Mitt Romney admitted on Friday that without the 2006 healthcare reform he signed in Massachuetts, known better as “Romneycare,” Obamacare likely would not have happened.
In commemorating the life of Staples co-founder Thomas Stemberg, who was a big supporter of healthcare reform in the Bay State, Romney explained that his signature achievement helped pave the way for the Affordable Care Act’s passage, which has been roundly derided by Republicans every since its inception in March 2010.
“Without Tom pushing it, I don’t think we would have had Romneycare,” Romney said while remembering Stemberg, who was a good friend of his, according to the Boston Globe. “Without Romneycare, I don’t think we would have Obamacare. So, without Tom a lot of people wouldn’t have health insurance.”
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In his 2012 campaign, Romney ran on repealing Obamacare, and insisted that the national healthcare law had little in common with the law he championed in Massachusetts.
Stemberg, 66, passed away on Friday after a battle with cancer.
UPDATE (3:11 p.m.): Romney responded on social media after outlets began to report on his comments. In a statement, Romney reaffirmed that Obamacare has “failed” and needs to be “repealed and replaced.”
