Political positions of Mitt Romney

style="float: right; clear: right;"Mitt Romney series}}|} This article describes the political positions that Mitt Romney has taken since his 1994 U.S. senatorial campaign, the 2002 gubernatorial election, during his 2003–2007 governorship, during his 2008 U.S. presidential campaign, in his 2010 book No Apology: The Case for American Greatness, and during his 2012 U.S. presidential campaign. Some of these political positions have evolved, while others have remained unchanged.

Domestic and economic policy

Agriculture

In his 1994 Senate campaign, Romney called for the "virtual elimination" of the federal Department of Agriculture and for reductions in farm subsidies. In 2007, when questioned about these views, a Romney for President Iowa campaign spokesman responded: "Governor Romney believes that investing in agriculture is key to our economy and families." One area where Romney supports farm subsidies is for production of ethanol fuel.

Automotive industry

Mitt Romney supported government backed loan guarantees to private sector investors rather than a bailout using direct government loans, and he also supported a managed bankruptcy process for Chrysler and General Motors; the managed bankruptcy was implemented by the Obama administration in combination with the bailout that Romney opposed. Romney wrote an op-ed in The New York Times on November 18, 2008 (Romney's title was "The Way Forward for the Auto Industry" but The New York Times changed it to "Let Detroit Go Bankrupt"). In that 2008 op-ed, Romney argued against a government bailout for the auto industry. He wrote, "If General Motors, Ford and Chrysler get the bailout that their chief executives asked for yesterday, you can kiss the American automotive industry goodbye." Romney believed that the managed bankruptcy should be accompanied by federal financing guarantees to private sector investors backed by U.S. Treasury Bonds, instead of direct government loans; he also supported spending $100 billion dollars of federal money on the automobile industry for retraining and green tech.

During the 2012 Presidential campaign, Romney criticized the Obama administration for holding onto General Motors stock and for what he considers to be excessive regulations on the auto industry. Romney stated that he would sell the government's stock holdings in GM quickly and seek alternatives to what he considers to be excessive fuel economy regulations on the auto industry. Regarding the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) regulations, Romney advocates for a market-driven approach, rather than government mandates, as a means of encouraging fuel economy increases. Romney also said that electric vehicles are “a technology that people aren’t interested in.”

Budget

In March 2012, Romney endorsed the House Budget Committee proposed budget for the fiscal year 2013, a newer version of Paul Ryan's The Path to Prosperity.

Campaign finance

In his 1994 Senate campaign, Romney advocated spending limits on congressional campaigns and suggested abolishing political action committees. In his 2002 gubernatorial campaign, Romney proposed taxing private political contributions in order to finance publicly funded campaigns. In 2007 Romney began criticizing the McCain-Feingold Law, saying "We step into dangerous territory when politicians start eviscerating our fundamental freedoms in the name of amorphous principles, like campaign finance reform." He wrote in 2007: "The original intent of McCain-Feingold was to reduce the role of money and special interests in our political system. But on this too it has been a failure. Political spending has been driven into secret corners and more power and influence has been handed to hidden special interests. What is really needed is greater transparency, and disclosure, of campaign contributions – not more restrictions on political speech."

In November 2011, Romney said that the U.S. Supreme Court had made the right decision in its 2010 Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission ruling, but that he did not like some of the consequences of it: "I'm not wild about the idea of corporations making political contributions as a concept. I think their decision was a correct decision. I support their decision. I wish we could find a way to get money out of politics. I haven't found a way to do that." In January 2012, in the midst of the Republican Party presidential nomination primaries battle, Romney criticized the existence of Super PACs that were playing a large role in the campaign, saying, "I’ll tell you, there have been some—there have been some attacks on me that have just been outrageous and completely inaccurate and have been shown to be inaccurate. That’s the nature of the process. I hope it ends. ... We all would like to have super PACs disappear, to tell you the truth … I think this has to change." A Romney spokesman added at the time that Romney viewed laws limiting regular donations to candidates' campaigns as too restrictive, which resulted in money going to Super PACs instead, and that it would be better if candidates' campaigns could receive those monies directly and take responsibility for ads made with them.

Defense spending levels

Governor Romney received a tour of the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy in May 2005 as part of celebrating Armed Forces Day.

Romney has proposed to increase the size of the military by at least 100,000 troops. He has called for spending priorities that include an expanded Naval armada estimated at $40 billion. But he has not specified how he would pay for this spending under the current tight Federal budget. He has singled out the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey as a program that will require "very careful inspection", but has called for a billion dollar restart of the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor production line. This billion dollar cost does not include the costs and delay of updating the Raptor design to the same standard as modern fighters such as the F-35 or the actual construction costs of these aircraft.

The Obama 2013 budget would have defense spending go from about 4.5% of GDP in 2012 to about 3% of GDP in 2013 to which Romney states that he wishes to have defense spending have a "floor" of 4% of GDP In September 2012 interview with David Gregory, Romney stated he would like to keep the current defense spending level of GDP.

Deficit

Romney (like several other Republican candidates) signed the "cut, cap and balance" pledge, under which an increase in the federal debt ceiling would be contingent on major cuts in spending, caps on spending, and a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution.

Romney opposed the Budget Control Act of 2011 that was passed to resolve the United States debt-ceiling crisis as part of a deal struck between President Obama and congressional leaders, including his future running mate, Paul Ryan. Romney later criticized Obama for failing to specify the true impact of sequestration, as required by law.

Energy & the environment

During Massachusetts governorship

See also: Governorship of Mitt Romney § Environment

Romney’s positions on energy policy and environmental protection regulations have shifted from his time as governor of Massachusetts to his campaign for the presidency in the 2012 election.

As a candidate for governor of Massachusetts in 2002, and later as governor, Romney prioritized policies that would promote energy conservation and reduce environmental pollution. He said that he was "absolutely committed" to renewable energy and that "I think the global warming debate is now pretty much over and people recognize the need associated with providing sources which do not generate the heat currently provided by fossil fuels."

Campaigning for the governorship, he argued in support of measures such as imposing higher taxes on SUVs to help reduce auto emissions and conserve energy; revitalizing urban neighborhoods using fees charged to developers for cutting down trees in suburban areas; and doubling the rate of cleanup of brownfield lands.

In his first 100 days in office as governor, he proposed expansion of the beverage container deposit law (bottle bill), a switch by state government agencies to the use of environmentally friendly cleansers, and clean up of the state's “Filthy Five” power plants. He appointed a prominent environmentalist, Douglas Foy, to oversee energy development, transportation, housing, and environmental affairs. Foy helped develop an energy and environment plan that included 72 public and private initiatives, with a goal of deriving 15 percent of the state’s electricity from renewable sources such as wind, solar, and nonpolluting fuel cells by 2020, and of reducing greenhouse gas emissions of state agencies by 25 percent. The plan also proposed to impose strict emissions standards on older power plants and sought to substantially reduce soot emissions from diesel buses, trucks, and heavy construction equipment.

Arguing for environmental protection regulations in 2003, Romney said in a press release that "if the choice is between dirty power plants or protecting the health of the people of Massachusetts ... I will always come down on the side of public health." He insisted that a coal power plant meet tough emissions standards even at the cost of losing jobs: "I will not protect jobs that kill people. And that plant kills people."

As governor, he also argued for limits on oil and gas drilling in order to protect the environment. In his state of the Commonwealth address in January 2005, Romney said, “I'm concerned about the preservation of our natural resources. I will file legislation to protect our oceans from off shore drilling and commercial development. The oceans should not be up for grabs like some Wild West land rush.”

He pursued policies to make greater use of carpooling and public transit, and sought tax credits to stimulate purchases of hybrid and other more fuel-efficient vehicles.

