 | |
Presidency of Mitt Romney | |
|---|---|
| January 20, 2009 – January 20, 2017 | |
| Mitt Romney | |
| Cabinet | See list |
| Party | Republican |
| Election | |
| Seat | White House |
← Joe Lieberman • Barack Obama → | |
 | |
| Seal of the President. | |
The presidency of Willard Mitt Romney began at noon EST (17:00 UTC) on January 20, 2009, when Mitt Romney was inaugurated as the 44th president of the United States. Romney, a Republican from Massachussets, took office following a victory over Democratic nominee and Vice-President Al Gore. Four years later, in 2012, Romney defeated Democrat Joe Biden, a U.S. Senator from Delaware. He was the first Mormon U.S. President, and the fifth to come from the Commonwealth of Massachussets. Romney was succeded by Democrat Barack Obama of Hawaii, following his victory in the 2016 presidential election.
President Romney's first actions upon taking office concerned health care in the United States, he introduced a major piece of legislation, the American Health Care Reform Plan, nicknamed Romneycare, which attempted to provide health insurance for most citizens of the United States. Romney lead a careful foreign policy, being focused on non-violent means of solving crises in other nations and pulling American forces from Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria as well as decreases in military spending. Romney oversaw heavy across-the-board tax cuts, which many economists posed as the cause of the 2020-2022 recession. During the 2010 midterms Democrats regained the Senate and House majorities, forcing Romney to compromise with Congressional Democrats in terms of legislation. The Romney administration orchestrated the killing of Osama Bin Laden, the leader of Al-Queada and man responsible for the 9/11 attacks.
Upon re-election, Romney oversaw a complete withdrawal from Afghanistan. He vetoed legislation granting statehood to the District of Columbia, which failed after Democrats did not get a senatorial supermajority required to override a Presidential veto. Romney nominated four Supreme Court justice, most of them moderates. Romney signed into law a bi-partisan bill closing the American base at Guantanamo Bay. After the 2016 Republican National Convention Mitt Romney threw his support behind Senator Ted Cruz.