Pat Toomey in 2016 PA Senate race

On Abortion: Great news that employer can withhold contraceptive coverage

McGinty: Yes

Toomey: No

Q: On Abortion: Should abortion be highly restricted?

McGinty: No

Toomey: Yes

Q: On Contraception: Should employers be able to withhold contraceptive coverage from employees if they disagree with it morally?

McGinty: No

Toomey: Yes. Viewed Supreme Court decision to allow this as "great news."

On Government Reform: Voter ID law protects integrity of the system

McGinty: No. Supports extending early voting days and eliminating voter ID laws.

Toomey: Yes. Defended PA voter ID law that was later struck down by a court, arguing that requirements were minimal. Stated that PA's voter ID law had easy-to-meet requirements that protected the integrity of the system. Opponents argued that the law disenfranchised large numbers of otherwise eligible voters.

On Gun Control: Expand background checks and apply terrorist watch lists

McGinty: Yes

Toomey: Yes. Selective support of greater restrictions. History of high ratings from gun rights groups and opposition to gun control efforts. Since Sandy Hook, has supported expanding background checks and preventing those on terrorist watch list from purchasing guns.

On Corporations: AdWatch: Fights against corporate welfare & giant handouts

Anti-Wall Street and anti-corporate themes have coursed through TV ads in Pennsylvania's neck-and-neck Senate race, while both Toomey and McGinty have tried to position themselves as a fighter for the middle class. Democrats have labeled Toomey as a "millionaire" former investment banker who defends tax subsidies for oil exploration companies and advances Wall Street's agenda in the Senate. In turn, a new Toomey campaign TV ad says the freshman senator "fights against corporate welfare, big bank bailouts and giant corporate handouts" while saying McGinty "gamed the corporate welfare system to line her own pockets."

On Energy & Oil: Corn ethanol is corporate welfare that hurts oil refineries

McGinty supports the use of corn ethanol as a renewable fuel that can replace the need for some fossil fuels, according to her campaign. A 2007 federal law requires companies to blend billions of gallons of ethanol into their gasoline.

Toomey has co-sponsored legislation that would kill the fuel-blending requirement that is typically satisfied by corn ethanol, but leave intact a separate requirement for refiners to blend in different renewable additives, albeit at smaller amounts.

On Immigration: Withhold community funding from sanctuary cities like Philly

As one of his first acts in office in January, Kenney reinstituted the city policy that bars police and prison officials from telling U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents about the pending releases from detention of undocumented prisoners, unless a prisoner was previously convicted of a violent felony and ICE has a warrant.

Toomey's bill would block sanctuary cities from receiving federal Community Development Block Grants, budgeted for $3 billion in 2016. Toomey argued that it was justifiable to withhold federal funding because sanctuary cities impose additional costs: "If you're going to impose those costs, then it's very reasonable for the federal government to choose not to subsidize that," Toomey said.

On Drugs: Medical marijuana research yes; but state laws no

Democratic challenger Katie McGinty is a former chief of staff to Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf (D), who recently signed a medical marijuana bill into law. For her own part, McGinty "supports legalizing medical marijuana and supports decriminalization," a spokesperson said this year. But in 2013, in response to a voter's question, she said, "I am not for legalization of marijuana." In the same appearance, however, McGlinty also said she opposed even medical cannabis, so it's possible that her position on full legalization will similarly evolve.

On Free Trade: Ex-Im Bank is an egregious forms of corporate welfare

Sestak said he wants to see the United States, not China, helping set trade guidelines in those countries--a position that Toomey also has outlined. But Sestak is reserving judgment on whether the agreement will be helpful or harmful until the full details are released. "In principle, I'd like to be for it, because I want to set the rules of the road for trade," he said. "Trade is part of our national security."

On Government Reform: Curb pork-barrel earmarks by law

Among the many problems with all this spending is that politicians make spending decisions based on their own political interests--not on the economic needs of the country. That's how American taxpayers ended up paying for fancy vacations for workers of bailed out companies.

Excessive political spending breeds waste, corruption, and a lack of transparency. In addition to all the waste and abuse, there is another problem with all this government spending: The growing debt.

Pat has long been a strong proponent of putting policies in place to make sure our representatives and senators can't spend taxpayer dollars haphazardly. He also supported legislation to increase transparency in Congress so taxpayers can see exactly how their money is being spent. [Source: www.toomeyforsenate.com/content ]