Romney stated that he would repeal what he refers to as "Obamacare," on "my first day if elected president of the United States." Luis Fortuño's position on President Obama's initiative was to side with his Republican counterparts. On 24 February 2010, he stated in an interview with the local press that Obama's proposal would have unfortunate results for Puerto Rico." A year later, Fortuño joined with other Republican governors, signing a letter that asked for the "full repeal of the Affordable Care Act." Economic crisis In a televised speech on 3 March 2009, 60 days after having been sworn in, Governor Fortuño announced his fiscal and economic recovery plan which included reducing the government's annual expenditures by more than $2 billion at the start of the next fiscal year in July 2009. Media speculation estimated that a reduction of such magnitude could require permanently laying off up to 30,000 government workers. On 1 May 2009, a mass of workers marched through the streets of San Juan in response to the governor's plan, protesting the government's preparation for impending layoffs. Most of the frustration of the Puerto Rican constituents was due to the then candidate Luis Fortuno swearing that he would not lay off a single employee yet in his 3 March speech he warned that the $3.2 billion deficit he encountered might require laying off over 20,000-30,000 government employees. On 15 October 2009, thousands of Puerto Rican workers and supporters gathered for what organizers tried to pass as a "general strike" over government budget cuts. Puerto Rico's unemployment rate exceeded 16.7 percent in June, 2010, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Fortuño administration expected the layoffs to propel that rate to 17.1 percent (the unemployment rate for April 2010 was 17.2). On 26 August 2010, teachers unions staged one day walkout to protest what they say was Fortuño' plans to privatize employee pensions, a shortage of teachers and the deterioration of the school system. The walkout was the largest labor protest in public schools on the island since a 10-day strike in 2008 as teachers demanded improved wages and working conditions. The University of Puerto Rico's administration under Fortuño attempted to enforce a $800 quota on students which led to the 2010–2011 University of Puerto Rico strikes. As a result of all the cost-cutting measures taken during his first two years in office, and the approval of