Science and Technology in the 2012 Presidential Election:
http://election2008.aaas.org//2012/comparisons/santorum.shtml
Rick Santorum (Republican)
- http://www.ricksantorum.com/ - campaign site
- http://twitter.com/#!/ricksantorum (@RickSantorum) - Twitter
- http://www.facebook.com/RickSantorum - Facebook
- http://www.youtube.com/ricksantorum - YouTube
- http://www.flickr.com/photos/santorum - Flickr
**UPDATE: Santorum withdrew from the race on April 10.**
Rick Santorum was elected to represent Pennsylvania in the House of Representatives in 1990 before serving in the Senate from 1995 to 2007. He served eight years on the Armed Services Committee and in 2000 he was elected the Senate Republican Conference Chairman.
Competitiveness and Innovation
Santorum would “spur innovation in America by increasing the Research & Development Tax Credit from 14 percent to 20 percent and make it permanent.” He would also reduce federal non-discretionary spending (which includes research and development) to 2008 levels.
STEM Education and Workforce
In 2001, Santorum successfully introduced an amendment to the Senate version of the No Child Left Behind Act that singled out evolution as a controversial theory. The amendment was dropped from the final bill. Santorum has stated that “what we should be teaching are the problems and holes and I think there are legitimate problems and holes in the theory of evolution. And what we need to do is to present those fairly from a scientific point of view.”
Health and Medical Research
On his campaign site, Santorum says that he “authored legislation to advance adult stem cell research, so that ethical research could take place to fight debilitating diseases without the moral implications associated with embryonic stem cell research that destroys human life.”
Energy and Environment
Santorum's energy plan would remove bans on drilling, promote private-sector drilling techniques for natural gas, eliminate energy subsidies and tax credits, repeal several environmental regulations, and "restructure the priorities of the Department of Energy." He would also immediately approve construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline.
Santorum does not believe in human-caused climate change saying, “The idea that man, through the production of CO2 — which is a trace gas in the atmosphere, and the man-made part of that trace gas is itself a trace gas — is somehow responsible for climate change is, I think, just patently absurd when you consider all of the other factors.” He also argues, “it’s just an excuse for more government control of your life and I’ve never been for any scheme or even accepted the junk science behind the whole narrative.”
National and Homeland Security
According to the campaign site, “Rick Santorum understands that those who wish to destroy America do so because they hate everything we are — a land of freedom, a land of prosperity, a land of equality. Rick knows that backing down to the Jihadists means that we are only putting our foundational principles at greater risk.” Santorum argues that we must call the War on Terror “what it is, a war with Radical Islam” and that “we need to confront our enemies.”