Romney argued that tax policy should be used to promote energy conservation. When his lieutenant governor supported a temporary suspension of the state gasoline tax to provide consumers some relief during a period of especially high gasoline prices in 2006, Romney rejected the proposal, arguing that maintaining the tax would help encourage energy conservation: “I don’t think that now is the time, and I’m not sure there will be the right time, for us to encourage the use of more gasoline.... I am very much in favor of people recognizing that these high gasoline prices are probably here to stay and that the appropriate action for us to take is to find ways to find fuel conservation.”

He initially supported a regional greenhouse gas cap-and-trade initiative for New England and eastern Canada, but he ultimately withdrew his support when he was unable to ensure establishment of certain limits on the penalty fees businesses would be charged for exceeding emissions allowances.

Romney highlighted his support for government investment in developing sources of renewable energy, such as wind and solar, early in his administration, although he opposed a proposal that would have sited a wind farm in Nantucket Sound off Cape Cod, where he said the visual impact would be detrimental to the state's tourist economy.

During 2012 presidential campaign

Early in the 2012 presidential campaign, in June 2011, Romney said, "I don't speak for the scientific community, of course, but I believe the world's getting warmer. I can't prove that, but I believe based on what I read that the world is getting warmer. And number two, I believe that humans contribute to that. I don't know how much our contribution is to that, because I know that there have been periods of greater heat and warmth in the past but I believe we contribute to that. And so I think it's important for us to reduce our emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases that may well be significant contributors to the climate change and the global warming that you're seeing." Several weeks later, in October 2011, he said, "My view is that we don't know what's causing climate change on this planet. And the idea of spending trillions and trillions of dollars to try to reduce CO2 emissions is not the right course for us." He expressed his opposition to cap and trade plans and to regulation of carbon emissions.

In August 2012, during a week of heavy fundraising from oil company executives, Romney put forward what he called a comprehensive energy plan that he said would allow North America to become independent of foreign oil imports within a decade.

Romney’s energy proposal called for aggressively expanding drilling for fossil fuels, such as oil and natural gas, by easing federal regulations. The plan would seek to increase offshore drilling along the coasts of states like Virginia and the Carolinas, as well as in previously restricted areas of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge; and would give states more control over energy development on federal lands within their borders (Romney noted that oil companies currently wait an average 307 days for dilling permits from the federal government, while the state of North Dakota takes only 10 days to issue permits to drill on state-owned land). Additionally, the plan called for expansion of coal mining and nuclear energy production.

Romney reiterated in the proposal that as president he would approve the Keystone XL pipeline, to carry oil sands crude from western Canada to the U.S. Gulf Coast for refining. (During the campaign, Romney had promised that he would approve the pipeline project by executive order on his first day in office as president.)

Romney’s written energy policy proposal made no mention of climate change, and made little mention of plans to improve energy conservation. During the campaign Romney opposed the EPA’s requirement that the average fuel efficiency of cars be doubled by 2025.

Romney had previously expressed opposition to federal aid for renewable energy development, and his August 2012 energy policy plan proposed eliminating government support in the form of loan guarantees and subsidies for development of renewable types of energy, sources of energy that Romney had said the Obama administration has been over-reliant on.

Romney has opposed calls for the elimination of government subsidies to oil and gas producers.

Financial industry regulation & Occupy Wall Street

Romney says a major contributor to America’s faltering economy has been what he views as excessive regulation. He has promised to repeal the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. The Act implemented Wall Street reform with goals that included "improving accountability and transparency in the financial system" and protecting consumers. Romney criticized the Act as being "overwhelming" in length, but he said that one provision, distinguishing between home mortgages and high-risk securities in terms of the capital requirements, "does make sense", and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which was enacted to prevent accounting scandals such had occurred with the Enron corporation, with plans to eventually replace them with more streamlined regulations. He also proposes instituting measures that would make it more difficult for federal agencies to impose new regulations.

Regarding the Occupy Wall Street protests, Mitt Romney has stated he favors growing the middle class but said blaming Wall Street bankers is the wrong way to go.

Health care

See also: Governorship of Mitt Romney § Health care, and Massachusetts 2006 Health Reform Statute

During his 1994 run for the United States Senate, Romney indicated he would support a bill that included a federal health insurance mandate, saying that he was "willing to vote for things that [he was] not wild with".

While campaigning for the governorship of Massachusetts in 2002, Romney argued that the federal government should pay for medicines for seniors: "It is outrageous that some senior citizens are forced to choose between paying for their prescription drugs and their groceries. The federal government needs to step in with a plan for our senior citizens, and I will lobby officials on the federal level to provide a Medicare drug benefit."

As governor of Massachusetts in 2006, Romney proposed and signed into law a private, market-based reform that ensures every Massachusetts citizen will have health insurance, without a government takeover and without raising taxes. The legislation requires health insurance for all state residents, provided a plan is available to the individual that deemed affordable according to state standards. Employers with eleven or more employees are mandated to offer approved insurance plans for employees. Romney vetoed eight sections of the legislation, including a $295 per person fee on businesses with eleven employees or more that do not provide health insurance. Romney also vetoed provisions providing dental and eyeglass benefits to low income residents on the Medicaid program, and providing health coverage to senior and disabled legal immigrants not eligible for federal Medicaid. State legislature overrode all of the vetoes.

In August 2007, at the Florida Medical Association, Romney unveiled his proposed national health care plan, which departed significantly from the universal health care measure that he helped forge as governor of Massachusetts. It differed from the Massachusetts plan in that it involved no individual mandate on a national basis but instead offered tax deductions for those buying insurance on their own, and allowing the states to choose their own health care plans.

As of 2009, Romney supports increased health insurance portability, coverage of pre-existing medical conditions, a cap on malpractice lawsuits, the implementation of a streamlined electronic medical records system, an emphasis on preventative care, loosening restrictions on importation of prescription drugs, and tax benefits aimed at making health insurance more affordable for the uninsured and targeted to promote universal access. He opposes efforts to provide non-emergency health coverage for Illegal Immigrants, and supports the Hyde Amendment to ban government funding for elective abortion. Romney opposes a federal single-payer system, but supports state efforts to reduce the uninsured population.

Romney opposed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Immediately following its passage in 2010, Romney attacked the landmark legislation as "an unconscionable abuse of power". He said, "The act should be repealed. That campaign begins today." While acknowledging that his own plan was not perfect and still was a work in progress, Romney did not dissociate himself from it; he focused on its having had bipartisan support in the state legislature, while the Obama plan received no Republican support at all in Congress, and he complained that President Obama did not seek out his expertise.

In 2011, the Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives passed a Republican alternative budget proposed by Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.), with no Democrats voting for it. One controversial aspect of the proposal concerned Medicare; for those under age 55 as of its enactment, it would replace government-provided health care with partial subsidies for the cost of private medical insurance. Romney said that, as President, he would sign such a plan if it reached his desk, but that he would be putting forward his own plan before debating Obama. In addition Romney said he would raise the minimum age for Medicare eligibility, to minimize government expenditures for health care.

In June 2012, Romney pledged to enact a system to replace the Affordable Care Act, but did not release details of how it would be paid for. Romney's plan includes expanding health savings accounts to pay for premiums, increased competition and consumer choice, and lawsuit reform. Romney has also praised the cost controls of the mandated universal health care coverage of Israel.

In August 2012, Romney indicated that he might retain parts of Obamacare such as coverage for pre-existing conditions, but this was quickly clarified as only ensuring insurance coverage for people who already had insurance coverage.

Housing market

Asked "How will you help with the housing and foreclosure problems in the U.S.?", Romney responded that it would be best not to try and stop the foreclosure process, to let it run its course and hit the bottom, and that he might be open to some government action to encourage refinancing. He also referred to the Obama administration as having "slow walked the foreclosure processes that have long existed, and as a result we still have a foreclosure overhang", and that that the credit that was given to first-time home buyers was inadequate to turn around the housing market. He nevertheless is open to some government intervention but demands that it make sense from a business standpoint. Should the foreclosure process run its course, Romney sees recovery for the market as investors are allowed to salvage property values and move people back into their homes as renters, with the possibility to buy when they are fiscally prepared.

