American Republican Party politician. He served as a United States Senator representing Pennsylvania from 1995 to 2007, and was a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination. On April 10, 2012 Santorum announced the end of his presidential bid.Santorum holds socially conservative positions, including opposition to same-sex marriage and birth control. In the Senate, he voted for tax cuts and a balanced budget amendment, supported the use of earmarks, and played a leading role in enacting welfare reform.He also voted for spending programs for education and transportation such as No Child Left Behind and funding for Amtrak, which he later disavowed.