Rick Santorum (R)
Rick Santorum served as a U.S. Senator for the state of Pennsylvania from 1995 to 2007. In 1990, Santorum was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania’s 18th district where he served until 1995. He holds B.A. in political science from Penn State University, an M.B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh, and a J.D. from the Dickenson School of Law. Since his defeat in 2006, Santorum has worked as a legal partner at Eckert, Seamans, Cherin, and Mellott, LLC. He also joined the Ethics and Public Policy Center, a conservative think tank, is a contributor on Fox News, and writes an Op/Ed piece for the Philadelphia Inquirer.
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Rick Santorum recently announced his plan to create jobs, entitled "The Courage to Fight for American Jobs". His plan is a combination of tax reform, regulatory overhaul, cutting government spending, and creating a reliable stream of capital and credit. Specific to manufacturing, Santorum supports reducing the tax rate to 0% for manufacturers:
Manufacturing has epitomized the loss of American jobs and innovation over the past several decades, and by reinvigorating this crucial sector of our economy the multiplier effect on our entire economy will spur on economic and job growth not seen in three decades.
Santorum also supports innovation by reforming “the tax code's treatment of the research and development of new and promising discoveries.”
Eight candidates for the Republican Presidential nomination faced off against each other last night at the Ronald Reagan Library in California. During the 1-hour, 45-minute debate, the candidates all spoke about the need to create jobs and attacked President Obama for failing to do more on that front.
However, not a single candidate made mention of manufacturing jobs. In fact, the debate transcript reveals that there was not a single mention of the word “manufacturing.” The closest any of the candidates got to this topic was when Jon Huntsman was asked if he agreed with Mitt Romney’s plan to label China a currency manipulator. His weak response, which we’ve included below, was not what we should expect from the candidate who wants to be seen as the intellectual alternative:
Q: Governor Huntsman, as you know, Governor Romney's new economic plan calls for the U.S. government to officially label China a currency manipulator, But "The Wall Street Journal" editorial page says such a move would cause a trade war, perhaps.
You're a former ambassador to China. You have served four U.S. presidents. In your view, what does Governor Romney not get about China?
HUNTSMAN: He doesn't get the part that what will fix the U.S- China relationship, realistically, is fixing our core right here at home, because our core is weak, and it is broken, and we have no leverage at the negotiating table.
And I'd have to say, Mitt, now is not the time in a recession to enter a trade war. Ronald Reagan flew this plane. I was in China during the trip in 1984. He went on TV, he spoke to the Chinese people -- I'd love to do that too, in Chinese itself -- and he talked in optimistic, glowing terms.
And it reminds me about this, Ryan, we are the most blue sky, optimistic people on earth. We're going to find solutions, and I have an offer for the two great governors over here.
And I hate to rain on the parade of the Lone Star governor, but as governor of Utah, we were the number one job creator in this country during my years of service. That was 5.9 percent when you were creating jobs at 4.9 percent.
And to my good friend, Mitt, 47 just ain't going to cut it, my friend, not when you can be first. We've got to remember, that to beat President Obama, we have to have somebody who's been in the private sector, understands the fragility of the free market system, has been a successful governor as it relates to job creation, and knows something about this world.
I've lived overseas four times, I've been an ambassador to my country three times, I think I understand that.
The American people are angry at Washington for not doing enough to create jobs. Anybody who wants to run the country needs to listen to what the people want: jobs, jobs, jobs.
Read the transcript here.
