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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)	Firmly believes family planning decisions should be private: Strongly Favors topic 1 Deeply committed to protecting a woman’s right to choose: Strongly Favors topic 1 Expand federal support for Stem Cell research: Favors topic 1 Opposes Alito on grounds of woman’s right to choose: Favors topic 1 Require pharmacies to fulfill contraceptive prescriptions: 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 CC:Oppose strict Constitutionalist judges: Favors topic 1 CC:Publicly fund abortions: Strongly Favors topic 1 CC:No parental notification for abortions by minors: Favors topic 1 Rated Born-Alive Survivors bill tries to illegalize abortion: Favors topic 1 Ensure access to and funding for contraception: Favors topic 1 Focus on preventing pregnancy, plus emergency contraception: 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)	Worked entire career for civil rights: Favors topic 2 I support gay marriage: Strongly Favors topic 2 Increase funding for occupational & physical therapy: Favors topic 2 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 Re-introduce the Equal Rights Amendment: Strongly Favors topic 2 Ban discriminatory compensation; allow 2 years to sue: 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)	Regulation of marriage has always been a state issue: Strongly Favors topic 3 Don’t use Constitution to divide gay people from others: Strongly Favors topic 3 Fight a constitutional ban on gay marriage: Strongly Favors topic 3 Fight a constitutional ban on gay marriage: Strongly Favors topic 3 Repeal the ban on gays serving openly in the military: 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 Apply copyright inheritance to same-sex couples: Strongly Favors topic 3 Let states recognize same sex marriage: Favors topic 3 Maintain LGBT health info on federal websites: Strongly Favors topic 3 Provide benefits to domestic partners of Federal employees: 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)	Provide all families with insurance: Strongly Favors topic 5 Scrap Medicare Rx plan, and negotiate for drug prices: Favors topic 5 Keep healthcare mandate, according to CC survey: Strongly Favors topic 5 Preserve access to Medicaid & SCHIP during economic downturn: Strongly Favors topic 5 Disclose payments from manufacturers to physicians: Favors topic 5 Expand the National Health Service Corps: Strongly Favors topic 5 Expand health services for women veterans: 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)	Protect and defend Social Security: Strongly Opposes topic 6 Life without Social Security would be unimaginably worse: Strongly Opposes topic 6 Don’t put Soc. Sec. benefits at risk: Strongly Opposes topic 6 Pro-privatization crowd wants to cut benefits: Strongly Opposes topic 6 Lift limit on withholding from $90,000 to $120,000: 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 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
Strongly Opposes topic 7: Vouchers for school choice (-5 points on Economic scale)	Extend "Race to the Top" to middle school: Strongly Opposes topic 7 NCLB’s teaching-to-the-test hurts children’s learning: Opposes topic 7 Vouchers are a poor use of scarce federal dollars: Strongly Opposes topic 7 Fully fund No Child Left Behind: Opposes topic 7 $25B to renovate or repair elementary schools: Opposes topic 7 Sponsored extending subsidized federal student loan rates until 2015: Opposes topic 7
Strongly Opposes topic 8: Fight EPA regulatory over-reach (+5 points on Social scale)	Protect our public wetlands from development: 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 Regulate all dog breeders down to kennels of 50 dogs: Opposes topic 8 Establish an International Conservation Strategy: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Sponsored enforcing against illegal ocean fishing: Opposes topic 8 Sponsored matching grants for wetlands conservation projects: Strongly 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 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
Opposes topic 9: Stricter punishment reduces crime (+2 points on Social scale)	Firm believer in prison re-entry programs upon release: Strongly Opposes topic 9 Rules out death penalty for juveniles: Strongly Opposes topic 9 Strengthened penalties for armed criminals: Favors topic 9 Federal death penalty ok; but not at state level: Favors topic 9 Reduce recidivism by giving offenders a Second Chance: Strongly Opposes topic 9 First step: reduce recidivism & mass incarceration: Opposes topic 9 Rated 73% 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)	Common-sense solutions to fight gun crime: Opposes topic 10 Fight to keep guns off our streets: Strongly Opposes topic 10 Close the Gun Show Loophole; restrict show sales: Opposes topic 10 Ban large-capacity ammunition: Opposes topic 10 Restrict right to bear arms, according to CC survey: Opposes topic 10 Co-sponsored background check for every firearm sale: Strongly Favors topic 10 YES on banning high-capacity magazines of over 10 bullets: Strongly Opposes topic 10 NO on prohibiting foreign & UN aid that restricts US gun ownership: Opposes topic 10 NO on allowing firearms in checked baggage on Amtrak trains: Opposes topic 10