Jobs plan

Romney claims that on average, 15,000 jobs were created each year when he was governor of Massachusetts. During the 2012 Presidential campaign he has offered an economic plan that has been described as "far-reaching". The plan "relies heavily on the premise that reviving the economy depends on getting the government out of the way of corporations." Romney's plan include overhauling federal tax, regulatory, trade and energy policies. The intent is "to create the conditions that allow the private sector and entrepreneurs to create jobs and to grow our economy," according to Romney., and vowed to create some 12,000,000 jobs within his first four years in office if elected.

Labor unions

Romney has been critical of former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D) and the United Auto Workers (UAW) labor union. During a campaign speech in Michigan on June 9, 2011, he was quoted as saying "They're out there working very hard for their friend, Barack Obama," he added. "I think the union folks basically bought and paid for his last campaign, so he's taking care of them and they're taking care of him."

Romney opposes the Employee Free Choice Act, a bill that would add penalties for labor violations and would allow union recognition based on signed requests from a majority of the workers. He has called for "cutting off funding" for the National Labor Relations Board.

Minimum wage

Governor Romney has stated that “There’s probably not a need to raise the minimum wage” on CNBC in March. Governor Romney favors "moderate, predictable changes" in the minimum wage linked to other indicators of growth in the economy. "I don't like the big jumps from time to time."

Space exploration

Romney said before committing to a particular space program, he will take advice from experts in the field. He expressed doubts of a moonbase if the costs are on the order of $500 billion. He received the endorsement of Michael D. Griffin and Eric C. Anderson, among others.

Stimulus

In January 2009, Romney supported the $750 billion economic stimulus package, stating that: "I think there is need for economic stimulus. Americans have lost about $11 trillion in net worth. That translates into about $400 billion a year less spending that they'll be doing, and that's net of additional government programs like Medicaid and unemployment insurance. And government can help make that up in a very difficult time. And that's one of the reasons why I think a stimulus program is needed.

In May 2012, Romney said that the economic stimulus package that had ultimately been enacted in 2009 (the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009) had been a waste of money that did little to jump-start the economy, and that the federal government had inflated the numbers of jobs that had been created or preserved by the various projects funded through the stimulus program.

Soon after the Republican victory in the 2012 Wisconsin gubernatorial recall election, Romney criticized Obama's stimulus policy, saying that Obama "wants another stimulus, he wants to hire more government workers. He says we need more fireman, more policeman, more teachers. Did he not get the message of Wisconsin? The American people did. It's time for us to cut back on government and help the American people."

Taxation

As the new Governor of Massachusetts in 2003, Romney declined to publicly support the federal tax cuts proposed by the Bush Administration. (Romney reportedly told members of the state's congressional delegation that he would not "be a cheerleader" for proposals he did not agree with but that he felt he needed to "keep a solid relationship with the White House.") Romney also said he was open to increases in the federal gasoline tax, to support transportation construction projects. In 2007, after leaving the governor's office and deciding to seek the party' presidential nomination, Romney said that he had supported the Bush tax cuts overall. In that same year, Romney signed the anti-tax pledge put forth by Americans for Tax Reform, pledging no new taxes or increases of existing taxes. (In 2002, he had refused to sign an anti-tax pledge because he considered them "government by gimmickry.")

Romney opposed the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010, the compromise tax package between President Obama and the Republicans Congressional leadership that centered around a two-year extension of the Bush tax cuts. He said, "because the extension is only temporary, a large portion of the investment and job growth that characteristically accompanies low taxes will be lost. [And] It will also add to the deficit."

During his 2012 presidential campaign, Romney said he would seek income tax law reforms that he says would help lower federal deficits and would stimulate economic growth. Among the series of tax changes he has proposed are: reducing individual income tax rates across the board by 20 percent, maintaining the Bush administration-era tax rate of 15 percent on investment income from dividends and capital gains (and eliminating this tax entirely for those with annual incomes less than $200,000), cutting the top tax rate on corporations from 35 percent to 25 percent, and eliminating the estate tax and the alternative minimum tax. He has promised that the loss of government revenue from these tax cuts would be offset by closing loopholes and reining in tax deductions and credits available to taxpayers with the highest incomes, so that his tax plan would not raise federal deficits. Non-partisan analyses of Romney’s tax plan have estimated that it could add more than $3 trillion to the federal deficit, and would favor the highest-earning Americans, possibly raising annual taxes on middle-class earners by as much as $2,000. Romney and supporters of his tax plan have said that such analyses are unreliable because they have been based on assumptions about specific measures that are not detailed in the plan and have not adequately accounted for the positive effects on economic growth that Romney says his plan would generate.

Technology

Romney believes the government should invest more in technologies that will help the United States, such as power generation, fuel cells, nanotechnology, and materials science.

"In technology, we as a country already invest an enormous amount--for instance, in defense technology, space technology, health--but we also need to invest in some of the emerging technologies that are important at a basic science level such as fuel cell technology, power generation, materials science, automotive technology. We have to recognize that where we invest as a nation, both from a government standpoint but also from a private standpoint, those are the areas we've been most successful."

During his 2007 Iowa Republican Straw Poll speech, Romney advocated that all home computers provide a means for parents to block objectionable Internet content from being shown to children.

". . . I want to clean up the dirty water in which a lot of our kids are swimming, and by that I'm not just talking about pollution, I'm talking about moral pollution. I'm talking about what they see on TV and on the Internet. I'm concerned about the drug culture, I'm concerned about the pornography, the violence, the sex, the perversions that they see day in and day out. I want to make sure that every computer that goes into a home in the future, has a button there, or a place for the citizen, the parent, to be able to block all of that pornography from their kids Internet screen."

In his 2010 book, No Apology: The Case for American Greatness, Romney states that one of government's useful roles is in fostering innovation.

Trade

Romney supports free trade, including agreements such as NAFTA and CAFTA, and says that his business experience gives him an edge on trade policy. He also says that nations adopting protectionist tariffs and policies eventually crumble. He says that, if elected, he will seek "fast track" Trade Promotion Authority to negotiate trade agreements, finalize the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and work to create a "Reagan Economic Zone" to codify the principles of free trade at the international level and provide a way to punish countries that violate free trade policies.

Romney supports getting tougher with China on trade issues and has pushed to renegotiate trade deals with China to help eliminate the Trade Deficit. Romney opposes currency manipulation by China and is willing to impose tariffs when necessary. Romney was against imposing sanctions on China for trade abuses in 2011 and for doing so in 2012.

Unemployment insurance

In 2010, Romney said that

"A decent and humane society must have a strong safety net for the unemployed. I served for 15 years as a lay pastor in my church and saw the heartbreak of joblessness up close; a shattering loss of faith in oneself is but only one of many forms the suffering can take. Nonetheless, the vital necessity of providing for those without work should not be used as an excuse to ignore the very real problems of our unemployment system. In this, as in so many other arenas of government policy, unemployment insurance has many unintended effects.
The indisputable fact is that unemployment benefits, despite a web of regulations, actually serve to discourage some individuals from taking jobs, especially when the benefits extend across years.
The system is also not designed for a flexible economy like ours in which some employees move from job to job for short periods, and are therefore ineligible for unemployment compensation when they are faced with a protracted spell without work."

Romney instead offered two possible replacement systems, one involving individual unemployment savings accounts that employees would withdraw from when they lose their jobs, the other keyed on instituting financial incentives for businesses and other employers to hire and train those who had been unemployed for a long time.

