Mitt Romney Denies Massachusetts Law Required Catholic Hospitals To Offer Morning-After Pill (VIDEO)

WASHINGTON -- In 2005, then Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney reluctantly supported a law requiring all hospitals in the state -- including Catholic ones -- to provide the morning-after pill to rape victims. Romney denied this when CNN's John King brought it up on Wednesday night.

"There was no requirement in Massachusetts for the Catholic Church to provide morning-after pills to rape victims," Romney said. "That was entirely voluntary on their part. There was no such requirement. Likewise in Massachusetts' health care bill. There's a provision in Massachusetts general laws that says people don't have to have coverage for contraceptives or other type of medical devices, which are contrary to their religious teachings."

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich piped up to contradict Romney.

"Well, the reports we got were quite clear, that the public health department was prepared to give a waiver to Catholic hospitals about a morning-after abortion pill, and that the governor's office issued explicit instructions saying that they believed it wasn't possible under Massachusetts law to give them that waiver," he said. "Now, that was the newspaper reports that came out. That's something both Senator Santorum and I have raised before."

Romney initially vetoed the law, then dropped his opposition after the Democratic state legislature overturned his veto. In a release on Wednesday evening, the Romney campaign stressed that Romney defended religious liberty, citing his support for allowing religious institutions to supervise adoptions.

 

 

Comments

[akrazyrunner]

09:05 AM on 02/23/2012

"You know I've often thought about becoming a golf club"

[Mayn0001]

01:33 AM on 02/23/2012

Oh Please!!!!!!
This guy is such a seriously serial flip flopper it
isn't even worth mentioning anymore......

Except, it is..........
FLIP
Flop
Flip
FLOP
FLIP
Flop
Flip
FLOP
FLIP
Flop
Flip
FLOP
FLIP
Flop
Flip
FLOP
FLIP
Flop
Flip
FLOP

[AuntSam]

01:26 AM on 02/23/2012

Interesting to see if CNN calls Romney out on his lies, he lied about Obama not sanctioning Iran too.

And I too would like to know what's the deal with Paul and Romney. This past few days many reports have come out about how the two have 'bonded'. And it sure was obvious tonight. You can bet that Romney is salivating after Paul's delegates. And Paul keeps talking about dealing for what he wants, so are we looking at VP Ron Paul? I can't imagine his supporters would be on board, 'cuz that would me mega sellout. Will be interesting.

[BrutusHonestus]

12:44 AM on 02/23/2012

Only in the parallel GOP universe

. . . if a Catholic woman wants to use birth control, it is between her and her God

. . . If a non-Catholic woman wants to use birth control, it is between her employer and her employer's moral views of contraception

[mdlt]

11:46 PM on 02/22/2012

why does this shock anyone?

[mrJJ]

11:26 PM on 02/22/2012

Lie: Mitt Romney denies ever mandating contraception in religious hospitals in 2005

The Facts: Mitt Romney told a huge lie when he claimed that he never mandated that religious hospitals provide birth control. The truth is that in 2005 as governor of Massachusetts Romney signed a bill that mandated emergency contraception be provided in religious hospitals. At the time Romney said, “In my personal view, it’s the right thing for hospitals to provide information and access to emergency contraception to anyone who is a victim of rape.” Now according to Mitt those comments in 2005 never happened.

[PatA]

12:30 AM on 02/23/2012

His nose is growing so fast that he's gonna have to tuck it into his pants.

[Mayn0001]

01:35 AM on 02/23/2012

Oh dear gawd NOoooo! Not his majic underwear pants!!!!!!!!!
It could mean the end of the universe!!!!

[durof1]

11:04 PM on 02/22/2012

Why is that these dimwits have not opened their mouth to denounce insurance cos for paying for viagra and/or cialis ???????????? Why are so they hung up on a woman's body that they want to stick their noses in our bodies ???????

[Re-thinkit]

10:58 PM on 02/22/2012

He'd deny his own mother if it would get him elected.

[lw1]

10:47 PM on 02/22/2012

When they lose in November, I hope they do the reality show circuit!

[DeTex]

10:25 PM on 02/22/2012

It is completely inaccurate to portray Mitt as a flip-flopper. He is miles beyond that. He's a shape-shifter.

[Mayn0001]

01:37 AM on 02/23/2012

Hmmmmmm, you may have a valid point there DeTex.