Rick Santorum in Fox Business 2015 GOP primary debate
On Free Trade:
FactCheck: Several other candidates support EXIM Bank too
Santorum said, "I'm a supporter of the EXIM bank. Everybody else in the entire field is opposed to it." Is that true? Santorum refers to the Export-Import Bank, a federal agency which fosters export financing. Oppose EXIM Bank:- Ted Cruz (R-TX),
8/2015: EXIM Bank is corporate welfare
- Rand Paul (R-KY), 3/2012: EXIM Banks subsidizes multinationals
- Bernie Sanders (D-VT), 6/2015: EXIM Bank is corporate welfare to multinationals
- Donald Trump (R-NY), 8/2015, EXIM Bank is feather-bedding for
politicians
- Carly Fiorina (R-CA), 7/2014, EXIM Bank is marriage between big government & big business
Support EXIM Bank:- Jeb Bush (R-FL), 9/2007: Secured $74M EXIM bank loan for exports to Nigeria
- Hillary Clinton (D-NY), 11/2014, EXIM
Bank is tool for competitive exporting
- Martin O`Malley (D-MD), 7/2014: Reauthorize EXIM Bank
- Lindsey Graham (R-SC), 7/2015, Voted for renewing charter of the EXIM Bank
Conclusion: Santorum is wrong no matter which party or group you look at.
Source: OnTheIssues FactCheck on 2015 Fox Business/WSJ GOP debate
Nov 11, 2015
On Budget & Economy:
Over-taxation and over-regulation shut down our economy
The Fed is protecting a president that is over-taxing and over-regulating, shutting down this economy. And they're keeping it up like Atlas, trying to hold up the Earth with ridiculously low interest rates. And it's hurting American seniors,
who are seeing no Social Security. This is hurting the people who have acted responsibly, all in favor of those who are speculators and those on Wall Street. It's not a good deal for the majority of responsible Americans.
They have almost become the most powerful entity in Washington, DC. We need to repeal Dodd-Frank, get away that authority from the Fed and put them under more scrutiny.
Source: Fox Business/WSJ Second Tier debate
Nov 10, 2015
On Corporations:
No bailouts: I'm a capitalist, not a corporatist
Q: Back in 2008, you opposed the use of federal bailout funds for automakers as proposed then by the Bush administration. The automakers survived. In retrospect, do you still think that was the right position?SANTORUM:
Absolutely. I'm a capitalist, not a corporatist. I'm not someone who believes we should be bailing out corporations whether their auto industries, or banks.
The auto industry would have survived through a bankruptcy process, instead of Washington picking a winner and a loser. And, in this case, the losers are the bondholders, and the winners were the unions.
That's fine. They did it, the unions survived. We have not survived in continuing to grow manufacturing jobs. We have a president, and an economy right now, that is choking our ability to be able to compete.
Source: 2015 Fox Business/WSJ Second Tier GOP debate
Nov 10, 2015
On Families & Children:
This campaign is all about two words: "Working Families"
This campaign has all been about two words for me, working families. We have to start making things in America again. We need a president who is going to talk about the dignity of being a welder.
The dignity of being a carpenter, about going to work and earning success. Also, the importance of fathers, and mothers raising their children.
Source: Fox Business/WSJ Second Tier debate
Nov 10, 2015
On Free Trade:
Export financing to level playing field for US manufacturers
I'm one of the few people up here who actually believes that we need a level playing field when it comes to manufacturing. That means a good tax code, a good regulatory environment, low energy prices, better opportunities for workers to get training,
and, also, I'm a supporter of the EXIM bank. Everybody else on this stage, everybody else, I think, in the entire field, is opposed to it.How can you come out and say "I'm for manufacturing" when a majority of Republican congressmen and senators
supported the EXIM bank because it means jobs for American workers here in America. The fact is that we've seen already G.E. lose jobs here in America, and just move those jobs to France and Hungary. We have a right as a country to compete with other
countries that have export financing. Every major manufacturer, 60 countries, competes against America, wants to take our jobs, and we have every Republican candidate tying one hand behind our back and saying "go out and compete."
Source: 2015 Fox Business/WSJ Second Tier GOP debate
Nov 10, 2015
On Health Care:
Let veterans go to private hospitals instead of VA hospitals
The bottom line is the V.A. is antiquated. There's no need for a V.A. healthcare system as it existed after World War--why? Because we have the best private healthcare system in the world. Government didn't keep its promises to its veterans.
