VoteMatch Responses (Click here for VoteMatch quiz)
VoteMatch Question & Answer (Click on question for explanation and background)	Based on these stances: (Click on topic for excerpt & citation)
Strongly Favors topic 1: Abortion is a woman's unrestricted right (+5 points on Social scale)	Supports embryonic stem cell research: Favors topic 1 Decision between a woman and her doctor: Strongly Favors topic 1 Ban anti-abortion limitations on abortion services: Strongly Favors topic 1 Access safe, legal abortion without restrictions: Strongly Favors topic 1 Keep federal funding for family planning clinics: Strongly Favors topic 1 Ensure access to and funding for contraception: Favors topic 1 Endorsed Endorsed by EMILY's list for pro-choice Democratic women: Strongly Favors topic 1 NO on prohibiting minors crossing state lines for abortion: Strongly Favors topic 1 NO on defining unborn child as eligible for SCHIP: Favors topic 1 YES on expanding research to more embryonic stem cell lines: Favors topic 1 NO on barring HHS grants to organizations that perform abortions: Favors topic 1 NO on restricting UN funding for population control policies: Favors topic 1
Strongly Favors topic 2: Legally require hiring women & minorities (-5 points on Economic scale)	Endorsed by The Feminist Majority indicating a pro-women's rights stance: Strongly Favors topic 2 More funding & services for victims of domestic violence: Strongly Favors topic 2 Enforce against wage discrimination based on gender: Strongly Favors topic 2 Re-introduce the Equal Rights Amendment: Strongly Favors topic 2 Ban discriminatory compensation; allow 2 years to sue: Favors topic 2 Stronger enforcement against gender-based pay discrimination: Favors topic 2 YES on reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act: Favors topic 2
Strongly Favors topic 3: Comfortable with same-sex marriage (+5 points on Social scale)	Supports civil unions and equal rights for gay partners: Favors topic 3 No constitutional amendment defining marriage: Strongly Favors topic 3 ENDA: prohibit employment discrimination for gays: Favors topic 3 Repeal Don't-Ask-Don't-Tell, and reinstate discharged gays: Favors topic 3 Prohibit sexual-identity discrimination at schools: Strongly Favors topic 3 Enforce against anti-gay discrimination in public schools: Strongly Favors topic 3 Let states recognize same sex marriage: Favors topic 3 Maintain LGBT health info on federal websites: Strongly Favors topic 3
No opinion on topic 4: Keep God in the public sphere (0 points on Social scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Strongly Favors topic 5: Expand ObamaCare (-5 points on Economic scale)	Allow sick people to obtain insurance: Favors topic 5 Crack down on the price of health care: Favors topic 5 Universal coverage is our goal: Strongly Favors topic 5 Merge Alzheimers diagnosis and care benefit: Favors topic 5 Disclose payments from manufacturers to physicians: Favors topic 5 NO on allowing tribal Indians to opt out of federal healthcare: Strongly Favors topic 5 NO on means-testing to determine Medicare Part D premium: Favors topic 5 NO on the Ryan Budget: Medicare choice, tax & spending cuts: Favors topic 5 YES on requiring negotiated Rx prices for Medicare part D: Favors topic 5 YES on adding 2 to 4 million children to SCHIP eligibility: Favors topic 5 YES on overriding veto on expansion of Medicare: Favors topic 5 YES on expanding the Children's Health Insurance Program: Favors topic 5 YES on regulating tobacco as a drug: Favors topic 5
Strongly Opposes topic 6: Privatize Social Security (-5 points on Economic scale)	No raising retirement age; no cost of living increase: Strongly Opposes topic 6 President’s privatization scheme puts us at risk: Strongly Opposes topic 6 Raise cap from $90,000 for paying in: Opposes topic 6 Privatization is a risky scheme: Strongly Opposes topic 6 Make Social Security more secure for the long term: Opposes topic 6 Incentives for private retirement options: Favors topic 6 Rated 99% by ARA, indicating a pro-Trust Fund stance: Strongly Opposes topic 6 NO on establishing reserve funds & pre-funding for Social Security: Opposes topic 6
Opposes topic 7: Vouchers for school choice (-3 points on Economic scale)	No Child Left Behind is an unfunded mandate: Opposes topic 7 Sponsored extending subsidized federal student loan rates until 2015: Opposes topic 7