Strongly Favors topic 11: Higher taxes on the wealthy (-5 points on Economic scale)	Tax code is broken, but flat tax is a lousy idea: Favors topic 11 $2T in new revenues, and $2T in cuts, to balance budget: Strongly Favors topic 11 We owe $1 trillion to China to fund Bush tax cuts: Favors topic 11 Bush tax cuts are improvident & unfair--repeal them: Strongly Favors topic 11 $300 tax rebate a bad deal if it means $150,000 future debt: Favors topic 11 Roll back the tax reductions to America’s wealthiest: Strongly Favors topic 11 Sponsored minimum tax rate of 30% for those earning over $1M: Strongly Favors topic 11 Sponsored enforcing against corporate offshore tax haven banking: Favors topic 11 Rated Reducing tax rates balloons federal deficit & cuts programs: Favors topic 11 CC:Reverse federal income tax cuts: Favors topic 11 CC:Keep the inhertiance tax: 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
Strongly Favors topic 12: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens (+5 points on Social scale)	Path to citizenship after illegal aliens have paid dues: Strongly Favors topic 12 Path to citizenship after illegal aliens have paid dues: Strongly Favors topic 12 Immigrants should be able to realize dream of citizenship: Strongly Favors topic 12 Allow more visas for STEM college graduates: Favors topic 12 Terminate national emergency at the Southern border: Favors topic 12 YES on continuing federal funds for declared "sanctuary cities": Strongly Favors topic 12 YES on eliminating the "Y" nonimmigrant guestworker program: Neutral topic 12 NO on declaring English as the official language of the US government: Strongly Favors topic 12 YES on comprehensive immigration reform: Strongly Favors topic 12
Opposes topic 13: Support & expand free trade (-3 points on Economic scale)	Opposes NAFTA and CAFTA; supports fair trade: Strongly Opposes topic 13 Review free trade agreements biennially for rights violation: Strongly Opposes topic 13 Impose tariffs against countries which manipulate currency: Opposes 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 $25B more loans from Export-Import Bank: Strongly Favors topic 13 Rated Oppose USMCA until more environmental & job protections: Strongly Opposes 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)	Disallow Palestine from joining ICC to threaten Israel: Favors 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 YES on requiring FISA court warrant to monitor US-to-foreign calls: Opposes topic 14 NO on removing need for FISA warrant for wiretapping abroad: Strongly Opposes topic 14
Opposes topic 15: Expand the military (+2 points on Social scale)	Our presence in Iraq worsens situation in Israel: Opposes topic 15 Extend reserve retirement pay parity back to 9/11: Favors topic 15 Rated Funding wars separately is gimmick against sequestration: 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)	Overturn Citizens United; it undid 100 years of regulations: Strongly Favors topic 16 Total ban on gifts from lobbyists: Strongly Favors topic 16 Stricter rules for lobbyists and ethics: 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 Automatic voter registration for all citizens: Strongly Favors topic 16 Sponsored bill for election holiday & easier voting access: Strongly Favors topic 16 Prohibit 'voter caging' which intimidates minority voting: Favors topic 16
Favors topic 17: Avoid foreign entanglements (+2 points on Social scale)	More troops in Afghanistan OK but revisit later: Opposes topic 17 Announce irrevocable schedule to withdraw from Iraq: Strongly Favors topic 17 Iraq war was premature and a mistake: Strongly Favors topic 17 Responsibly extricate ourselves from Iraq: Strongly Favors topic 17 Iranian nuclear weapons: prevention instead of containment: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Sponsored shutting down Iranian foreign reserves: Opposes topic 17 Iran must accept long-term intrusive nuke inspection: Opposes topic 17 CC:Keep alliance with Israel: Opposes topic 17 No military force against Iran without Congress approval: Strongly Favors topic 17 Require Congress' approval before military action in Iran: Favors 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)	Replace oil lobby with entirely new energy strategy: Strongly Favors topic 18 Push for tougher CAFE standards: Strongly Favors topic 18 New technologies for environmentally-friendly energy: Strongly Favors topic 18 Federal collaboration for advanced nuclear technologies: Opposes 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 NO on requiring full Senate debate and vote on cap-and-trade: Favors topic 18 NO on protecting middle-income taxpayers from a national energy tax: Favors topic 18 YES on $2 billion more for Cash for Clunkers program: Favors topic 18
Strongly Opposes topic 19: Marijuana is a gateway drug (+5 points on Social scale)	Supports drug treatment and alternative drug courts: Strongly Opposes topic 19 Rated B by NORML, indicating a pro-drug-reform stance: Strongly Opposes topic 19 Keep ObamaCare's prevention, treatment, & recovery services: Opposes topic 19
Strongly Favors topic 20: Stimulus better than market-led recovery (-5 points on Economic scale)	Grow the economy from the middle class out: Favors topic 20 Expand lending caps for credit unions to small business: Favors topic 20 Rated 86% by UFCW, indicating an anti-management/pro-labor record: Favors topic 20 Raise the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour by 2016: Favors topic 20 CC:No Balanced Budget Constitutional Amendment: Favors topic 20 Voted YES on $900 billion COVID relief package: 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

Sheldon Whitehouse is a Hard-Core Liberal
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