We know Paul Ryan is a budget hawk. But what about other issues?

US Rep. Paul Ryan became a national political figure when Republicans took over the House of Representatives in 2010 and the seven-term Congressman assumed leadership of the Budget Committee.

Details of the “Ryan plan” – a major belt-tightening that could impact many aspects of public and private life – became the object of praise among fiscal conservatives and derision by more liberal critics and even a few Republicans. (Remember Newt Gingrich’s comment about “right-wing social engineering?”)

But as a veteran of House debates and law-making, Mr. Ryan also has a track record on other important issues. Here are some of the most important.

Abortion: Ryan voted to ban federal health coverage that includes abortion, opposes allowing human embryonic stem cell research, voted to make it a federal crime to harm a fetus while committing other crimes, and opposes so-called “partial-birth” abortions.

In a 2009 column in a Wisconsin newspaper, Ryan wrote: “Personally, I believe that life begins at conception, and it is for that reason that I feel we need to protect that life as we would protect other children.”

Anti-abortion activists are delighted with Romney’s choice of Ryan, whose Roman Catholic faith strongly guides his position on the issue – one that has earned him a 100 percent rating by the National Right to Life Committee.

“By selecting Congressman Ryan as his vice presidential running mate, Governor Romney demonstrates his commitment to protecting American women and unborn children,” Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List said in her endorsement.

Ryan “has tirelessly supported the unborn,” says Penny Nance, president of Concerned Women for America.

Ralph Reed, president of the Faith and Freedom Coalition, calls Ryan “a person of devout Christian faith who has a 100 percent pro-life and pro-family voting record in his 14 years in Congress.”

IN PICTURES: On the Campaign Trail with Mitt Romney

Immigration: Ryan calls for comprehensive immigration reform, including “strong border security provisions, an enforceable guest worker program, a secure employee verification system, and a system that does not reward illegal behavior, but provides equitable treatment for all immigrants.”

He opposes the DREAM Act – a path to citizenship for the children of illegal immigrants brought to the United States.

“I understand the points that DREAM Act supporters have raised,” he says, but adds that “it would be a serious mistake to pursue piecemeal reforms like the DREAM Act without first putting in place these fundamental components of immigration reform.”

While Ryan’s position may be seen as less harsh than some other Republican lawmakers and presidential hopefuls – during the GOP debates, Romney called for “self-deportation” – it may not help the Republican ticket with Latino voters.

“Paul Ryan voted against the DREAM Act in 2010 and voted for the infamous Sensenbrenner bill in 2005, which would have turned undocumented workers and anyone who helped them – including their priests and pastors – into felons,” said Frank Sharry, executive director of the immigration reform organization America’s Voice.

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