Leader of Christian Iowa Group Gives Romney His Vote

Mitt Romney got a surprise endorsement on Saturday from the Rev. Morris Hurd, chairman of the Iowa Christian Alliance, a prominent conservative Christian group in the state, as he introduced the former Massachusetts governor at a rally tonight.

Officials with the group typically avoid making public endorsements because of their tax-exempt status, but Mr. Hurd blurted out his decision tonight in what felt like a bit of an accident.

“I’ll tell you a little secret,” he told the audience of more than 200 people. “I haven’t told anybody else this. I’ll tell this secret out here. Next Thursday, when I go to the caucuses, I’m going to cast my vote for Governor Mitt Romney.”

Neither Mr. Hurd, nor Mr. Romney, who took the microphone afterward, identified Mr. Hurd as the chairman of the Alliance’s board.

“I don’t think I’m supposed to endorse a candidate,” said Mr. Hurd afterward, when the Caucus approached him. “I hope I don’t get in trouble.”

Yes, the Governor signs many bills. Here’s more about Mitt in Mass that you should know. I do hope you will take the time to read this, it is clear about his very conservative record in Mass.

Conservatives Comment About Gov. Romney’s Health Care Plan for Massachusetts
The Heritage Foundation: “In reality, those who want to create a consumer-based health system and deregulate health insurance should view Romney’s plan as one of the most promising strategies out there.”
(Edmund F. Haislmaier, “Mitt’s Fit,” The Heritage Foundation, 1/28/2007)
The Club For Growth: “Governor Romney Deserves Credit For Proposing A Plan That Encourages Individually-Owned Health Insurance...” “Given these limitations, Governor Romney deserves credit for proposing (and to a lesser extent, enacting) a plan that encourages individually-owned health insurance and circumvents some of the inequities carved into the federal tax code.”
(The Club For Growth, “Mitt Romney’s Record On Economic Issues,” Press Release, 8/21/2007)

Massachusetts Citizens For Limited Taxation: “Romney’s plan also got a thumbs up from an unlikely source yesterday – Barbara Anderson, head of Citizens for Limited Taxation, a group that often looks with deep suspicion on government mandates and programs. The tax activist said that Romney is proposing universal insurance, not universal health care – which Anderson said society effectively already has, as almost no one is denied care even if they can’t pay for it. ‘Let’s just face that reality and deal with it,’ Anderson said, adding that covering more people will reduce costs to taxpayers.”
(Jay Fitzgerald, “Romney Wins Health-Y Reviews,” Boston Herald, 6/23/2005)

Conservative Ethan Allen Institute: “John McClaughry of the Ethan Allen Institute spoke about personal responsibility in health insurance. He praised the Massachusetts plan because it deals with the uninsured by sending them out into the market, thus reinforcing personal responsibility. Each individual has to decide his own risk level and can purchase insurance to meet his own needs.”
(”The Massachusetts Health Plan: A Model For The States?,” AEI Newsletter, 2/01/2007)

Then-Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman: “[Mehlman] singled out an effort by outgoing Gov. Mitt Romney, another 2008 prospect, to expand health-care coverage to all Massachusetts residents. ‘That is the kind of innovation we need at the state level, and in Washington,’ Mehlman said.”
(Shailagh Murray, “GOP Must Correct Its Mistakes, Mehlman Says,” The Washington Post, 12/01/2006)

Investor’s Business Daily: “Health Care: Massachusetts lawmakers have passed a universal-coverage bill. Republican Gov. Mitt Romney plans to sign it. Has Romney flipped? Not at all. He has won a victory for market-based reform.”
(Editorial, “Blue-State Surprise,” Investor’s Business Daily, 4/06/2006)

Gov. Romney discussed the Massachusetts health care reform law with Neil Cavuto on Fox News on April 12, 2006.
In a December, 2006 interview for Human Events, Gov. Romney was asked about the health care initiative in Massachusetts and its suitability for the nation:

Question: One of the other things you accomplished as governor was a health care plan for Massachusetts, which has been both lauded and criticized by some libertarians and conservatives. Is this something you would consider proposing for the federal government as well?
Romney’s response: “My current thinking on that is that the states as laboratories really play a very useful role for the nation. There are some aspects of what we proposed and put in our health plan that actually could be helpful for the entire nation and may well figure into national legislation. But there are others that really are peculiar to the state of Massachusetts, and I’d like to see how they work in Massachusetts, and frankly to see what other states do. Because I wouldn’t be surprised if some other states came up with ideas, borrowing from our own experience, that could be better than ours.”

