Romney Campaign Press Release - What "Change" Means in the Obama Economy

"Last night in Michigan, President Obama told a campaign audience what ‘change is' in the Obama economy. But after three years of high unemployment, skyrocketing energy prices, and less affordable health care, Michiganders and all Americans can't afford any more of the ‘change' that President Obama is delivering." —Andrea Saul, Romney Campaign Spokesperson

Last Night, President Obama Claimed "Change Is" His Energy Policy — But Gas Prices Have More Than Doubled On His Watch:

President Obama, Last Night: "Change Is The Decision We Made To Stop Waiting For Congress To Do Something About Our Oil Addiction..." OBAMA: "Change is the decision we made to stop waiting for Congress to do something about our oil addiction and finally raise fuel-efficiency standards on cars. With the agreement of the auto industry, by the next -- by the middle of the next decade, we will be driving American-made cars, better than ever, that get 55 miles to a gallon. That saves the typical family over $8,000 at the pump, helps the environment. That's what change is." (President Barack Obama, Remarks, Dearborn, MI, 4/18/12)

Under President Obama, Gas Prices Have More Than Doubled From The Nationwide Average Of $1.85 Per Gallon When He Was Sworn Into Office To $3.92 Per Gallon Today. (U.S. Energy Information Administration, www.eia.gov, Accessed 4/19/12)

NBC's Chuck Todd, On President Obama's Energy Policy: "He's Made No Progress." TODD: "There is no issue that has been a, I guess, a bigger bust for the president than energy policy in general. There's a lot of, we can come up with a lot of excuses as to why, but boy, it's just like you can't — he's made no progress." (MSNBC's "The Daily Rundown," 2/23/12)

President Obama Claimed "Change Is" Obamacare — But His Plan Increases Health Care Costs And Will Cause People To Lose Employer-Provided Coverage:

President Obama, Last Night: "Change Is Health Care Reform That We Passed After A Century Of Trying." OBAMA: "Change is health care reform that we passed after a century of trying. Because of your commitment, here in the United States of America, nobody has to go broke because they get sick." (President Barack Obama, Remarks, Dearborn, MI, 4/18/12)

Obamacare Has Made Health Care "Less Affordable" And Has Caused "Insurance Premiums To Rise." "At the moment, the new law is making health care slightly less affordable. Independent health care experts say the law has caused some insurance premiums to rise. As we wrote in October, the new law has caused about a 1 percent to 3 percent increase in health insurance premiums for employer-sponsored family plans because of requirements for increased benefits. Last year's premium increases cast even more doubt on another promise the president has made - that the health care law would 'lower premiums by up to $2,500 for a typical family per year.'" (D'Angelo Gore, "Promises, Promises," Factcheck.org, 1/4/12)

According To The Nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, Obamacare Could Cause As Many As 20 Million Americans To Lose Their Employer-Provided Coverage. "A Congressional Budget Office report issued this week says that 3 million to 5 million people could move from employer-based health care plans to government-based programs as the Affordable Care Act takes effect. And in the worst-case scenario, it could be as many as 20 million." (David Nather, "Health Care Reform: 4 Inconvenient Truths," Politico, 3/16/12)

President Obama Claimed "Change Is" His Policies That Affect The Cost Of College — But Tuition Costs Are At "An All-Time High" And Graduates Are Struggling To Find Jobs:

President Obama, Last Night: "Change Is" Helping Students With College. OBAMA: "Change is the fight we won to stop handing out over $60 billion in taxpayer giveaways to banks who are managing the student loans — give that money directly to the students. And now you've got millions of students all across America who are benefitting with higher student loans, help — more help." (President Barack Obama, Remarks, Dearborn, MI, 4/18/12)

Employment Among Young Adults Is At The Lowest Level "Since The Government Started Keeping Records In 1948." "How hard has the Great Recession hit young adults in the U.S.? According to a report released Thursday by the Pew Research Center, only 54.3% of young adults aged 18 to 24 have a job. It's the lowest rate since the government started keeping records in 1948." (Josh Sanburn, "Fewest Young Adults In 60 Years Have Jobs," Time, 2/9/12)

• "Young Americans Graduating From High School And College Over The Last Several Years Have Been Confronting One Of The Worst Job Markets In Decades." (Josh Sanburn, "Fewest Young Adults In 60 Years Have Jobs," Time, 2/9/12)

Over The Past Year, The Cost Of College Has Increased By More Than 8% At Schools Across The Country. "Public four-year universities charged residents an average of $8,244, up 8.3% from last year, while public two-year schools charged an average of $2,963, up 8.7%, says the report by the non-profit College Board. About 80% of the nation's undergraduates attend public institutions." (Mary Beth Marklein, "Tuition And Fees Rise More Than 8% At U.S. Public Colleges," USA Today, 10/25/11)

The Cost Of College Is Currently At "An All-Time High." "Nationally, the cost of a full credit load has passed $8,000, an all-time high. Throw in room and board, and the average list price for a state school now runs more than $17,000 a year, according to the twin annual reports on college costs and student aid published Wednesday by the College Board." (Justin Poe, "College Prices Up Again As States Slash Budgets," The Associated Press, 10/26/11)