Immigration

Rubio's background is intertwined with the issue of immigration. His parents fled Cuba after Fidel Castro assumed power, and in February 2011, Rubio remarked that he was "raised by exiles, by people who know what it's like to lose their country."

Rubio raised some Republican eyebrows in April 2010 when he criticized Arizona's immigration law, which would have allowed local law-enforcement officials to question the immigration status of just about anyone. This put him at odds with some in the traditional conservative establishment.

In his statement regarding the law, Rubio said, "It could unreasonably single out people who are here legally, including many American citizens."

Despite this disagreement, Rubio says he is within the conservative mainstream on immigration reform. He has made clear that border security is a priority to him, calling it not just an immigration issue but also one of public safety.

Education

Raising four children and living in a socio-economically diverse area, Rubio says he understands the importance of education. And he has made it one of his priorities to reform the system.

Rubio supports school vouchers. To fund them, Rubio proposes a universal education tax deduction and a federal corporate income tax credit.

"Ideally, a dollar-for-dollar deduction or credit would be available to all taxpayers for educational expenses, including qualified tuition and related expenses incurred by students attending primary, secondary, and post-secondary institutions, and certain expenses related to home schooling and tutoring," Rubio said.

During his tenure in the Florida House, Rubio promoted development of the public-school system through improvements to the curricula. Additionally, he sought to target socio-economic factors affecting academic underperformance, diversify school choice through school vouchers and increase accountability.

Further, Rubio wants to make federal block grants to states conditional on performance and accountability measures, create students with disabilities scholarships and reinstate the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program.

Federal Budget

Along with his stance on health care, Rubio's view on spending makes him a favorite of conservatives, especially the tea party, although he has notably not joined the Senate Tea Party caucus in the 112th Congress.

In his 2010 campaign platform, Rubio promised Floridians to tackle the national debt by cutting spending and reducing deficits. In an interview on CBS's "Face the Nation," Rubio said that a balanced budget amendment and abandoning earmarks were some of his top concerns.

Rubio seeks to freeze non-defense, non-veterans spending at 2008 levels. Further, he has co-sponsored legislation that would require all savings from congressional budgets to be used for debt reduction.

Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid reform are also among Rubio's top priorities. For Social Security, Rubio wants to raise the retirement age for those currently under 55, as well as reduce cost of living adjustments.

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