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)	I am a strong pro-choice feminist: 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 Rated Funding abortion avoids discrimination against poor women: Strongly Favors topic 1 Rated Constitutional right to terminate pregnancy for health: Strongly Favors topic 1 NO on banning federal health coverage that includes abortion: Strongly Favors topic 1
Strongly Favors topic 2: Legally require hiring women & minorities (-5 points on Economic scale)	Constitutional Amendment for women's equal rights: Strongly Favors topic 2 Endorsed as "preferred" by The Feminist Majority indicating pro-women's rights: 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 Voted YES on private lawsuits for school race discrimination: Favors topic 2 Sponsored bill for ratifying Equal Rights Amendment: Strongly Favors topic 2 Combat international and domestic Islamophobia: Favors topic 2 YES on reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act: Favors topic 2
Favors topic 3: Comfortable with same-sex marriage (+2 points on Social scale)	GLBT marriage equality for all Californians: 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 Don't elevate gender identity as a protected class: Strongly Opposes topic 3
Strongly Opposes topic 4: Keep God in the public sphere (+5 points on Social scale)	Broaden the availability of food stamps: Opposes topic 4 Religious freedom means no religious registry: Strongly Opposes topic 4
Strongly Favors topic 5: Expand ObamaCare (-5 points on Economic scale)	Fight for robust public option; advocate for single-payer: Strongly Favors topic 5 1970s: Pushed reimbursements for psychiatric health: Favors topic 5 Require insurers to cover breast cancer treatment: Strongly Favors topic 5 Establish a public insurance option via healthcare Exchanges: Strongly Favors topic 5 Sponsored merging Alzheimers diagnosis and care benefit: Favors topic 5 Rated GOP can't beat ObamaCare, so they pretend it's a "disaster": Strongly Favors topic 5 NO on repealing the "Prevention and Public Health" slush fund: Strongly Favors topic 5 NO on the Ryan Budget: Medicare choice, tax & spending cuts: Favors topic 5
Strongly Opposes topic 6: Privatize Social Security (-5 points on Economic scale)	Never allow Wall Street to touch Social Security: Strongly Opposes topic 6 Reject privatization; don't raise the retirement age: Strongly Opposes topic 6 Sponsored keeping CPI for benefits instead of lower "Chained CPI": Strongly Opposes topic 6 Rated 98% by ARA, indicating a pro-Trust Fund stance: Strongly Opposes topic 6 Endorsed Endorsed by NCPSSM for protecting Social Security and Medicare: Strongly Opposes topic 6
Strongly Opposes topic 7: Vouchers for school choice (-5 points on Economic scale)	Ensure that teachers have the resources they need: Opposes topic 7 No greater responsibility than educating our children: Opposes topic 7 Budget cuts directly lower school quality: Opposes topic 7 $25B to renovate or repair elementary schools: Opposes topic 7 Rated No-strings-attached block grant will kill transparency: Opposes topic 7 Rated Oppose private and religious school voucher programs: Strongly Opposes topic 7
Strongly Opposes topic 8: Fight EPA regulatory over-reach (+5 points on Social scale)	Safeguard our environment for future generations: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Garamendi Process: balanced water needs with protection: Opposes topic 8 Make tax deduction permanent for conservation easements: Opposes topic 8 Require reporting lead in drinking water to the public: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Voted YES to require GMO labeling: Opposes topic 8 Rated Deregulating banks encourages discriminatory practices: Opposes topic 8 Rated Keep restrictive rules for predator control in Alaska: Strongly Opposes topic 8
Neutral on topic 9: Stricter punishment reduces crime (0 points on Social scale)	Facilitate recovering crime victim restitution fees: Strongly Favors topic 9 First step: reduce recidivism & mass incarceration: Opposes topic 9 Rated 92% by the NAPO, indicating a tough-on-crime stance: Favors topic 9 Sponsored stricter rules for police accountability: Strongly Opposes topic 9
Opposes topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (-3 points on Economic scale)	Close the Gun Show Loophole; restrict show sales: Opposes topic 10 Ban "fire sale" of firearms after delicensing closure: Opposes topic 10 Ban large-capacity ammunition: Opposes topic 10 Stricter regulation on gun show firearm sales: Opposes topic 10 Require background check for every firearm sale and transfer: Strongly Opposes topic 10 Sponsored bill for background checks for private transfers: Strongly Favors topic 10