Foreign policy

China

Romney has accused China of "cheating" and "stealing American jobs". He warned China that if he is elected to the White House, there will be consequences for unfair trade, saying: "Unless China changes its ways, on day one of my presidency I will designate it a currency manipulator and take appropriate counteraction." and "A trade war with China is the last thing I want, but I cannot tolerate our current trade surrender."

At the press conference, Romney was asked whether the China's abuses of human rights troubled him. "I am not an expert on the practices of other countries, and don't consider myself sufficiently qualified to characterize the practices of any one country," Romney said. In July 2012, Romney said, "We face another challenge in a rising China. China is attentive to the interests of its government, but it too often disregards the rights of its people. It's selective in the freedoms it allows."

Cuba

Romney favors keeping the United States embargo against Cuba in place. He said: "The Cuban people still live in constant fear of a brutal totalitarian regime that has demonstrated time and again its utter disregard for basic human dignity."

Romney accused President Obama of a policy of “appeasement” toward Cuba. "This president has decided to give a gift, to Castro, to allow remittances to come from the United States to go into Cuba and help the economy of Cuba. He’s allowed more traveling into Cuba", Romney said.

European debt crisis

In November 2011, when Italy was at the forefront of the European debt crisis, Romney said that Congress and the Federal Reserve should not consider plans to bail out Italy in the event its debt crisis deteriorate.

In December 2011, Romney stated: "I kind of like America. I'm not looking for it to be fundamentally transformed into something else. I don't want it to become like Europe." In January 2012, Romney said: "We want to ensure that we remain a free and prosperous land of opportunity. This president takes his inspiration from the capitals of Europe; we look to the cities and small towns of America." Romney accused President Obama that he wants to "turn America into a European-style entitlement society."

France

An internal Romney campaign document released in 2007 by the media suggested that Romney criticize France and attempt to convey the message "Hillary = France." Governor Romney has said he "loves" France, where he served as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for two years. When a New Hampshire voter asked Romney why he kept "bashing" France on the campaign trail, Romney announced, "My kids are on vacation there right now. I love France. I speak French, lived in France. I have nothing but respect for the French people." Romney has said that the next president must re-engage France, and called French president Nicolas Sarkozy a potential "blood brother."

In his February 7, 2008 appearance at the Conservative Political Action Committee, during which he withdrew from the Presidential race, Romney mentioned France in less flattering terms. "[U]nless America changes course," he said, "we will become the France of the 21st century — still a great nation, but no longer the leader of the world, no longer the superpower."

Iran

In a June 2007 Republican debate, Romney was asked about "the use of tactical nuclear weapons" to stop Iran from developing a nuclear bomb and responded that "You don't take options off the table, but what you do is stand back and say, 'What's going on here?' You see what's happening in Sudan and Afghanistan, in Iraq and Iran." In 2007 he also stated he would use "blockade, bombardment and surgical military strikes" against Iran if necessary. In September of that year he protested Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad speaking at the 62nd session of the United Nations General Assembly, stating that the invitation should be revoked and he should instead be greeted with an indictment under the Genocide Convention for threats against Israel. He stated that failure to act should lead the United States to reconsider its level of support and funding for the United Nations.

In 2011, Romney advocated both overt and covert means to get Iran to stop its nuclear weapons development program. He said that “Ultimately, regime change is what’s going to be necessary.” In 2012 he called on President Obama “to impose crippling economic sanctions on the Iranian regime, support the Iranian dissidents, and convey through actions – not just words – that the military option is very real and very credible.”

In June 2012, Romney said "I can assure you, if I'm President, the Iranians will have no question but that I would be willing to take military action if necessary to prevent them from becoming a nuclear threat to the world." In his July 2012 trip to Israel he said that preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear "capability" should be America's "highest national security priority." Romney has said of using military force against Iran, "I don't believe at this stage, therefore, if I'm President, that we need to have war powers approval or a special authorization for military force."

Iraq

Romney supported the invasion of Iraq and the "troop surge". He criticized mismanagement of Iraq post-invasion, stating that both diplomatic and military efforts should be used to achieve success in the region.

In his 2007 speech announcing that he would run for president in 2008, Romney said, "so long as there is a reasonable prospect of success, our wisest course is to seek stability in Iraq, with additional troops endeavoring to secure the civilian population." He stated that instability in Iraq could lead to civil war and that "Iraq's Sunni region could become a base for al-Qaeda; that its Shia region could be seized by Iran; that Kurd tension could destabilize Turkey" and that the broader Middle East and the United States could be drawn into conflict.

In a 2007 Republican presidential debate, Romney mistakenly said that the Iraq war could have been avoided if Saddam Hussein had allowed IAEA inspectors into the country. Media Matters pointed out that Hussein did in fact allow UN weapons inspectors into Iraq, and they found "no evidence or plausible indication of the revival of a nuclear weapons programme in Iraq."

In October 2011, Romney criticized the Obama administration's announcement that all American combat troops had been withdrawn from Iraq calling the withdrawal either “naked political calculation or simply sheer ineptitude.”

Israel and the Arab-Israeli conflict

In October 2011, during his 2012 presidential campaign, Romney said, "I believe our relationship with Israel, a nation which shares our values and is our best friend in the Middle East, should be of support and confidence rather than criticism and blame." In December 2011, Romney said, “I will travel to Israel on my first foreign trip [as president]. I will reaffirm as a vital national interest Israel’s existence as a Jewish state. I want the world to know that the bonds between Israel and the United States are unshakable."

On the question of whether the U.S. Embassy in Israel in Tel Aviv should be moved to Jerusalem, Romney said in October 2011, "The actions that I will take will be actions recommended and supported by Israeli leaders. I don’t seek to take actions independent of what our allies think is best, and if Israel’s leaders thought that a move of that nature would be helpful to their efforts, then that’s something I’ll be inclined to do. But again, that’s a decision which I would look to the Israeli leadership to help guide. I don’t think America should play the role of the leader of the peace process, instead we should stand by our ally. Again, my inclination is to follow the guidance of our ally Israel, as to where our facilities and embassies would exist."

Regarding the Arab–Israeli conflict, in a January 2012 Republican debate, Romney said, "Well, the reason that there’s not peace between the Palestinians and Israel is because there is — in the leadership of the Palestinian people are Hamas and others who think like Hamas, who have as their intent the elimination of Israel. And whether it’s in school books that teach how to kill Jews, or whether it’s in the political discourse that is spoken either from Fatah or from Hamas, there is a belief that the Jewish people do not have a right to have a Jewish state." Romney added, "There are some people who say should we have a two state solution, and the Israelis would be happy to have a two state solution. It's the Palestinians who don't want a two state solution, they want to eliminate the state of Israel. And I believe America must say the best way to have peace in the Middle East is not for us to vacillate and appease, but it is to say we stand with our friend Israel. We are committed to a Jewish state in Israel. We will not have an inch of difference between ourselves and our ally Israel." Despite his pessimism about a two-state solution being achieved in the short term, Romney has defended the two-state solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict as an ideal that ought to be included in the Republican Party platform. Romney has stated that his approach to the conflict will be wait and "hope that ultimately, somehow, something will happen and resolve it".

In response to President Obama's pledge to maintain Israel's "Qualitative Military Edge" over the other countries in the region, Romney has said he would do "the opposite from Obama". Romney would also reverse the long standing practice of criticizing Israel publicly, presumably in the State Department reports of human rights abuses by Israel. Romney has complained that the United States-Israel Enhanced Security Cooperation Act's affirmation of Obama's support for Israel does not go far enough, because it does not declare Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Mitt Romney supported an international campaign to hold one minute of silence at the 2012 London Olympics to remember the Israeli athletes killed in the 1972 Munich Massacre at the Olympics by the Palestinian terrorist organization Black September. In this regard, his position was the same as that of President Barack Obama.

In July 2012, Mitt Romney said that the U.S. and Israel hold shared interests and shared values. Romney recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital, saying that every nation has the capacity to choose its own capital. Romney also said that he would move the U.S. embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, but "I would only want to do so and to select the timing in accordance with the government of Israel."

