Iowa Governor Chet Culver, a Democrat, is criticizing Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney for not presenting a federal healthcare plan Romney said during a stop in Iowa Wednesday, that expanding healthcare should be left up to the states. Culver says that isn’t going to sit well with Iowans.
"We’ve waited long enough," Culver says, "the federal government has to play a role. Even in states like Iowa, where we’re doing very well, they still have to partner with us and step up to the plate." As Governor of Massachusetts, Romney signed legislation forcing most residents to purchase health insurance and it also offered assistance to the low income residents. Romney says other states should be allowed to come up with their own plans and not look to the federal government.
Culver doesn’t agree."I believe that will be an issue that Iowans take exception with if he continues to believe that," according to Culver. He says the states have to use the resources of the federal government "to help solve this crisis in America." Culver says most states cannot afford to cover all of the uninsured without federal assistance. There are roughly 250,000 Iowans without healthcare coverage, and 45 million nationwide.