“I don’t think we’re ready as a nation to adopt a Massachusetts plan for the entire nation. I’d like to learn more from other states, perhaps take some things that we found and get them under way right away. For instance, all the mandates we put on insurance—that just makes insurance more expensive than it ought to be. There’s a need also to allow people to own their own insurance policy rather than having a company decide which insurance you get. There are features in our plan that I think could be helpful, but time’s going to tell, because we want to hear what other states have to say.”
(Robert B. Bluey, “Q&A: Mitt Romney Discusses Iraq War, Reagan’s Influence and Gay Marriage, Human Events, 12/28/2006)

Some Facts About Health Care Reform In Massachusetts Answering Common Criticisms
FACT: The Massachusetts Health Care Plan Is Working:
Nearly Half Of The State’s Uninsured Have Gotten Insurance Under The Massachusetts Health Care Plan. “The law appears to be working. As of Nov. 1, the date for the most recent statistics, more than 200,000 formerly uninsured people had gotten insurance, roughly half of the state’s target.”
(Glen Johnson, “Rivals Chide Romney On Health Care Plan,” The Associated Press, 11/15/2007)

Uninsured Massachusetts Residents Can Obtain Health Care Insurance For As Little As $175 A Month. “The average uninsured Massachusetts residents could obtain health care coverage for as little as $175 a month under the state’s insurance law, Gov. Deval Patrick announced Saturday as he released the results of negotiations with the state’s health insurers.”
(Steve LeBlanc, “Patrick: Residents Can Get Health Insurance For $175 A Month,” The Associated Press, 3/03/2007)

“If Purchased On A Pre-Tax Basis, The Lowest Cost Plans Drop To $109 A Month For Someone Earning $50,000 A Year.”
(Steve LeBlanc, “Patrick: Residents Can Get Health Insurance For $175 A Month,” The Associated Press, 3/03/2007)

The Minimum Plan Includes Prescription Drug Coverage And Basic Medical Care Services. “The minimum plan detailed by Patrick would cover the average uninsured Massachusetts resident, who is typically around 37-years-old. It includes prescription drug coverage and covers basic medical care, such as emergency room visits and outpatient medical care.”
(Steve LeBlanc, “Patrick: Residents Can Get Health Insurance For $175 A Month,” The Associated Press, 3/03/2007)

FACT: The Massachusetts Health Care Plan Required “No New Tax Monies”:

The Massachusetts Plan Redirects Existing Funds To Help Lower-Income Citizens Obtain Private Insurance – No New Taxes. “The big question we faced, however, was where the money for the subsidy would come from. We didn’t want higher taxes; but we did have about $1 billion already in the system through a long-established uninsured-care fund that partially reimburses hospitals for free care. The fund is raised through an annual assessment on insurance providers and hospitals, plus contributions from the state and federal governments.”
(Governor Mitt Romney, Op-Ed, “Health Care For Everyone?,” The Wall Street Journal, 4/11/2006)

- The Heritage Foundation: “The Subsidies Require No New Tax Monies.” “The subsidies require no new tax monies. Federal and state funds currently subsidizing hospitals for treating the uninsured will simply be redirected into buying coverage for the low-income uninsured.”
(Edmund F. Haislmaier, “Massachusetts Health Reform: What The Doctor Ordered,” The Heritage Foundation, 5/06/2006)
FACT: Governor Romney Vetoed A Fee On Businesses:
Governor Romney Vetoed A $295 Fee Included In The Health Care Plan By Democrats In The State Legislature. “Many of the law’s core elements, including the requirement that all people in the state get insurance, were in Romney’s original proposal in 2005. The Democratic legislature added many of its own ideas to the final law, including a $295 fee per employee for businesses who do not offer health insurance to their workers. Romney vetoed that provision but was overridden by the legislature.”
(Perry Bacon Jr., “Romney Plays Down Role In Health Law,” The Washington Post, 4/13/2007)

