Romney reinforces his support for women, points to record

close

Video

Mitt Romney previews his big week

Republican presidential candidate on 'Fox News Sunday'

Mitt Romney on Sunday defended his support of women, pointing to his record as Massachusetts governor and his stance on female health issues.

In a wide-ranging interview with “Fox News Sunday,” Romney said the health care reform laws he signed as governor improved access to health care “for all the men and women” in the state without cutting Medicare or raising taxes, as President Obama has done.

“I’m very proud of what we did. And we did it without cutting Medicare, which obviously affects a lot of women,” Romney said. “The way the president cut Medicare, $716 billion for current retirees, that's a real problem.”

The concern about women’s issues continues in a close election in which Democrats have attempted to portray Republicans as waging a war on women and with Obama having a higher approval rating among likely female voters.

An ABC News-Washington Post poll last week showed Romney’s favorability with women at 40 percent, compared to 51 percent for Obama.

The issue resurfaced when GOP Rep. Todd Akin, the GOP candidate in the Senate race in Missouri, recently made a remark about “legitimate rape.”

Romney again distanced himself from Akin and the remark, calling the remark “terrible” and saying he has asked Akin to quit the race.

Romney also told Fox News the abortion debate goes beyond being exclusively a women’s issue because all Americans are impacted.

“Different people have different views,” he said. “Two lives are at stake. There’s a woman’s and a child’s. I care for both of them.”

The GOP presidential candidate also said “people should have a right to use contraception.”

Romney also defended his bank accounts in Switzerland and the Cayman Islands and questions about why he didn’t close them before the campaign to avoid the widespread speculation and criticism.

He said the accounts are legal, yield no additional tax benefits and were opened by a blind trust.

“There was not $1 in reductions by virtue of having (those) accounts,” he said before suggesting that closing them would be like being opposed to foreign investment.

“I could have done that,” Romney said. “I’m not going to hide who I am.”