Libya

Concerning the involvement of the American military in the 2011 Libyan civil war, Romney initially said in March that Obama had waited too long before becoming involved, and he also criticized Obama for ruling out the use of United States ground forces. The next month, he said that he supported the "specific, limited mission" of enforcing a no-fly zone, but that Obama's support for the ouster of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi constituted "mission creep and mission muddle." In October, after Gaddafi's death, Romney said, "I think people across the world recognize that the world is a better place without Muammar Gaddafi."

Pakistan

On July 7, 2007, Romney said, "In places like Pakistan, America needs to work not just on a military front." He said he would send in his proposed "Special Partnership Force", a team of Central Intelligence Agency agents and Army special forces that would work with the local population to aid in military support, gun supplies, and "to help make sure that they have the rule of law, water projects, bridges built."

In 2007, Romney criticized then-candidate Barack Obama for stating that, as President, he would launch military strikes against "high-value terrorist targets" in Pakistan, even without the Pakistani government's approval. In 2011, after such a strike resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden, Romney said that, if he had been President, he would have done "exactly the same thing."

Russia

In 2012 Romney said that Russia is "without question, our number one geopolitical foe. They - they fight every cause for the world's worst actors." He called President Vladimir Putin "a real threat to the stability and peace of the world." Romney wants to "deter Russian ambitions" to its south by enhancing diplomatic ties, increasing military training and assistance, and negotiating trade pacts and educational exchanges with Central Asian states."

Romney has opposed ratification of New START, a bilateral nuclear arms reduction treaty between the United States and the Russian Federation, in part because he wishes to deploy defensive missiles on submarines. He has written that the idea of the abolition of nuclear weapons put forward by Ronald Reagan may not be realistic.

Syria

Romney released the following statement concerning Bashar al-Assad, the President of Syria, in August 2011:

It has taken President Obama far too long to speak out forcefully against Assad and his vicious crackdown in Syria. In the early stages of this crisis, the Obama Administration referred to Assad as a "reformer," which had the effect of emboldening Assad and discouraging the dissidents. America must show leadership on the world stage and work to move these developing nations toward modernity. This means using the bullhorn of the presidency and not remaining silent for too long while voices of freedom and dissent are under attack.

Romney would overturn the existing policy against sending arms to moderate elements of the Syrian opposition, rejecting the idea that they would pass the weapons on to Al-Queda.

U.S. place in the world

Romney's 2010 book, No Apology: The Case for American Greatness, expresses Romney's belief in American exceptionalism. Romney doesn't want the United States to "become like Europe."

On the other hand, The Economist found that, aside from rhetoric, Romney's stated foreign policy positions offer in many instances broad continuity with those of the Obama administration, and that Obama's policies have closely followed the path set by the Bush administration.

Romney believes China should provide direct humanitarian aid instead of indirect aid through the United States via loans.

Romney criticized at the time Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama for saying that in his first year as president, he would meet with the leaders of several nations hostile to the government of the United States, including Syria, North Korea, Cuba, and Iran. Stating an opposing viewpoint Romney said, "Having the president meet with the authoritarian tyrants of the world is remarkably poor judgment." Romney has recently charged that President Obama "went around the Middle East and apologized for America."

Venezuela

Romney has said that President Obama is "simply naive" to dismiss the threat Venezuela poses to the United States. As governor of Massachusetts, however, he praised a fuel pact with Venezuela that brought reduced-price oil to his state.

War in Afghanistan

Romney supported the War in Afghanistan. In 2011 he stated regarding Afghanistan:

I want those troops to come home based upon not politics, not based upon economics, but instead based upon the conditions on the ground determined by the generals … But I also think we have learned that our troops should not go off and try to fight a war of independence for another nation. Only the Afghanis can win Afghanistan’s independence from the Taliban.

In 2012, when Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta outlined a plan to withdraw U.S. combat troops by 2013 if possible, Romney criticized the announcement saying "“Why in the world do you go to the people that you’re fighting with and tell them the date you’re pulling out your troops?”" Romney's 2012 presidential election campaign site also criticizes President Barack Obama for announcing a timetable for withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan and reiterates his statement decisions will be made on advice from commanders from the field not electoral politics. Romney's latest stance is that he would maintain troop numbers through 2013, then pull out in 2014 as currently scheduled, with the possibility of remaining longer if needed.

War on Terror

Guantanamo Bay

During the debate in South Carolina held May 15, 2007 Romney stated that in his view "We ought to double" the Guantanamo Bay detention camp. He then went on to say, in reference to combatants captured in Iraq, "I want them in Guantanamo where they don't get the access to lawyers they get when they're on our soil. I don't want them in our prisons. I want them there."

In Romney's speech at the 2007 Iowa Republican Straw Poll, he praised the US military for not allowing prisoners to have judicial review of their cases.

Interrogation techniques

Romney opposes the use of torture; and supports the limited use of enhanced interrogation techniques to stop an imminent wide-scale terrorist attack. During the second Presidential debate, Romney supported the use of enhanced interrogation techniques in handling suspects at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, saying, ". . . enhanced interrogation techniques have to be used -- not torture but enhanced interrogation techniques, yes." When asked directly whether waterboarding was torture, Romney stated, "[A]s a presidential candidate, I don't think it's wise for us to describe specifically which measures we would and would not use. [...] And I get that advice from Cofer Black, who is a person who was responsible for counterterrorism in the CIA for some 35 years. I get that advice by talking to former generals in our military." According to Blackwater expert Jeremy Scahill, Romney advisor Cofer Black has been, "a key figure in the extraordinary rendition program, the government-sanctioned kidnap-and-torture program, where prisoners like Maher Arar are sent to third-country hellholes to be tortured."

War Powers

In the 2008 presidential debates, Romney left open whether it was always necessary for the US Congress to issue a declaration of war before engaging in military actions. Romney stated that if he were president he would consult with his lawyers before he came to a conclusive interpretation of the War Powers Clause in the US Constitution. In June 2012 during a Face the Nation interview Romney stated regarding military action against Iran: "I don’t believe at this stage, therefore, if I’m president that we need to have a war powers approval or special authorization for military force."

Role of culture in producing prosperity

In Romney's 2010 book No Apology, Romney concludes that culture and values play an important role in determining the prosperity and success of countries. He made similar statements during a visit to Israel in 2012, in which he compared the higher Israeli GDP to the Palestinian GDP, as well as Chile's GDP to Ecuador's GDP and Mexico's GDP to America's GDP, raising the ire of the Palestinian Authority who accused Romney of racism and of being out of touch, but he denied that he was criticizing Palestinian culture and instead was merely pointing out that "choices a society makes have a profound impact on the economy and the vitality of a society." Romney also mentioned in his speech a book written by former Harvard professor David Landes named The Wealth and Poverty of Nations, in which Landes concludes, "If you could learn anything from the economic history of the world it’s this: culture makes all the difference."

Social policy

Abortion and related issues

See also: Governorship of Mitt Romney

Legality of abortion

In a 1994 debate with Senator Ted Kennedy, Romney said: "One of the great things about our nation ... is that we're each entitled to have strong personal beliefs, and we encourage other people to do the same. But as a nation, we recognize the right of all people to believe as they want and not to impose our beliefs on other people. I believe that abortion should be safe and legal in this country. I have since the time that my mom took that position when she ran in 1970 as a U.S. Senate candidate. I believe that since Roe v. Wade has been the law for 20 years, that we should sustain and support it, and I sustain and support that law, and the right of a woman to make that choice, and my personal beliefs, like the personal beliefs of other people, should not be brought into a political campaign."