- Governor Romney: “My Democratic counterparts have added an annual $295 per-person fee charged to employers that do not contribute toward insurance premiums for any of their employees. The fee is unnecessary and probably counterproductive, and so I will take corrective action.”
(Governor Mitt Romney, Op-Ed, “Health Care For Everyone?,” The Wall Street Journal, 4/11/2006)
FACT: The Massachusetts Health Plan Benefits Package Was Developed By The Connector Authority – An Independent Body Separate From The Governor’s Office. Unfortunately, Under State Law And Court Precedent, If The State Is Funding Health Care Benefits It Cannot Refuse To Provide Abortion Coverage:
The Commonwealth Care Package Is Designed And Administered By The Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority. “The Connector administers two separate programs; Commonwealth Care and Commonwealth Choice. Commonwealth Care offers subsidized insurance to people whose annual incomes are up to 300% or the Federal Poverty Level.”
(Commonwealth Connector Official Website, “About Us,” Accessed 2/05/2007)

- The Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority Is An Independent Public Authority And Their Decisions Were Made Separate Of The Romney Administration. “The Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority is an independent public authority created to implement significant portions of the new landmark health care reform legislation. The Connector assists qualified Massachusetts adult residents with the purchase of affordable health care coverage if they don’t already have it.”
(Commonwealth Connector Official Website, “About Us,” Accessed 2/05/2007)
In 1981, The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Ruled That The State Constitution Required Payment For Abortion Services For Medicaid-Eligible Women.
(Moe v. Secretary of Admin & Finance, 1981)
- According To The Decision, When A State Subsidizes Medical Care, It Cannot Infringe On “The Exercise Of A Fundamental Right” Which The Court Interpreted As Access To Medically Necessary Abortion Services.
(Moe v. Secretary of Admin & Finance, 1981)
- In 1997, The Supreme Judicial Court Reaffirmed Its Position That A State-Subsidized Plan Must Offer “Medically Necessary Abortions.”
(Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts, Inc. v. Attorney General, 1997)

Talking Points For Governor Romney’s Health Care Reform in Massachusetts
(Edited from list prepared by Brady Alder, UltiMitt.org, 9/26/2007 Source: Edmund F. Haislmaier, “The Massachusetts Health Reform: Assessing Its Significance and Progress,” The Heritage Foundation, 6/28/2007)
• Romney’s team innovated the consumer-centered approach which is the key to being able to have competition in the marketplace.
• The consumer-centered approach lets people direct how health care is funded

• With consumers making the purchasing decisions, as opposed to Government, we get better results at better prices

• It’s a similar concept to school vouchers. If parents could direct the funding of education, efficient schools would thrive, while inefficient ones would have to improve or go under.

• Romney did not propose a health insurance mandate. What he proposed was that those who still insisted on going without coverage in a reformed system demonstrate proof of their willingness and ability to pay their own bills by posting a bond or establishing an escrow account.

• Current programs have no transparency and prop up inefficient programs. Today the cost to America’s citizens is over $40 billion annually.

• Our current system relies on publicly funded subsidies for its survival and is allowed to overcharge private patients, regardless of the cost structures or the quality of care provided.

• Our current system uses emergency room care to treat the uninsured instead of lower-cost, better alternatives such as preventative care.

• Massachusetts citizens have 42 plans to choose from instead of the 1 plan 80 percent of Americans have through their employers.

• Pre-reform, the lowest premium for a typical uninsured 37-year-old in Boston was $335 per month with a $5,000 annual deductible. Now, the same individual can get health coverage for $184 per month ($118 pre-tax) with a $2,000 deductible. Most can get a health plan worth twice the value at half the price.

• The number of uninsured in Massachusetts has been reduced by nearly half.

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