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Romney: 'Obamacare Is Out'

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    Former Massachusetts governor on his universal health care bill, Obamacare

  • Duration 6:03
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And former governor Mitt Romney announced earlier today that in fact he is running for president of the United States and we continue part two of my interview with the GOP presidential candidate.

-- -- You have to win a Republican primary.

And to get that opportunity to debate president Barack Obama.

The one issue that you know keeps coming up is the issue of what they call Romney care your heart health care bill in Massachusetts.

I really want to give you an opportunity today to address.

The conservatives.

The the Tea Party movement.

And explain to them.

Because that's keeps coming up again and again what happened.

What the bill was about how you differentiate that from -- -- an example when you went to Iowa.

You know the Iowa Democratic Party lovingly.

Well into the stayed -- -- to what I said because you pave the way for Health Care Reform -- Massachusetts.

We were able to pass the affordable.

Do you know care act obamacare.

It seems to be their strategy this sort of say -- exact same thing.

But just to explain the conservatives that is their big area skepticism for you because it's one issue that comes up in your own words.

What do you want to tell about it presidency does not -- -- does not seem to go away.

Well first let me tell you what I do for our president and that is if I'm president I will repeal obamacare.

And in the first day of my administration I will say to the secretary of health and human services I want a waiver for all fifty states where Obama care so that's number one.

Now what we did we hit with a little bill that seventy pages.

In life.

He has a built 2700.

Pages but Italy also -- the fund what's and it's a -- half pregnant -- yep that's his policies that that -- -- senator a lot of benefits to put on him you know well so so those exit 2630.

Pages.

He has a lot of stuff we didn't do what he does is take over health care.

Basically had the federal government managed health care not just for the uninsured that's who we were dealing with but for everybody.

And that's one reason why the American people are saying no way from Obama care.

Now what do we do our state what what we take on this issue well we have a lot of people -- worried if they change jobs they'd lose their insurance or didn't have insurance and we also had some people who were gaming the system.

Who could afford to care for themselves.

But instead we're showing up at hospitals expecting government to pay for and we said you know we're not let that go -- blogger.

We're gonna insist on personal responsibility.

We worked with The Heritage Foundation great conservative group.

We looked great thinkers conservative thinkers in the past and said you know personal responsibility.

In health -- the way to go and we fashion a plan which.

Met -- state -- I would never in a million years take what we did for our state and say let's impose that on every state in the country that's wrong.

It violates the principle of federalism that's it -- a bedrock principle of our constitution each state should crack their own solutions but one thing I can tell you.

Obamacare is out and if I get the chance.

The debate President Obama I'm looking forward saying thank you Mr.

President for all the compliments you sent my way I know what they're intended to do.

But I'll have one question for you Mr.

President why didn't you call me.

What you asked me with of the Massachusetts plan was working or not what parts didn't work.

What things you shouldn't do because I know this obamacare would bankrupt the nation.

And obamacare will look severely impact the quality of health care the American people and it will be repealed what about the.

Mandate aspect of -- -- the the constitutionality.

Of -- government mandating.

Health care has been a big issue and didn't Romney law -- probably care bill.

It was mandated there was -- state mandate.

What is the distinction they're considering Republicans arguing wait a minute there's no constitutional authority to put a mandate on people that they must have insurance.

The the federal constitution does not allow for mandates to be provided by the government.

State constitutions have mandates of many -- we mandate kids go to school.

We mandates that if you're gonna drive a car you've got to have insurance states provide mandates to what within the rights of their constitution.

In our state we said this.

We've got people who were looking at health care like welfare.

They can afford to care for themselves but they don't want to pay for.

We said we're not let that go -- these free riders.

Are abusing the system and we're going to insist that -- either get insurance or pay the wrong way.

But no more showing up at the hospital and expecting government -- pay for them.

This is in my view a conservative point of you who insist on personal responsibility.

Say we are not gonna let government grow and grow we're spending over a billion dollars a year.

Giving out free care people many of whom could care for themselves.

That's simply wrong when one last question on this if -- may.

Do you think the plan I remember once those -- when you then ask you about this very issue you said to me.

Well first of all I sign the plan but wasn't exactly the plan I want apparently.

You had vetoed aspects of person.

Who did that have a big impact and if you had to go back today and look at it.

Would you have done it exactly the same way when you've done it differently you think it was a success in other words stability past and not Massachusetts -- remember things in the bill.

That I would have changed at the time and I continue to think those changes would have been better.

And the things that change and how you learn from experience and and and so yeah a lot of things that change it's not perfect.

There lot of things that bill that don't work but the nice thing about state solution.

To a state problem.

Is it is relatively easy to make changes and improve it.

And I can tell -- if our governor of Massachusetts the problems people point out I fixed.

That's -- but I'm not running for governor -- -- running for president of the United States and that's why some port for me make clear I would repeal Obama care.

I will grant a waiver to all fifty states immediately upon taking office.

And I'll go to work to make sure that the American people understand that it is that the state level that we care for those that don't have insurance.

And coming up the final installment of my interview which you.

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