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)
No opinion on topic 1: Abortion is a woman's unrestricted right (0 points on Social scale)	Appalled by abortion, but stop trying to overturn Roe v.Wade: Favors topic 1 Pro-choice, but ban abortion after 20 weeks: Favors topic 1 I'm pro-choice, with limitations: Favors topic 1 Claims he can overcome GOP objection to pro-abortion stance: Favors topic 1 Favors abortion rights: Favors topic 1 Vetoes non-prescription morning-after pill: Opposes topic 1 Supports banning partial birth abortions: Opposes topic 1 Voted in NY legislature to cut off Medicaid abortion funding: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Supported by right-to-life groups in 1990s elections: Opposes topic 1
Favors topic 2: Legally require hiring women & minorities (-3 points on Economic scale)	Women in any military role as long as they can do the job: Favors topic 2 Support principles embodied in the Equal Rights Amendment: Favors topic 2
Strongly Favors topic 3: Comfortable with same-sex marriage (+5 points on Social scale)	Uphold rule of law;fire those who won't perform gay marriage: Favors topic 3 Leave rules of same-sex marriage to the states: Favors topic 3 Opposes same-sex marriage; supports gay & lesbian rights: Favors topic 3 No Federal Marriage Amendment; yes hate crime legislation: Strongly Favors topic 3
Favors topic 4: Keep God in the public sphere (-3 points on Social scale)	Four-year limit for full welfare benefits: Favors topic 4
Opposes topic 5: Expand ObamaCare (+2 points on Economic scale)	Would have rejected Medicaid expansion for New York: Strongly Opposes topic 5 ObamaCare is the worst law of my lifetime: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Revere America: work to repeal ObamaCare: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Take decisions out of the hands of government bureaucrats: Opposes topic 5 $28M for Primary Care Initiative: Favors topic 5 Tax credits for those without employee health insurance: Strongly Favors topic 5 $350 billion for prescriptions for poor seniors: Favors topic 5 Protect state tobacco settlement funds from federal seizure: Neutral on topic 5
No opinion on topic 6: Privatize Social Security (0 points on Economic scale)	I would not reduce social security benefits: Opposes topic 6 Maintain federal Social Services Block Grant funding: Favors topic 6 Maintain long-term solvency of Social Security and Medicare: Opposes topic 6 Supports individual savings accounts and work incentives: Favors topic 6
Strongly Favors topic 7: Vouchers for school choice (+5 points on Economic scale)	Common Core is a horrible idea: Strongly Favors topic 7 Expand charter schools throughout the state: Favors topic 7 Fund charter schools as independent non-profit entities: Strongly Favors topic 7 Support Ed-Flex: more flexibility if more accountable: Favors topic 7
Opposes topic 8: EPA regulations are too restrictive (+2 points on Social scale)	Federal role is to incentivize innovative energy technology: Opposes topic 8 Preserve & enhance our natural treasures for future: Opposes topic 8 Majestic Hudson flows cleaner than it has in generations: Strongly Opposes topic 8 More state autonomy on brownfields & Superfund cleanups: Favors topic 8 Supports grants for brownfields remediation: Strongly Opposes topic 8
Strongly Favors topic 9: Stricter punishment reduces crime (-5 points on Social scale)	People must be held accountable for their actions: Favors topic 9 Prevent release of sexual predators into our neighborhoods: Strongly Favors topic 9 Abolished parole for violent felons: Strongly Favors topic 9 Operation IMPACT: focus police in high crime upstate cities: Favors topic 9 Instituted death penalty in NY: Strongly Favors topic 9 Supports flexible federal block grants for crime programs: Neutral on topic 9
Strongly Opposes topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (-5 points on Economic scale)	Do a better job of enforcing federal gun laws: Opposes topic 10 Signed New York state's strict gun control legislation: Strongly Opposes topic 10 Ban assault weapons & require trigger locks: Strongly Opposes topic 10 Supports gun control legislation: Opposes topic 10
