Video: Mitt Romney on the 20th Anniversary of a Landmark Health Care Law

In this special episode of The Bulwark, Jonathan Cohn interviews former Massachusetts Governor and U.S. Senator Mitt Romney on the 20th anniversary of the landmark 2006 state health care law, which he championed and signed into law. The conversation reflects on how a conservative Republican governor forged a rare bipartisan alliance with liberal Democrats—including Senator Ted Kennedy—to pass a comprehensive health care reform that expanded insurance coverage without raising taxes. Romney recounts how the idea was sparked by a conversation with Staples founder Tom Stenberg, and how the state leveraged existing funds for uncompensated hospital care to subsidize private insurance. He emphasizes the law’s core principles: individual responsibility, market-based incentives, and data transparency. Romney also reflects on the political evolution of the Republican Party, expressing concern over the decline of bipartisanship, the influence of social media, and the rise of ideological extremism on both sides. He argues that stability and compromise are essential for effective governance and economic confidence, and while hopeful for a future resurgence of pragmatic conservatism, he remains skeptical in the short term. The episode serves as both a nostalgic look at a historic achievement and a sobering commentary on today’s polarized political climate.