During the 2002 governor's race, Romney's platform stated, "As Governor, Mitt Romney would protect the current pro-choice status quo in Massachusetts. No law would change." The executive director of Massachusetts NARAL at the time, Melissa Kogut, stated that in her organization's endorsement interview with Romney, he was "emphatic that the Republican Party was not doing themselves a service by being so vehemently anti-choice."

The Boston Globe on July 26, 2005 quoted Romney saying, "I am pro-life. I believe that abortion is the wrong choice except in cases of incest, rape, and to save the life of the mother. I wish the people of America agreed, and that the laws of our nation could reflect that view. But while the nation remains so divided over abortion, I believe that the states, through the democratic process, should determine their own abortion laws and not have them dictated by judicial mandate." At the May 2007 Republican Presidential debate in South Carolina, Romney stated that "Roe v. Wade has gone to such an extent that we've cheapened the value of human life." He followed by saying "the people should make [the abortion] decision, not the court." Romney's spokesperson has indicated that had Romney been the governor of South Dakota, he would have signed into law the controversial law banning abortion, but he would include exceptions for cases of incest or rape, which the South Dakota law excludes.

In statements since leaving the governorship, Romney has expressed his opposition to "partial birth" abortion.

In 2011, Romney declined to sign a pro-life pledge sponsored by the Susan B. Anthony List to support legislation to end all taxpayer funding of abortion and to sign a law to "protect unborn children who are capable of feeling pain from abortion." The pledge also commits signers to nominate judges and appoint executive branch officials who are pro-life. Romney's spokeswoman said the pledge could have "unforeseen consequences" and that Romney could not "in good conscience sign it." Romney did not hesitate to explain his stance: "It is one thing to end federal funding for an organization like Planned Parenthood; it is entirely another to end all federal funding for thousands of hospitals across America," he wrote. "That is precisely what the pledge would demand and require of a president who signed it."

During the 2012 presidential campaign, Romney promised to nominate Supreme Court justices who would help overturn Roe v. Wade, allowing states to individually decide on the legality of abortion. His website states that he would "nominate judges who know the difference between personal opinion and the law."

Personhood legislation

Romney has expressed support for constitutional amendments at both the state and federal level guaranteeing constitutional protections to the unborn from the moment of fertilization. During the 2008 presidential campaign, Romney said that if elected president, he would support an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would legally define personhood as beginning at conception. In the 2012 presidential campaign, he said that, had he as governor been presented with a state constitutional amendment to define life as beginning at conception, he would have supported it.

Embryonic stem-cell research & human cloning

When he ran for governor in 2002, Romney strongly advocated stem-cell research, and he promised to lobby then-President George W. Bush to embrace it. During Romney's 2008 presidential campaign, he renounced his prior position and said that he agreed with Bush's decision to ban federal funding for research on excess embryos. He said that his views had been drastically altered in 2004 after discussing stem cell research with Douglas Melton, a stem cell researcher at Harvard University. The Harvard Stem Cell Institute was planning research that would have involved therapeutic cloning. According to Romney, Melton declared that the research "is not a moral issue because we kill the embryos at 14 days." "I looked over at Beth Myers, my chief of staff, and we both had exactly the same reaction, which is it just hit us hard," recalled Romney. "And as they walked out, I said, 'Beth, we have cheapened the sanctity of life by virtue of the Roe v. Wade mentality.'"

During his 2012 presidential campaign, Romney opposed research using cloned embryos created by implanting human DNA into donated eggs.

Civil liberties

Equality of opportunity (race & gender)

Romney cites both Martin Luther King, Jr. and his father George Romney as role models. In 2007, he stated he had seen the two men march together, but later recanted under pressure, stating he had 'seen' them march together only figuratively.

Romney has expressed support for decreasing barriers to entry into the workforce for women and minorities. He has expressed support for Muslims who face discrimination due to their religion.

Internet surveillance & protection of intellectual property rights

Romney denounced the SOPA bill, agreeing to some extent with Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum and Ron Paul, who oppose it also. Romney described the bill as "intrusive" and "too expensive".

Regulation of broadcast media

Romney was against reviving the Fairness Doctrine, which required broadcasters to devote some of their airtime to discussing controversial matters of public interest, and to air contrasting views regarding those matters. Romney said, "I'd veto it if it ever got to my desk. And I would fight against it vehemently. The effort to try to impose the Fairness Doctrine on radio stations is, if you will, censorship Democrat style. It basically says we're not going to let you keep talking about the things you want to talk about and the market wants to hear."

Censorship of pornography

Romney has denounced what he calls the "cesspool of obscenity known as pornography". At a commencement address before Regent University, the Evangelical Christian school founded by Pat Robertson, Romney said, "Pornography and violence poison our music and movies and TV and video games.... The Virginia Tech shooter, like the Columbine shooters before him, had drunk from this cesspool." In remarks to the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in 2008 Romney said that "tolerance for pornography, even celebration of it, and sexual promiscuity, combined with the twisted incentives of government welfare, have led to today's grim realities: 68 percent of African-American kids born out of wedlock, 45 percent of Hispanic kids, 25 percent of white kids."

During the campaign for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination, Romney promised that if elected president he would work to have a pornography filter installed in every new computer sold in the U.S. so that parents could ensure their children would not be exposed to internet pornography. He also said, "I am not pursuing an effort to try and stop adults from being able to acquire or see things that I find objectionable—that's their right—but I do vehemently oppose practices or business procedures that will allow kids to be exposed to obscenity."

Earlier in the campaign, conservatives such as Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council, the president of the American Family Foundation, and Daniel Weiss, media analyst for James Dobson's Focus on the Family had criticized Romney for not having done enough, in their view, to stop Marriott Hotels from selling access to hardcore pornography in their hotel rooms in the decade from 1992 to 2001 that Romney had served on the hotel chain's board. Romney told the Associated Press that he did not recall pornography having come up for discussion while he had served on the board; and he said that he was unaware of how much revenue the hotels may have generated from pornography.

In the 2012 presidential campaign, Romney vowed to demand vigorous enforcement of anti-pornography laws if elected president.

Crime and punishment

Romney supports sentencing under the three strikes law. Romney supports mandatory increases in sentencing for repeat drunk drivers and has supported a federal effort to curtail the drug trade in Colombia.

As Governor of Massachusetts, Romney announced plans to file a death penalty bill in early 2005. The bill, filed April 28, 2005, sought to reinstate the death penalty in cases that include terrorism, the assassination of law enforcement officials and multiple killings. Romney's legislation required the presence of scientific evidence such as DNA to sentence someone to death and a tougher standard of "no doubt" of guilt for juries to sentence defendants. This differs from the "beyond a reasonable doubt" standard used in traditional criminal cases. The legislation called for a pool of certified capital case lawyers to ensure proper representation for the accused and allowed jurors who do not personally support the death penalty to serve in the guilt phase of the trial. The bill was defeated in the Massachusetts House of Representatives by a vote of 100-53.

Education

Primary & secondary education

Romney supports offering school choice options such as charter schools, school-voucher programs for public and private schools, and home-schooling as an alternative to mandating that students continue to attend underperforming schools in the traditional public school system. He has called for performance-based pay for public-school teachers, along with bonuses for the best teachers, as an incentive to help improve the quality of education.

Romney has frequently blamed the influence of teachers unions for the failings of the public education system. He supports legislation championed by Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin and Governor John Kasich of Ohio stripping collective-bargaining rights from teachers and other public employees. He has stated that superintendents and principals should be able to fire teachers without regard for seniority. During a presidential primary debate in 2011, he said that efforts to reduce classroom size were a ploy by teachers unions to promote the hiring of more teachers; and he vowed, “as president, I will stand up to the National Teachers Unions.”

