Romney Campaign Press Release - We Must Repeal And Replace Obamacare

"What the Court did not do on its last day in session I will do on my first day if elected President of the United States. And that is I will act to repeal Obamacare. ... Obamacare was bad policy yesterday. It's bad policy today. Obamacare was bad law yesterday. It's bad law today." – Mitt Romney

OBAMACARE DESTROYS JOBS AND DRIVES UP TAXES AND COSTS FOR ALL AMERICANS

Obamacare Is A Disastrous Law That Will Harm Job Creators And All Americans With New Taxes And Fewer Jobs:

Nearly Three-Quarters Of Small-Business Owners Blame Obamacare For Impeding Job Creation. "As part of the explanation for the general economic pessimism, 78 percent of small businesses believe that taxation, regulation and legislation from Washington make it harder for businesses to hire more employees — and 74 percent blame the recent health care reforms passed by the Obama administration for creating an impediment to job creation." (Tim Mak, "Chamber Poll: Small Biz Blames D.C.," Politico, 1/18/12)

Obamacare Contains "The Largest Tax Increase Since 1993." "Keep in mind that Mr. Obama has already signed the largest tax increase since 1993. While everyone focuses on the Bush tax rates that expire after 2012, other tax increases are already set to hit the economy thanks to the 2010 Affordable Care Act." (Editorial, "Taxes Upon Taxes Upon...," The Wall Street Journal, 7/11/11)

• The Nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office Estimated That Obamacare Will Raise Approximately $500 Billion In Taxes Over Its First 10 Years. (CBO Director Douglas W. Elmendorf, Testimony, U.S. House Of Representatives, 3/30/11)

Obamacare Could Force Businesses In The Medical Device Industry To Shift More Than 40,000 Jobs Overseas. "The medical device industry says it could lose 10 percent of its U.S. workforce because of a tax created by healthcare reform. The Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed) released a report Wednesday that says device-makers might ship 43,000 jobs overseas once the tax takes effect in 2013." (Sam Baker, "Device-Makers Say Tax Will Cost 43,000 US Jobs," The Hill, 9/7/11)

• "Diana Furchtgott-Roth, A Senior Fellow At The Hudson Institute, Said Device Firms Are Already Moving Their Operations To Other Countries And That The Trend Will Accelerate If The Device Tax Is Left In Place." (Sam Baker, "Device-Makers Say Tax Will Cost 43,000 US Jobs," The Hill, 9/7/11)

And Obamacare Will Continue To Make Health Care Less Affordable And Threaten Existing Health Care Plans For Millions Of Americans:

Medicare Chief Actuary Richard Foster Estimated That Obamacare Will Cut Medicare By More Than $500 Billion. (CMS Chief Actuary Richard S. Foster, "Estimated Financial Effects Of The 'Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act,' As Amended," Memo, 4/22/10)

Obamacare Has Made Health Care "Less Affordable" And Has Caused "Insurance Premiums To Rise." "At the moment, the new law is making health care slightly less affordable. Independent health care experts say the law has caused some insurance premiums to rise. As we wrote in October, the new law has caused about a 1 percent to 3 percent increase in health insurance premiums for employer-sponsored family plans because of requirements for increased benefits. Last year's premium increases cast even more doubt on another promise the president has made - that the health care law would 'lower premiums by up to $2,500 for a typical family per year.'" (D'Angelo Gore, "Promises, Promises," FactCheck.org, 1/4/12)

• Factcheck.org On Obamacare: "Falls Short Of Making Health Care 'Affordable And Available To Every Single American,' As Promised." "Furthermore, the law falls short of making health care 'affordable and available to every single American,' as promised. The law provides subsidies to help some Americans buy insurance, expands Medicaid and doesn't allow insurance companies to exclude persons with preexisting conditions." (D'Angelo Gore, "Promises, Promises," Factcheck.org, 1/4/12)

According To The Nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, Obamacare Could Cause As Many As 20 Million Americans To Lose Their Employer-Provided Coverage. "A Congressional Budget Office report issued this week says that 3 million to 5 million people could move from employer-based health care plans to government-based programs as the Affordable Care Act takes effect. And in the worst-case scenario, it could be as many as 20 million." (David Nather, "Health Care Reform: 4 Inconvenient Truths," Politico, 3/16/12)

MITT ROMNEY'S PLAN TO REPEAL AND REPLACE OBAMACARE

On Day One Of His Presidency, Mitt Romney Will Take Immediate Action To Repeal And Replace Obamacare:

As President, Mitt Romney Will Take Steps To Repeal And Replace Obamacare Starting From Day One. "Days before President Obama's signature healthcare law goes in front of the Supreme Court, GOP front-runner Mitt Romney vowed to repeal and replace the law, speaking to a supportive crowd in a suburb of New Orleans. 'It's critical that we repeal Obamacare and, by the way, also replace it,' he said. 'I think I'm the only person in this race who's laid out what I would replace it with.'" (Alana Semuels, "Romney Vows To Repeal And Replace 'Obamacare' On Law's Anniversary," Los Angeles Times, 3/23/12)

• Mitt Romney Will "Give A Waiver To All 50 States" That Immediately Stops Obamacare And Returns "Healthcare Responsibilities To The States." "Romney said he plans to give a waiver to all 50 states discontinuing the president's plan – known formally as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act -- and returning healthcare responsibilities to the states." (Alana Semuels, "Romney Vows To Repeal And Replace 'Obamacare' On Law's Anniversary," Los Angeles Times, 3/23/12)

Mitt Romney's Reforms Will "Entail No New Taxes, No Massive Diversions Of Funds Away From Medicare, No Tax Discrimination, And No New Bureaucracies." "The reforms I propose for the country could not be more different from Barack Obama's. They entail no new taxes, no massive diversions of funds away from Medicare, no tax discrimination, and no new bureaucracies." (Mitt Romney, Op-Ed, "Why I'd Repeal Obamacare," USA Today, 3/23/12)

Mitt Romney, On Obamacare: "Abolishing It And Putting Sensible Changes In Its Place Will Be One Of My Highest Priorities As President." "Whatever the Supreme Court decides about the constitutionality of Obamacare, we already know that it is bad policy and wrong for America. Abolishing it and putting sensible changes in its place will be one of my highest priorities as president." (Mitt Romney, Op-Ed, "Why I'd Repeal Obamacare," USA Today, 3/23/12)

As President, Mitt Romney Will Give States The Flexibility They Need To Innovate And Answer Their Unique Health Care Challenges:

Mitt Romney Will Return "Healthcare Responsibilities To The States," Including Medicaid Funding. "Romney said he plans to give a waiver to all 50 states discontinuing the president's plan – known formally as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act -- and returning healthcare responsibilities to the states. He wants to take Medicaid money administered by the federal government and give it to states as block grants." (Alana Semuels, "Romney Vows To Repeal And Replace 'Obamacare' On Law's Anniversary," Los Angeles Times, 3/23/12)

Mitt Romney's Reforms Will Give "Individuals The Same Tax Break That Companies Get" To Purchase Health Insurance And Will Encourage Competition Among Health Care Providers. "[Romney's] plan also includes giving individuals the same tax break that companies get when they buy insurance for their employees, allowing individuals to buy insurance across state lines, and encouraging consumers to shop around for the least expensive medical services, creating competition among healthcare providers." (Alana Semuels, "Romney Vows To Repeal And Replace 'Obamacare' On Law's Anniversary," Los Angeles Times, 3/23/12)