Rick Santorum
Richard John "Rick" Santorum was born in 1958 in Winchester, Virginia and grew up mainly outside Pittsburgh. The second of three children, Santorum had a strong Catholic upbringing by his mother who was a nurse, and his father who was a psychologist. Santorum received undergraduate and law degrees from Penn State, and an M.B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh. Santorum served as a US senator from Pennsylvania from 1995 to 2007, and a US congressman before that. After leaving the Senate in 2007, he started working at a conservative think tank as a consultant. He is married with 7 kids, the youngest of whom is a special-needs child. Santorum ran for president in 2012 as a republican candidate, but was the runner-up to Mitt Romney. In 2015, he announced his plans to seek the Republican nomination for the 2016 presidential election. This time around, Santorum's poll numbers have been consistently low, but he is optimistic he can gain momentum three weeks out.
Tax Reform
The 20/20 Flat Tax Plan
- Repeal the tax code
- 20% flat tax on individual income, with no marriage penalty, death tax, alternative minimum tax
- 20% flat tax on business income
- Dramatically downsize the IRS
- Deductible capital investments
- Fully Repeal Obamacare
Jobs and Business Policy
The Santorum Economic Plan
- Increase minimum wage by $0.50 per year for three years
- Provide companies with a 100% income exemption to be phased out over two years, with tax deductions for capital investments
- Audit the Federal Reserve
- "Fewer than 1% of Americans earn minimum wage; let it go up." [1]
- "GOP must focus on opportunities for middle and lower class." [2]
Health Policy
- Pro life
Drug Policy
Middle East
Trade
- Negotiate Free Trade Agreements
Immigration
Illegal Immigration
- Seal the Mexican border with an American-made wall
- Rescind Obama-Biden measure that allows for executive amnesty
- Veto legislation that creates amnesty
Legal Immigration
- Reduce legal immigration by 25%
- Implement biometric tracking system for every immigrant who enters the States
- End automatic citizenship for children born to illegal immigrants in the United States