Romney has acknowledged that he has held different views over time on the federal government's role in education. During a debate in the 2008 presidential campaign, he said:

once upon a time, I said I wanted to eliminate the Department of Education. That was my position when I ran for Senate in 1994. That's very popular with the base. As I've been a governor and seen the impact that the federal government can have holding down the interest of the teachers' unions and instead putting the interests of the kids and the parents and the teachers first, I see that the Department of Education can actually make a difference. So I supported No Child Left Behind. I still do. I know there are a lot in my party that don't like it, but I like testing in our schools. I think it allows us to get better schools, better teachers; allows us to let our kids have the kind of hope that they ought to have.

However, during a presidential primary debate in 2011 he said, "education has to be held at the local and state level, not at the federal level. We need to get the federal government out of education."

During his Senate campaign in Massachusetts in 1994, Romney said that he would support federal funding to schools to teach the importance of family values, ethics, and personal economics, but that he was opposed to public schools' endorsing any specific religious beliefs or teaching prayer. More recently, during his presidential campaigns in 2007 and 2012, he said that while he was not seeking for teachers to lead their classes in prayer in public schools everyday, he did believe it to be appropriate for there to be public recognition of the Creator in public schools at graduation ceremonies, football games, and other school events, and he also said that he supported the display of religious symbols such as Nativity scenes in the public square during holidays.

As governor of Massachusetts in the mid 2000s, Romney opposed the teaching of creationism in public school science classes. He noted during an interview in 2007 that "If we’re going to talk about more philosophical matters, like why it was created, and was there an intelligent designer behind it, that’s for the religion class or philosophy class or social studies class."

Romney has supported abstinence-only sex education in public schools. In his run for the Senate in 1994, he said one of the programs that should be taught in schools was "the importance of getting married before having children." In the May 2007 South Carolina debate, Romney said he has always "fought for abstinence education."

College & other post-secondary education

Romney generally opposes federal financial aid for college and other post-secondary education. While campaigning for the presidency in 2012, he argued that students should not expect government handouts to fund their education. In response to a high school senior who had asked what kind of college tuition assistance Romney would seek to provide as president, Romney replied, “I know that it would be popular for me to stand up and say I’m going to give you government money to make sure you pay for your college. But I’m not going to promise that. What I’m going to tell you is shop around, get a good price.... Don’t take on too much debt, and don’t expect the government to forgive the debt that you take on. Recognize that you’re going to have to pay it back.” He similarly told a law student who had asked what kind of federal assistance might be available in a Romney presidency for graduate students struggling to repay education loans: “I wish I could tell you that there’s a place to find really cheap money or free money and we could pay for everyone’s education. That’s just not going to happen.” He encouraged young people to be entrepreneurially-minded and to take risks, even to consider borrowing money from their parents if necessary to further their careers.

Romney laid out some of his proposals for higher education reforms in May 2012. His platform called for simplification of the federal financial aid system, which he described as “needlessly complex.” He further proposed abolishing the current federal student lending system that was put in place by the Obama administration, under which the Department of Education makes loans directly to students; Romney proposed returning to the previous arrangement in which private banks and other third-party financial institutions would make the loans and be paid federal subsidies for the service.

He also proposed plans to “refocus Pell Grant dollars on the students that need them most.” While he did not provide details explaining how he would reform the Pell grant program, some commentators noted that Romney had been generally supportive of federal budget proposals offered by the Republican majority in the House of Representatives that would be likely to reduce the total number of students eligible to receive the grants.

Evolution

As Governor of Massachusetts, Romney supported the teaching of evolution, and opposed the teaching of intelligent design, in public school science classes, stating so in December 2005 during his term, and then in May 2007 – shortly after his term concluded – saying, "In my opinion, the science class is where to teach evolution, or if there are other scientific thoughts that need to be discussed. If we’re going to talk about more philosophical matters, like why it was created, and was there an intelligent designer behind it, that’s for the religion class or philosophy class or social studies class." Romney expressed his own views in May 2007 by saying, "I believe that God designed the universe and created the universe. And I believe evolution is most likely the process he used to create the human body. ... I’m not exactly sure what is meant by intelligent design. But I believe God is intelligent and I believe he designed the creation. And I believe he used the process of evolution to create the human body." He said that when faculty members interviewing him for an honors designation asked for his beliefs on the subject before his 1971 graduation from Brigham Young University, he told them that there was "[no conflict] between true science and true religion". At a May 2007 Republican Party presidential debate, Romney was not one of several candidates that raised their hands to indicate they did not believe in evolution.

Family

Mitt Romney has said that strong families are one of his three pillars, along with military and economy, for a strong America.

Gambling

As Governor of Massachusetts, Romney proposed that the state seek $75 million in "blocking payments" from casinos in Connecticut, and that, if the payments were not made, Massachusetts legalize casinos within its own borders.

In October 2011, Romney told the Las Vegas Sun that he had not yet taken a serious look at the issue of legalizing online poker, but that he would do so and state a position "[b]efore the caucuses come along". Just before the Republican caucuses in Nevada, Romney announced his opposition to online gambling, citing the "social costs and people’s addictive gambling habits."

Gun ownership

While campaigning to represent Massachusetts in the U.S. Senate in 1994, Romney supported the Brady Bill, which imposed a five-day waiting period on gun sales, and a ban on particular semi-automatic rifles. He said at the time, "That's not going to make me the hero of the NRA. I don't line up with the NRA." In 2002, during his campaign for the governorship, Romney said: "We do have tough gun laws in Massachusetts; I support them. I won't chip away at them; I believe they protect us and provide for our safety."

As governor of Massachusetts, in 2004 Romney signed a measure permanently extending a statewide ban on military-style assault weapons, such as AK-47's and Uzi's. At the bill-signing ceremony Romney said, "Deadly assault weapons have no place in Massachusetts.... These guns are not made for recreation or self-defense. They are instruments of destruction with the sole purpose of hunting down and killing people." Proponents of the state semi-automatic assault weapons ban had argued that its passage was necessary because a similar ban at the federal level was also expiring.

The bill also included several compromise measures sought by gun enthusiasts to lessen restrictions on lawful gun ownership, including an extension of the term of firearms licenses from 4 to 6 years, reinstatement of a 90-day grace period for citizens renewing expired firearms licenses, and establishment of a firearms license review board empowered to consider reinstating ownership status to those who had lost their licenses after having committed certain non-violent misdemeanors more than 5 years in the past.

In 2005, Governor Romney declared May 7 to be "Right to Bear Arms Day" in Massachusetts, that date having been chosen to coincide with the annual banquet of the Gun Owners' Action League (a Massachusetts gun rights advocacy organization affiliated with the National Rifle Association). Romney's top aides then began meeting almost monthly with members of the Gun Owners' Action League.

In August 2006, just before declaring his candidacy for the 2008 Republican nomination for president, Romney joined the National Rifle Association (NRA) as a lifetime member. Seeking the endorsement of the NRA, Romney made several statements during the campaign regarding his proficiency with and support for firearms:

"I purchased a gun when I was a young man. I've been a hunter pretty much all my life."

"Shooting rabbits single shot 22 is pretty hard."

"I have a gun of my own. I go hunting myself. I'm a member of the NRA and believe firmly in the right to bear arms. In our state . . . there are a series of laws restricting gun ownership in various ways. Over the past four years, I've worked very closely with the Gun Owners' Action League here, which is an affiliate of the NRA, and we've made some changes which I think they feel have been positive steps."

"So I'm a hunter and believe in Second Amendment rights, but I also believe that assault weapons are not needed in the public population."

The Associated Press reported in early 2007 that Romney's "hunting experience is limited to two trips at the bookends of his 60 years: as a 15-year-old, when he hunted rabbits with his cousins on a ranch in Idaho, and last year, when he shot quail on a fenced game preserve in Georgia," and that Romney had never sought a hunting license in any of the four states where he had resided. Romney replied by saying that he mainly hunted small game in Utah, where a license was not required. He also clarified that he did not 'own' a gun and said that one of his sons keeps two guns at the family vacation home in Utah.

