Matthew Whitaker in 2014 Iowa Senate Debates

On Foreign Policy: No foreign aid to countries that don't like us

A: I don't think we should send foreign aid to countries that don't like us. It's that simple. I think if you look at whether the foreign aid is going to Egypt or the UN, we need to really take a careful look at where we're sending our tax dollars and the regimes we're supporting.

On Education: Common Core is one-size-fits-all, top-down solution

Common Core is becoming a wedge issue within the Republican primary. Opponents have pointed out that Common Core standards were pushed out into the states without legislative grants of approvals through a competitive grant program, Race to the Top, that wasn't authorized by Congress in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

On Budget & Economy: Top priority: Grow the economy

"Jobs and economy," said State Senator Joni Ernst.

"Balancing the budget," answered former State Attorney Matt Whitaker.

"Grow the economy," said Dr. Sam Clovis.

With an ever growing list of Republican candidates the biggest challenge, right now, may be standing out in a crowded field. "I want to go to Washington not as a career politician, but as a citizen legislator. The laws that I work on will apply to me when I'm done, since I've taken a term limit pledge to only serve two terms," Whitaker said.

"I am certainly not the status quo, and I won't represent the status quo. The American people are sick of that, and they want real change, by real people, who will do things that will really change this country and get it back on track," Clovis said.

On Civil Rights: My faith requires me to support traditional marriage

Whitaker also said he was for traditional marriage. He took a shot at Schaben saying that he disagreed with him, and that his faith does not allow him to hold that position. "If we start saying there are more important things than life and marriage we might as well elect a Democrat," Whitaker stated.

On Education: Common Core is cram-it-down-your-throat reform

Whitaker also opposes the Common Core. "The Federal government does not belong in education," Whitaker said. He described the Common Core as a "one-size-fits-all, cram-it-down-your-throat" reform. He said that lawmakers should be focused on school choice instead.

On Principles & Values: OpEd: disagrees with entire liberal laundry list

On Social Security: No hope that Social Security will be there for future

"Let's be clear about this," Whitaker said, "my generation, my children that are here tonight, Social Security is a tax. Medicare is a tax. There is no hope that Social Security as it currently exists will be there be for me . or for anyone of our generation."

On Energy & Oil: Cap-and-trade proposal stifles the American dream

Source: Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier on 2014 Iowa Senate race Sep 23, 2013