Strongly Opposes topic 11: Higher taxes on the wealthy (+5 points on Economic scale)	12% manufacturing tax rate, so we'll make things in America: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Throw out incomprehensible tax code: simpler, lower rates: Strongly Opposes topic 11 We cut taxes 81 times; cut taxes on businesses once again: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Eliminate the marriage penalty & cut taxes: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Cut taxes & cut spending: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Phase out estate and gift taxes: Opposes topic 11 No national sales tax or VAT: Neutral on topic 11 Implement socially fair, broad-based tax cuts: Favors topic 11
Favors topic 12: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens (+2 points on Social scale)	Deport only criminal aliens; but end sanctuary cities: Favors topic 12 Birthright citizenship is ok; don't deport those kids: Favors topic 12 Practical policy: legal residency after 200 hours of service: Favors topic 12 Immigrants come to work, not for government handouts: Favors topic 12 No executive orders on immigration: Opposes topic 12 Share costs of legal immigration between states & federal: Neutral on topic 12 Federal government should deal with criminal repatriation: Neutral on topic 12 English immersion over bilingual education: Opposes topic 12
Favors topic 13: Support & expand free trade (+2 points on Economic scale)	Invest in math & science innovation to compete with China: Favors topic 13 Focus on in-sourcing foreign companies back to New York: Opposes topic 13 Promote the Andean Free Trade Agreement: Strongly Favors topic 13 Bound under state commitment to CAFTA: Favors topic 13
Favors topic 14: Support American Exceptionalism (+2 points on Economic scale)	We need a cyber-war on North Korea: Favors topic 14 Reauthorize the Patriot Act, including collecting phone data: Favors topic 14
Strongly Favors topic 15: Expand the military (-5 points on Social scale)	Far more to help our military & help our veterans: Strongly Favors topic 15 Freeze government hiring except military & defense: Strongly Favors topic 15 A strong America is a safe America: strengthen our military: Strongly Favors topic 15 We must win the War on Terror to keep America safe: Strongly Favors topic 15 Terrorism III package: cyber-terrorism and agri-terrorism: Favors topic 15 Supports $48 billion in new spending for anti-terrorism: Favors topic 15 Reduce federal government size & scope, including military: Opposes topic 15
Favors topic 16: Make voter registration easier (+2 points on Social scale)	Lifetime ban on elected officials becoming lobbyists: Favors topic 16
Strongly Opposes topic 17: Avoid foreign entanglements (-5 points on Social scale)	Risking American lives is necessary to destroy ISIS: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Support West Bank settlements; tough on Iran & Palestine: Opposes topic 17 Make sure Iran never has a nuclear weapon: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Consider US combat troops to destroy ISIS: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Honor soldiers destroying terrorist insurgency in Iraq: Opposes topic 17 Include states in anti-terrorism planning: Neutral on topic 17
Favors topic 18: Prioritize green energy (-3 points on Economic scale)	Of course pouring CO2 into atmosphere causes global warming: Favors topic 18 Climate change is a real and scientifically proven: Favors topic 18 Tackle climate change via private & market-based initiatives: Opposes topic 18 Reduce expensive, polluting, terror-promoting foreign oil: Opposes topic 18 Make renewable fuel tax-free, for mass transit & cars: Strongly Favors topic 18 Make NY the center for clean, renewable energy research: Strongly Favors topic 18 Voluntary partnerships reduce greenhouse gases economically: Neutral on topic 18 Kyoto Treaty must include reductions by all countries: Opposes topic 18 Make EPA into a Cabinet department: Strongly Favors topic 18 Set goal of 25% renewable energy by 2025: Strongly Favors topic 18 Supports immediate reductions in greenhouse gases: Strongly Favors topic 18
Opposes topic 19: Marijuana is a gateway drug (+2 points on Social scale)	Let's see what happens in Colorado with legalization: Opposes topic 19 Let each state decide marijuana legalization: Strongly Opposes topic 19 OK to legalize if we can contain addiction and kids' access: Opposes topic 19 More federal funding for all aspects of Drug War: Favors topic 19
Strongly Opposes topic 20: Stimulus better than market-led recovery (+5 points on Economic scale)	Fed should get out of market & let rates go up: Opposes topic 20 Slash job-killing regulations & cut taxes too: Strongly Opposes topic 20