Opposes topic 8: Fight EPA regulatory over-reach (+2 points on Social scale)	Open PolyMet copper-nickel mine in the Iron Range: Favors topic 8 Preserve open spaces, farmlands, hunting lands, & wetlands: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Grants for beach water pollution under Clean Water Act: Opposes topic 8 Make tax deduction permanent for conservation easements: Opposes topic 8 No EPA permits required for forest road runoff: Strongly Favors topic 8 YES on protecting ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes ecosystems: Opposes topic 8 NO on prohibiting eminent domain for use as parks or grazing land: Opposes topic 8
Favors topic 9: Stricter punishment reduces crime (-3 points on Social scale)	Lock up predatory sex offenders indefinitely: Favors topic 9 Increase funding for "COPS ON THE BEAT" program: Opposes topic 9 Facilitate recovering crime victim restitution fees: Strongly Favors topic 9 Rated 64% by the NAPO, indicating a moderate stance on police issues: Neutral on topic 9 YES on reinstating $1.15 billion funding for the COPS Program: Opposes topic 9
Opposes topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (-3 points on Economic scale)	Sensible reforms like enhanced background checks: Opposes topic 10 I would do nothing to hurt hunting: Favors topic 10 Extend the ban on assault weapons: Strongly Opposes topic 10 Ban large-capacity ammunition: Opposes topic 10 YES on banning high-capacity magazines of over 10 bullets: Strongly Opposes topic 10 YES on prohibiting foreign & UN aid that restricts US gun ownership: Favors topic 10 YES on allowing firearms in checked baggage on Amtrak trains: Favors topic 10
Strongly Favors topic 11: Higher taxes on the wealthy (-5 points on Economic scale)	Roll back tax cuts on people making over $336,000 a year: Strongly Favors topic 11 Reduce $250B deficit by rolling back capital gains & top 1%: Strongly Favors topic 11 Middle class tax cuts good; but current cuts are for rich: Strongly Favors topic 11 NO on raising the Death Tax exemption to $5M from $1M: Strongly Favors topic 11 NO on allowing AMT reduction without budget offset: Favors topic 11 NO on raising estate tax exemption to $5 million: Strongly Favors topic 11 NO on repealing the Alternative Minimum Tax: Strongly Favors topic 11
Opposes topic 12: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens (-3 points on Social scale)	Path to citizenship for people who have been law abiding: Strongly Opposes topic 12 No amnesty for companies hiring illegal immigrants: Opposes topic 12 Opposes Social Security for illegal immigrants: Opposes topic 12 YES on continuing federal funds for declared "sanctuary cities": Strongly Favors topic 12 NO on eliminating the "Y" nonimmigrant guestworker program: Neutral topic 12 YES on declaring English as the official language of the US government: Strongly Opposes topic 12 YES on comprehensive immigration reform: Strongly Favors topic 12
Opposes topic 13: Support & expand free trade (-3 points on Economic scale)	Immediate action on steel dumping, to protect U.S. jobs: Opposes topic 13 I will fight for fair trade: Strongly Opposes topic 13 Opposes CAFTA: Strongly Opposes topic 13 Level playing field and fair prices for farmers: Opposes topic 13 Insist on access to post-mad-cow Japanese beef markets: Favors topic 13 Fight Chinese predatory trade practices on car tires: Strongly Opposes topic 13 Rated Voted FOR reauthorizing Ex-Im Bank: Strongly Favors topic 13 Rated 50% by the USAE, indicating a mixed record on trade: Neutral on topic 13 NO on promoting free trade with Peru: Opposes topic 13
Opposes topic 14: Support American Exceptionalism (-3 points on Economic scale)	Fight ISIS Internet recruiting, but don't indict Islam: Strongly Opposes topic 14 Transition to Iraqi governance; no permanent military bases: Opposes topic 14 Iraq war needed moral compass of int’l cooperation: Strongly Favors topic 14 Integrate gender into diplomatic and foreign aid processes: Strongly Opposes topic 14 Disallow Palestine from joining ICC to threaten Israel: Favors topic 14 Welcome 10,000 Syrian refugees now, and more later: Strongly Opposes topic 14 Two-state solution despite Israeli settlements on West Bank: Favors topic 14 Restore habeas corpus for detainees in the War on Terror: Opposes topic 14 Allow travel between the United States and Cuba: Opposes topic 14 YES on requiring FISA court warrant to monitor US-to-foreign calls: Opposes topic 14 YES on removing need for FISA warrant for wiretapping abroad: Strongly Favors topic 14
