Obama Campaign Statement: “Women Are on to Mitt Romney”

STATEMENT: Women Are on to Mitt Romney

Chicago, IL—Obama for America spokeswoman Lis Smith released the following statement in response to Mitt Romney’s new ad, “Sarah”:

“Women are on to Mitt Romney. That’s why he’s trying so hard to spin away the truth about his extreme positions, like during last night’s debate when he dishonestly claimed that he doesn’t ‘believe employers should tell someone whether they could contraceptive care or not.’ These are the facts: he’d put women’s health care decisions in the hands of their employers, has said he’d be ‘delighted’ to sign a bill banning all abortions, and called Roe v. Wade‘one of the darkest moments in Supreme Court history,’ while pledging to appoint Supreme Court justices who will overturn it. Women simply can’t trust him to stand up for them.”

ROMNEY SUPPORTS THE BLUNT AMENDMENT WHICH WOULD ALLOW ANY EMPLOYER TO OPT OUT OF PROVIDING CONTRACEPTIVE COVERAGE – PUTTING AT RISK THE NEARLY 79 MILLION WOMEN WHO RELY ON THEIR EMPLOYER FOR HEALTH CARE

Romney Endorsed The Blunt Amendment Which Would Allow Employers To “Have Free Rein To Pick And Choose Your Medical Care As He Or She Saw Fit–So If The Boss Believed That Birth Control Were An Affront To God And Nature, Well, Too Bad For You.”  “And yet, just weeks after Obama announced the compromise, Senator Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) proposed legislation that would allow any employer or insurance company to decline to cover any medical care for any moral or religious reason. Under the law, your boss would have free rein to pick and choose your medical care as he or she saw fit–so if the boss believed that birth control were an affront to God and nature, well, too bad for you; you'd have to shell out the full monthly cost for your pill pack. The Blunt Amendment (which Romney endorsed) was blocked in the Senate with an extremely narrow margin–51 to 48–with Maine's Olympia Snowe (who announced around the same time that she would not be seeking reelection) the only Republican voting against it.” [Gretchen Voss, Women’s Health, September 2012]

·         Romney: “Of Course I Support The Blunt Amendment.” CARR: “Listen I got to ask you here about – there’s a – the a, Washington Post has a got a blog out here saying that Jim Heath, a reporter for a TV station in Ohio, just tweeted a remarkable piece of news: Mitt Romney told him he does not support the Blunt amendment, which would empower employers and insurers to deny health coverage they find morally objectionable. What happened here?” ROMNEY: “I didn’t understand his question – of course I support the Blunt amendment. I thought he was talking about some state law that prevented people from getting contraception, so I was simply – I misunderstood the question, and of course I support the Blunt amendment. … Of course, Roy Blunt, who is my liaison to the Senate, is someone I support and of course I support that amendment. I clearly want to have religious exemption from Obamacare.” [Howie Carr Radio, 2/29/12]

The Blunt And Rubio Amendments Would Allow Insurers And Employers To Deny Coverage For Birth Control Simply On The Grounds That They Find It Morally Objectionable. “Some time around the end of February, the Senate will vote on the Blunt-Rubio amendment, which would allow insurers and employers to deny coverage for birth control or any other medical services simply on the grounds that they find them morally objectionable.” [Sargent, Washington Post, 2/15/12]

·         The Blunt Amendment Would Exempt Employers From Providing Health Benefits That Conflicted With Their “Beliefs Or Moral Convictions.”  “The amendment addressing contraception, sponsored by Missouri Republican Sen. Roy Blunt, would exempt employers from providing health benefits that conflicted with their ‘beliefs or moral convictions.’” [CBS News, 2/15/12]

Nearly 79 Million Women Received Health Care Coverage Through Their Employer.  According to the most recent census data, 78.8 million women under the age of 65 received health insurance coverage from their employer. [U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplement, 2011]

ROMNEY BACKED A PROPOSAL TO OUTLAW ALL ABORTIONS

Romney Said He Would Be “Delighted” To Sign A Bill Banning “All Abortions.” QUESTIONER: “Hello, my name is AJ. I'm from Millstone, New Jersey. I would all of the candidates to give an answer on this. If hypothetically, Roe v. Wade was overturned, and the Congress passed a federal ban on all abortions and it came to your desk, would you sign it? Yes or no?” COOPER: “Governor Romney?” ROMNEY: “I agree with Senator Thompson, which is we should overturn Roe v. Wade and return these issues to the states. I would welcome a circumstance where there was such a consensus in this country that we said, we don't want to have abortion in this country at all, period. That would be wonderful. I'd be delighted.” COOPER: “The question is: Would you sign that bill?” ROMNEY: “Let me say it. I'd be delighted to sign that bill. But that's not where we are. That's not where America is today. Where America is is ready to overturn Roe v. Wade and return to the states that authority. But if the Congress got there, we had that kind of consensus in that country, terrific.” [CNN Debate, 11/28/07]

·         2012: Romney Said He “Had The Same Positions Today” As “When I Ran For President Last Time, So What You See Is What You Get.” Romney: “In terms of my positions, my conservative positions were seen in my work as governor. I wrote a book that describes my view for the country. I’ve run for president before. Had the same positions today that I had when I was governor, when I wrote the book and when I ran for president last time, so what you see is what you get.” [Tommy Tucker Show, WWL (New Orleans, LA), 3/23/12]

ROMNEY CALLED ROE V. WADE “BAD LAW” AND “ONE OF THE DARKEST MOMENTS IN SUPREME COURT HISTORY”

Romney: “I Support The Reversal Of Roe V. Wade Because It Is Bad Law And Bad Medicine.” Romney wrote an op-ed titled “My Pro-Life Pledge” vowing to be pro-life but noting that he would not sign the Susan B. Anthony ‘s Pledge: “I support the reversal of Roe v. Wade, because it is bad law and bad medicine.” [Mitt Romney, National Review Online, 6/18/11]

Romney: Roe V. Wade Decision Was “One Of The Darkest Moments In Supreme Court History” As “More Than A Million Abortions A Year Cannot Be Squared With The Good Heart Of America.” Romney statement: “Today marks the 39th anniversary of one of the darkest moments in Supreme Court history, when the court in Roe v. Wade claimed authority over the fundamental question regarding the rights of the unborn. The result is millions of lives since that day have been tragically silenced. Since that day, the pro-life movement has been working tirelessly in an effort to change hearts and minds and protect the weakest and most vulnerable among us. Today, we recommit ourselves to reversing that decision, for in the quiet of conscience, people of both political parties know that more than a million abortions a year cannot be squared with the good heart of America.” [Romney For President, 1/22/12]

ROMNEY WOULD APPOINT SUPREME COURT JUSTICES TO OVERTURN ROE V. WADE

Romney Said He Would Appoint Supreme Court Justice Who Would “Hopefully Reverse Roe V. Wade.” Romney: “I’m in favor of a pro-life policy. The legislation that relates to abortion which is something that is going to have to be approved by the Supreme Court and the key decisions I’ll take as the president will be number one, stopping funding for Planned Parenthood, re-instituting the Mexico City policy which says our funds can’t be used for abortion around the world and appointing justices to the Supreme Court that will follow the Constitution, hopefully reverse Roe v. Wade, and return to the states, the authority for making law with regards to abortion.” [WNWO (Toledo, OH), 2/29/12]