea that they were coming into their areas instead. But the bottom line to Wolf is that the Task force is now "being used as a model for the rest of the country. And I put it together."

When asked about how his views regarding the proper the size of government play a role in developing the Task Force, Wolf said, "One county couldn't do with it... So we had to put together a cooperative arrangement."

On some issues, Wolf takes issue with federal government spending, such as the recently enacted health care reform legislation. For crime issues that spread across multiple localities though, he said spending federal money is okay.

"I think there was an appropriate role," he said. He mentioned that law enforcement personnel and agencies ranging from Prince William County police chief Charlie Deane to the FBI, DEA and the U.S. Marshals Service came in to partner up on the Task Force.

Transportation

His main opponent in the general election Jeff Barnett (D) has charged Wolf with delivering an inadequate amount of service regarding transportation. Wolf, now serving his 15th 2-year term, ticked off a list of projects he's helped funded through his seat on the House appropriations committee, including the Interstate 66-U.S. 29 interchange in Gainesville though it's technically outside of his district.

Barnett told the Times during an earlier interview that the region's obvious traffic congestion is proof that a congressman with nearly 30 years experience is either "part of the problem or he's not part of the solution."

Barnett also said Wolf could have done better in securing funding for an underground Metro tunnel from Tysons Corner to Dulles International Airport. The funded project instead is for an above-ground model.

Wolf turned the tables by saying it was Govs. Mark Warner (D) and Tim Kaine (D) that put together the rail-to-Dulles package that was "almost lost" until he and former Sen. John Warner (R) "saved it."

"There would be no Dulles Rail," said Wolf. "That shows you a complete lack of understanding... Has he ever done anything done anything involved with Metro?

Health care

Barnett and Wolf have ideological disagreements regarding the health care reform law. Barnett said he would have voted for it, especially due to the Congressional Budget Office releasing a report during the markup of the bill stating it would reduce the deficit. Wolf opposed it and said the CBO had to put out a second report later that said it would cost money. The reality is the law is not due to be completely enacted until 2014 and will likely undergo legislative changes by Congress in the short-term, meaning that what the final product could be rather different than its present version.

"I think they'll get a new Congress to change a lot of what's in there or to defund a lot of what's in there," said Wolf.

Wolf pointed out that he and other Republicans do in fact like some parts of the law, including the sections that prohibit insurance companies from declining coverage to people with pre-existing conditions. He also supported allowing parents to keep their kids on their insurance plans until they are 26. Those are two of the first sections of the law to be implemented.

However, he said that when speaking to constituents, there was virtually unanimous opposition to the law from health care providers. The Republican advocates for policies that are in line with the House GOP leadership, including tort reform, allowing people to buy insurance across state lines and creating co-ops. While there are pointed criticisms for all three that have been vetted thoroughly on the national stage, Wolf said his main concern is what he's heard back home.

"The number of businesses we were in (during) August recess that said they were paralyzed really took you back," said Wolf.