Neutral on topic 11: Higher taxes on the wealthy (0 points on Economic scale)	Sponsored enforcing against corporate offshore tax haven banking: Favors topic 11 Rated Raising estate tax to 1990s level means $448B in new revenue: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Rated Reducing tax rates balloons federal deficit & cuts programs: Favors topic 11
Strongly Favors topic 12: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens (+5 points on Social scale)	Protect LGBT families from illegal immigrant deportation: Favors topic 12 Rated Voted to legalize DREAMer immigrants via military service: Strongly Favors topic 12 Increase both high-skill and family-based visa caps: Favors topic 12 Sponsored bill to disallow religion-based immigration ban: Strongly Favors topic 12
Opposes topic 13: Support & expand free trade (-3 points on Economic scale)	Review free trade agreements biennially for rights violation: Strongly Opposes topic 13 Impose tariffs against countries which manipulate currency: Opposes topic 13 Require open markets for US goods in all trade agreements: Opposes topic 13 Sponsored sugar quotas & import tariffs to stabilize prices: Strongly Opposes topic 13 $25B more loans from Export-Import Bank: Strongly Favors topic 13 Implement USMCA for improved North American trade: Strongly Favors topic 13 Rated 25% by the USAE, indicating support for trade sanctions: Opposes topic 13
Favors topic 14: Support American Exceptionalism (+2 points on Economic scale)	Cut World Bank funding to enforce against terrorism: Favors topic 14 Voted YES to monitor forced Uyghur labor in Xinjiang: Favors topic 14
Neutral on topic 15: Expand the military (0 points on Social scale)	$515B for military plus $89B off sequester for wars: Favors topic 15 Rated Let NSF decide research grants, not Congress: Opposes topic 15
Strongly Favors topic 16: Make voter registration easier (+5 points on Social scale)	Ban stock trading based on Congressional insider knowledge: Strongly Favors topic 16 Require full disclosure of independent campaign expenditures: Strongly Favors topic 16 Establish 15 days of early voting in all states: Favors topic 16 Full disclosure of campaign spending: Strongly Favors topic 16 No photo IDs to vote; they suppress the vote: Favors topic 16 Automatic voter registration for all citizens: Strongly Favors topic 16 Replace electoral college with direct election of president: Strongly Favors topic 16 Holiday on election day; revamp for easier voting access: Favors topic 16 Sponsored bill to expand voter registration and voter access: Strongly Favors topic 16
Favors topic 17: Avoid foreign entanglements (+2 points on Social scale)	Diplomacy should always be our first mission abroad: Favors topic 17 Iraq War was an unnecessary war of choice sold on mistruths: Strongly Favors topic 17 Embargo refined oil products into Iran if they keep nukes: Opposes topic 17 Boycott & sanctions against Iran for terrorism & nukes: Opposes topic 17 Rated Voted NO on net neutrality: don't regulate the internet: Favors topic 17 Sponsored bill to remove US forces from Yemen: Strongly Favors topic 17 No military force against Iran without Congress approval: Strongly Favors topic 17 Repeal 2002 Military Force Authorization against Iraq: Favors topic 17 YES on banning armed forces in Libya without Congressional approval: Favors topic 17
Strongly Favors topic 18: Prioritize green energy (-5 points on Economic scale)	Authored solar, wind and energy conservation tax credit law: Strongly Favors topic 18 Principle negotiator for the Kyoto Protocol: Strongly Favors topic 18 Extend through 2016 the renewable energy tax credit: Strongly Favors topic 18 $5 billion in tax credits for alternative energy projects: Favors topic 18 Voted YES on banning offshore oil drilling in Gulf of Mexico: Strongly Favors topic 18 Federal collaboration for advanced nuclear technologies: Opposes topic 18 Green New Deal: 10-year national mobilization: Favors topic 18 Voted YES to assist rural electric renewable energy: Favors topic 18 NO on barring EPA from regulating greenhouse gases: Favors topic 18 NO on opening Outer Continental Shelf to oil drilling: Strongly Favors topic 18
Opposes topic 19: Marijuana is a gateway drug (+2 points on Social scale)	Rated B by NORML, indicating a pro-drug-reform stance: Strongly Opposes topic 19 Voted YES on combatting epidemic of synthetic drugs: Favors topic 19
Favors topic 20: Stimulus better than market-led recovery (-3 points on Economic scale)	Increase debt limit from $14.3 trillion to $16.7 trillion: Favors topic 20 Raise the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour by 2016: Favors topic 20 Voted YES on $900 billion COVID relief package: Favors topic 20 $1.9 trillion ARPA bill for COVID relief: Favors topic 20 NO on prioritizing spending in case debt limit is reached: Favors topic 20

John Garamendi is a Hard-Core Liberal
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