WASHINGTON -- Mitt Romney condemned the Supreme Court's ruling upholding the president's health-care reform law, and called for opponents of the law to support him if they wish to see the law repealed.
"This is a time of choice for the American people," Romney said from a rooftop overlooking the Capitol. "Our mission is clear: If we want to get rid of 'ObamaCare,' we're going to have replace President Obama."
The presumptive Republican nominee, who spoke for four minutes and did not take questions, said that while the Supreme Court chose not to strike down the law as unconstitutional, he will work to repeal the act which he considers bad law and bad policy.
"As you might imagine, I disagree with the Supreme Court's decision," Romney said, "and I agree with the dissent. 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.'"
Romney, who has long been haunted by his support for an individual mandate, similar to the one undergirding President Obama's reform package, did not mention the mandate specifically today and did not take questions. He instead focused his ire on the law's tax and deficit implications.
"Obamacare raises taxes on the American people by approximately 500 billion dollars," Romney said. "'ObamaCare' cuts Medicare, cuts Medicare by approximately $500 billion, and even with those cuts and tax increases, 'ObamaCare' ads trillions to our deficits and to our national debts, and pushes those obligations on to coming generations."
Romney also broadly laid out some of the "real reform" he would enact to replace the Affordable Care Act, calling for legislation to help keep health-care costs down, keep insured those with preexisting conditions who had been continuously covered, and support state-based reform efforts.
