Blum describes himself as a "Tea Party Republican," and has said that "the Tea Party is what the Republican Party should have always been." As of October 2017, Blum had voted with the Republican Party in 90% of votes in the
115th United States Congress and voted in line with President Trump's position in 94% of the votes.
Environment Blum has described himself as "skeptical" of the
scientific consensus that human activities are a primary contributor to
climate change.
Health care Blum favored "fully repealing" the
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). On May 4, 2017, Blum voted to repeal the
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and pass the revised version of the American Health Care Act. Blum said that the bill had been improved to his liking. He described the bill as "Trumpcare" but also as "Obamacare 2.0" because "We've probably changed 10, 20 percent of the bill is all." Asked why he voted for the legislation before the impact of the bill had been assessed by the nonpartisan
Congressional Budget Office, Blum stated that there was an urgent need for a fix to Obamacare. During his town halls in May 2017, Blum falsely claimed that if the current version of AHCA became law that coverage would not change for those on
Medicaid. He also told his constituents, "If you're getting your insurance through the group health care marketplace — your employer — nothing changes." This was found to be partly false when fact checked by
National Public Radio, as whether someone's insurance would change under the GOP bill depends on whether an employer is based in and purchases its insurance in a state that gets a waiver. Blum also said that AHCA would take care of the same people as the ACA; the
Telegraph Herald wrote that under the AHCA, "Insurers still would be prohibited from setting premiums based on health status and denying coverage to someone with a pre-existing condition. However, those who do not maintain continuous coverage could be charged higher premiums for a pre-existing condition" and that states that seek waivers from the federal government would be allowed to charge older individuals up to five times as much as young people and to exempt insurers from a list of essential health benefits mandated by the ACA. In May 2017, Blum walked out of a local television interview after being asked why his staff was pre-screening constituents who planned to attend his town hall meetings.
Economic issues and tax reform Blum favored "a constitutional amendment to balance the budget and limit spending." In 2015, Blum voted against legislation that would have averted a government shutdown. Discussing the government shutdown, Blum said, "I think the Founding Fathers are smiling right now for the first time in a long time". In March 2016, in light of a $2 billion redevelopment of D.C.'s Southwest waterfront, Blum said that Washington D.C. "needs a recession." Blum opposed a mandatory increase in the federal minimum wage. After the vote passed, Blum tweeted that "families...will see their take home pay increase."
Government structure Blum cast his first vote in Congress against
John Boehner's speakership, According to
USA Today, Blum has "made it his central focus to change the way Congress treats itself by supporting efforts to strip away the trappings of elective office." Blum and Democrat
Beto O'Rourke started the Congressional Term Limits Caucus. He co-sponsored legislation to end lawmakers' access to first class travel and luxury car leases, he supports ending the congressional pension system, and he has introduced a bill to institute a lifetime ban on lawmakers ever becoming lobbyists. In 2015, Blum returned $102,000 of his unspent 2015 office budget to the
United States Treasury to help pay down the national debt. He did not confirm whether he planned to donate half of his congressional salary to charity, which he had pledged to do on his campaign website. Blum said: "I'm not saying I didn't. I very well may have. But it's not something I'm going to comment on." Blum supported a constitutional amendment to enforce term limits for congressmen. When asked how many terms he was going to seek in an April 2015 interview, Blum responded, "I'm not going to term limit myself. I definitely believe in term limits, but I don't believe in unilaterally disarming...Do I see myself being in the House of Representatives 10 years from now? No, I don't."
Immigration Blum supported President
Donald Trump's first 2017
executive order. The order temporarily curtailed immigration from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen until better screening methods are devised. Blum stated that "...The bottom line is they can't properly vet people coming from war-torn areas like Syria and Iraq. If we can't vet people properly, then we shouldn't be allowing them into our country. I'm supportive of that."
Abortion Blum opposed abortion. He had voted to defund
Planned Parenthood. He supported creating a select committee to investigate
Planned Parenthood for allegedly selling fetal tissue. In 2016, he voted against an amendment aimed at upholding an executive order barring discrimination against LGBT employees by federal contractors.
President Donald Trump In February 2017, he voted against a resolution that would have directed the U.S. House to request ten years of Trump's tax returns, which would then have been reviewed by the
House Ways and Means Committee in a closed session. Blum supported Trump's May 10, 2017, firing of FBI Director
James Comey, saying "it's probably time for Comey to go." The FBI was at the time conducting a criminal probe into possible ties between Trump associates and Russia.
Trade In June 2018, amid a brewing trade war between the United States and China, Blum urged the Trump administration "to avoid a trade war". In July 2018, Blum thanked Trump for "having political courage to renegotiate these trade deals." ==Personal life==