In 1999, I was serving as honorary chairman of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City and the games were headed downhill fast. We faced an operating budget that was almost $400 million in the red and the Olympic Committee was mired in scandal.
That is when I was first introduced to Mitt Romney, who was brought in to serve as chief executive officer of the Games. He took the job on a volunteer basis and wasted no time reorganizing the committee.Within three years he had eliminated its massive debt.
Ultimately, Romney presided over one of the most successful Games in history, despite the challenges that came with being held just months after one of our darkest days as a nation: Sept. 11, 2001. That meant something to me. At the time I was serving as speaker of the House and my name was tied to those Games. It was because of Romney that a potential extraordinary embarrassment became an incredible source of pride for our nation.
A few years later Romney ran for governor of Massachusetts, a state where Democrats outnumbered Republicans by nearly 3 to 1. What he did while in office won my deep respect.
In just a single term, he reduced spending while delivering tax relief and closing tax loopholes. He eliminated the $3 billion deficit that he inherited when he took office and left the state with a surplus of $700 million. He did it with a state legislature controlled by Democrats.
Throughout my time in public office, I stressed the importance of electing leaders who will work to bring people together to find solutions and get things done for their constituents. Voters elect candidates to office to achieve results. They want leaders who stand by their principles, but also work to find common ground for the greater good — and that is what Romney did as governor.
During my eight years as speaker, we had some pretty incredible accomplishments. We aggressively pursued the war on terror, delivered the two largest tax relief packages in our history, introduced accountability to our school system and made prescription drug coverage available to seniors under Medicare.
Our nation faces serious challenges that require strong leadership. We must elect a president who understands how to create good jobs and grow the economy, who will place priority on securing our nation’s borders and making health care more accessible, and who will remain steadfast in fighting terrorism.
It was with those thoughts in mind that I met with Romney last year to discuss his run for president. I walked away from that meeting more impressed than ever with his vision for our country. He showed himself to be a man that I would be proud to call my president, and I endorsed him shortly thereafter.
We need an executive who can get things done. My experience tells me we need Mitt Romney.