In December 2007, still campaigning for the Republican presidential nomination, Romney summed up his general position on gun control at that time as: "we should check on the backgrounds of people who are trying to purchase guns. We also should keep weapons of unusual lethality from being on the street. And finally, we should go after people who use guns in the commission of crimes or illegally, but we should not interfere with the right of law-abiding citizens to own guns either for their own personal protection or hunting or any other lawful purpose." He also said that, had it come before him as president, he would have signed a renewal of the federal assault weapons ban that had expired. The following month, during a presidential primary debate, he noted that the federal assault weapons ban that he would have signed as president had failed in Congress, and he insisted that he would not support any new gun control legislation: "I do not believe we need new legislation. I do not support any new legislation of an assault weapon ban nature, including that against semiautomatic weapons. I instead believe that we have laws in place that if they're implemented and enforced, will provide the protection and the safety of the American people."

Romney continued to argue against any new gun control legislation during the 2012 presidential campaign, telling the NRA’s national convention that if elected president, he would “enforce current laws, not create new ones that only serve to burden lawful gun owners.”

In the wake of a mass-shooting of unarmed civilians in Aurora, Colorado in July 2012, Romney maintained in a series of interviews that he opposed any new gun control measures. Referring to the alleged perpetrator of the Aurora massacre, Romney said, “This person shouldn't have had any kind of weapons and bombs and other devices, and it was illegal for him to have many of those things already.... But he had them. And so we can sometimes hope that just changing the law will make all bad things go away. It won't.” (However, as reported by The Denver Post, authorities said that the suspect had passed the required background checks and had broken no laws when purchasing an assault-style rifle, a shotgun, and Glock handgun.)

Immigration

See also: Governorship of Mitt Romney § Illegal immigration

In 2006, Romney said he would like to see illegal immigrants register with the government, pay taxes, and apply for citizenship, but that they should not be given any priority or special treatment over immigrants who have applied for citizenship legally.

Romney favors increased legal immigration to the United States —today, roughly 1 million people per year— and opposes illegal immigration. In a speech to the Republican National Hispanic Assembly in 2007, Romney said, "I want to make sure we continue an open door in immigration." He supports the deportation of illegal immigrants, prioritizes a secure border as well as employer verification (E-Verify), and opposes granting amnesty to illegal immigrants. Romney supports giving "a biometrically-enabled and tamperproof card to non-citizens and a national database for non-citizens."

In 2012, Romney stated his opposition to the DREAM Act. He also supports using E-verify in the same manner it is applied by Arizona SB 1070 in Arizona. He proposes to deal with illegal immigrants currently in the country via "self-deportation," which he describes as a system where "people decide they can do better by going home because they can’t find work here because they don't have legal documentation to allow them to work here." When Romney was asked about President Obama's 2012 executive order on immigration policy, he responded by saying that he would put his own long-term solution in place at a later date, but that he would reveal his full policy on the subject at a later date.

LGBT rights

Prior to Romney's 2008 presidential campaign, he had a varied history regarding LGBT rights in the United States. During his 1994 senate campaign and 2002 Massachusetts gubernatorial campaign, Romney said he would have a better policy providing for domestic partnerships than his Democratic opponents. In 1994, Romney sent a letter to the Log Cabin Republicans saying that he would be a stronger advocate for gay rights in the Senate than his opponent at the time, Senator Edward M. Kennedy. His letter included the phrase "We must make equality for gays and lesbians a mainstream concern." In 2002, Romney spoke regarding domestic partnership benefits, saying, "All citizens deserve equal rights, regardless of their sexual orientation." Romney said that domestic partnership status should be recognized in a way that includes the potential for health benefits and rights of survivorship.

In 1994, Romney supported the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, but by 2006 he had changed his mind and opposed it because it would "unfairly penalize employers at the hands of activist judges."

Romney supported Bill Clinton's "Don't ask, don't tell" policy in 1994, and continued to do so in 2007. Romney said in 2007 that he thinks that the "Don't ask, don't tell" policy is working and he would not change it, especially in the middle of a war, and that "we have much bigger issues as a nation that we ought to be talking about than that policy right now."

In December, 2011, Romney told the Des Moines Register that now that the "Don't ask, don't tell" policy has been repealed, "I’m not planning on reversing that at this stage. I was not comfortable making the change during a period of conflict, due to the complicating features of a new program in the middle of two wars going on, but those wars are winding down, and moving in that direction at this stage no longer presents that problem.”

Romney has stated his support for traditional marriage and opposition to both same-sex marriage and civil unions, though he supports some domestic partnership benefits and (at the state level) supports anti-discrimination laws to protect gays and lesbians in the workplace.

As a candidate for governor in 2002, Romney said: "Call me old fashioned, but I don't support gay marriage nor do I support civil union." During that 2002 campaign, he also supported hate crimes legislation and opposed other discrimination against gays, while supporting some partner benefits for gays.

Also in 2002, Romney opposed a Massachusetts constitutional amendment that would have banned same-sex marriage and domestic partnerships because the amendment, which was supported by the Democratic leader Tom Finneran, would have prohibited domestic partnership benefits for gays and lesbians.

Romney said,

"Basically I see the provision of basic civil rights and domestic partnership benefits [as] a campaign against Tom Finneran. I see Tom Finneran and the Democratic leadership as having opposed the application of domestic partnership benefits to gay and lesbian couples and I will support and endorse efforts to provide those domestic partnership benefits to gay and lesbian couples."

In November 2003, the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled that the Massachusetts State Constitution requires that same-sex marriage be permitted under law; in response this time, Governor Romney supported a state constitutional amendment to forbid such marriages.

In 2006, Romney announced his support of the Federal Marriage Amendment, which would have federally defined marriage in the U.S. Constitution as the union of one man and one woman.

Romney said during his 2008 presidential campaign,

[M]y view on marriage has been entirely consistent over my political career. And that is that I oppose same-sex marriage. I also oppose civil unions . . . ever since [same-sex marriage] became a prominent [feature] in my state, with the decision of the Supreme Judicial Court, I have taken every action that I could conceive of within the bounds of the law to defend traditional marriage and to stop same-sex marriage . . . I've been to Washington to testify in favor of traditional marriage. I've written a letter to every U.S. senator on the topic . . . I believe that traditional marriage is right for the nurturing and development of children, but that I do not want to discriminate against gay people in employment or housing or other parts of their life.

In July 2011, Romney refused to sign a pledge opposing gay marriage, a pledge that was being circulated by "The Family Leader", a conservative Christian group in Iowa. On August 4, 2011, a month later, Romney signed the 2012 Presidential Pledge sponsored by the National Organization for Marriage. He has expressed support for gay adoption.

Medical marijuana

Romney opposes legalization of marijuana for medicinal use at both the state and federal level. He told attendees at a town hall forum in 2007, “I have the same position this week as I had last week: If you elect me President, I'm not going to allow legalization of marijuana. I'm going to fight it tooth and nail.

Social welfare

In 2005 Romney had joined a group of other governors in asking for additional flexibility in the way states could manage Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program funds and in January 2012 Romney called for increased state funding for child care so that the mothers of two-year-old children can "have the dignity of work". However in August 2012, he stated his opposition to Obama's plan to offer more flexibility to those states that move more people from welfare to work.

See also

• Republican Party presidential primaries, 2012
• Mitt Romney presidential campaign, 2012
• Political positions of Barack Obama

External links

• Issues at MittRomney.com (official campaign site)
• Research Collection at WhyRomney.com
• Issues at MittRomneyCentral.com
• Issues at On The Issues
• Issues at PoliticalJab.com
• Mitt Romney - campaign contributions
• Mitt Romney, Rising to a New Generation of Global Challenges, Foreign Affairs, July 1, 2007
• Mitt Romney's foreign policy issues at the Council on Foreign Relations
• Romney & environmental issues at the League of Conservation Voters, 2008