Number one, we need to allow veterans to go to private sector hospitals for their routine and ordinary care to get the best care in their community possible.
Source: Fox Business/WSJ Second Tier debate
Nov 10, 2015
On Homeland Security:
Commander-in-chief is not an entry-level position
Barack Obama doesn't stand behind our men and women in uniform here at home because he hasn't stood behind them overseas. We need a commander in chief who has a vision and plan of how we're going to execute the national security of our country.
Commander in chief is not an entry level position. Experience matters, and that's why I would ask for your support as a Commander in Chief, because I have the experience against the enemy.
Source: Fox Business/WSJ Second Tier debate
Nov 10, 2015
On Jobs:
Jobs are open in manufacturing but no skilled workers
I was told there are 250,000 welder jobs open in America, jobs paying anywhere from $50,000 to $70,000 a year. We have to start doing something about training and employing people who are sitting on the sidelines because they don't see a path.
And we have a president who thinks everybody has to go to college. People need to go to work and we need to provide opportunities for them to go to work out of high school.
Source: Fox Business/WSJ Second Tier debate
Nov 10, 2015
On Principles & Values:
I'm a real conservative who won in a blue state
Gov. Bobby JINDAL: If politicians say they're going to be conservative, they say they're going to cut spending but they don't do it, why should we send them to DC? Let's elect a conservative to the White House, not just any Republican.
Gov. Chris CHRISTIE: We need someone who knows how to beat Democrats in a Democratic area. I've done it twice as governor of New Jersey.
SANTORUM: This is a real legitimate debate between Chris and Bobby:
Chris says we need someone who can win in a blue state, and Bobby says we need a real principled conservative. [Holds out arms offering himself as meeting both criteria]. 92% conservative voting record. I was actually the author of welfare reform,
which is the only time we've ever seen a federal entitlement actually cut. We cut it. You want someone who can win Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Ohio, with a conservative message, I'm your guy.
Source: 2015 Fox Business/WSJ Second Tier GOP debate
Nov 10, 2015
On Tax Reform:
20% flat tax on all income of all types
Q: What is the highest percentage, all in, in the way of taxes, that any American should have to pay and what is the lowest? I'd like to to hear from each of you. SANTORUM: I have a 20 percent flat tax. That's on all income--so capital gains,
corporations, individuals, 20 percent. I think that's a fair number. I don't allow for deductibility of state and local taxes, which will require state and local taxes to go down. So the answer is, 20 percent and probably 33 percent overall.
Gov. JINDAL: Under our tax plan, the top rate is 25%, [then for the middle class] 10%, [then everyone else pays] 2%.
Gov. CHRISTIE: Our plan puts forward a rate of 28% for those who are making the most and 8% on the low end. We get rid of all
deductions except for the home mortgage interest deduction and the charitable contribution deduction. That means getting rid of the state and local income tax deduction.
Source: Fox Business/WSJ Second Tier debate
Nov 10, 2015
On Technology:
Get federal government out of the infrastructure business
Q: Nearly one in four bridges in the National Highway System is structurally deficient, or obsolete. Congress is working on a six year highway bill to try to fix this problem. It only funds it for about three years.
Should Americans be asked to pay more in federal gas taxes in order to address this problem?
SANTORUM: We need to get the federal government out of this infrastructure business, other than vital economic highways. It has been said that if we cut the gas tax to
3 to 5 cents and send the rest back to the states, and just take care of the federal infrastructure that's vital for our economy. We don't need the federal government and the road business that it is today.
Source: 2015 Fox Business/WSJ Second Tier GOP debate
Nov 10, 2015
On Welfare & Poverty:
Going to work while on welfare loses money
The problem with the tax code today, is if you go back to work, you lose welfare benefits, you're losing money. That means we have incentivized people not to marry. Mom will lose welfare benefits if she marries father.
It's not just mom going back to work, but it's mother and father marrying to form a more stable family for that child to be raised in a two-parent family. We need to adopt a tax code that says we're going to be pro-family and pro-work.
Source: Fox Business/WSJ Second Tier debate
Nov 10, 2015
Page last updated: Dec 07, 2018