Opposes topic 15: Expand the military (+2 points on Social scale)	Iraq war has cost $300B and fomented more terrorism: Strongly Opposes topic 15 Our troops need the best equipment and intelligence: Favors topic 15 Fight for a clear plan to bring our troops home safely: Strongly Opposes topic 15 Exempt Veterans Affairs from federal hiring freeze: Favors topic 15 YES on limiting soldiers' deployment to 12 months: Opposes topic 15
Strongly Favors topic 16: Make voter registration easier (+5 points on Social scale)	Washington’s pay to play system hurts the middle class: Favors topic 16 Institute MN-style restrictions on lobbyist-funded gifts: Strongly Favors topic 16 Require full disclosure of independent campaign expenditures: Strongly Favors topic 16 No photo IDs to vote; they suppress the vote: Favors topic 16 Matching fund for small donors, with debate requirements: Favors topic 16 Public financing of federal campaigns by voter vouchers: Favors topic 16 Prohibit 'voter caging' which intimidates minority voting: Favors topic 16 Repeal automatic Congressional pay raises: Favors topic 16
Favors topic 17: Avoid foreign entanglements (+2 points on Social scale)	Work together with other countries to solve Iraq problem: Strongly Favors topic 17 Iraq has devolved into a civil war; get US troops out: Strongly Favors topic 17 Fight for accountability for the run-up to the Iraq war: Favors topic 17 Supported invading Afghanistan, but not Iraq: Strongly Favors topic 17 No troop surge: no military escalation in Iraq: Strongly Favors topic 17 Iranian nuclear weapons: prevention instead of containment: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Sponsored funding and supplying the Syrian rebels: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Iran must accept long-term intrusive nuke inspection: Opposes topic 17 Sanctions on Iran to end nuclear program: Opposes topic 17 YES on redeploying US troops out of Iraq by March 2008: Strongly Favors topic 17 YES on redeploying non-essential US troops out of Iraq in 9 months: Favors topic 17
Strongly Favors topic 18: Prioritize green energy (-5 points on Economic scale)	Invest in homegrown, renewable energy sources: Strongly Favors topic 18 Gas gouging penalty against oil companies: Favors topic 18 National strategy to address global warming: Strongly Favors topic 18 Sign on to UN Framework Convention on Climate Change: Strongly Favors topic 18 50% clean and carbon free electricity by 2030: Strongly Favors topic 18 Designate sensitive ANWR area as protected wilderness: Favors topic 18 Let states define stricter-than-federal emission standards: Strongly Favors topic 18 NO on barring EPA from regulating greenhouse gases: Favors topic 18 YES on factoring global warming into federal project planning: Favors topic 18 YES on removing oil & gas exploration subsidies: Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on addressing CO2 emissions without considering India & China: Favors topic 18 YES on tax incentives for energy production and conservation: Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on requiring full Senate debate and vote on cap-and-trade: Opposes topic 18 YES on protecting middle-income taxpayers from a national energy tax: Opposes topic 18 YES on $2 billion more for Cash for Clunkers program: Favors topic 18
Favors topic 19: Marijuana is a gateway drug (-3 points on Social scale)	More resources to fight the meth epidemic: Favors topic 19 Rated D by NORML, indicating a "hard-on-drugs" stance: Strongly Favors topic 19 Keep ObamaCare's prevention, treatment, & recovery services: Opposes topic 19 Criminalize imports of opioid precursors: Favors topic 19
Strongly Favors topic 20: Stimulus better than market-led recovery (-5 points on Economic scale)	Roll back tax cuts on people making over $336,000 a year: Favors topic 20 Fiscal responsibility in our federal budget: Opposes topic 20 Rated 86% by UFCW, indicating an anti-management/pro-labor record: Favors topic 20 Strengthen infrastructure, including rail, dams, & Internet: Strongly Favors topic 20 Raise the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour by 2016: Favors topic 20 YES on increasing tax rate for people earning over $1 million: Strongly Favors topic 20 YES on additional $825 billion for economic recovery package: Strongly Favors topic 20 YES on $192B additional anti-recession stimulus spending: Strongly Favors topic 20