Steve Cohen on VoteMatch

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)	Keep pregnancy termination a woman’s decision: Strongly Favors topic 1 Provide emergency contraception at military facilities: Favors topic 1 Ensure access to and funding for contraception: Favors topic 1 Focus on preventing pregnancy, plus emergency contraception: Favors topic 1 Teach teens about both abstinence & contraception: Favors topic 1 NO on banning federal health coverage that includes abortion: Strongly Favors topic 1 YES on expanding research to more embryonic stem cell lines: Favors topic 1
Strongly Favors topic 2: Legally require hiring women & minorities (-5 points on Economic scale)	Covenant with Black America: fight discriminatory practices: Strongly Favors topic 2 Recognize Juneteenth as historical end of slavery: Strongly Favors topic 2 Constitutional Amendment for women's equal rights: Strongly Favors topic 2 Ratify CEDAW (Discrimination Against Women): Strongly Favors topic 2 Endorsed : No opin. on 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 Reinforce anti-discrimination and equal-pay requirements: Favors topic 2 Ban discriminatory compensation; allow 2 years to sue: Favors topic 2 Stronger enforcement against gender-based pay discrimination: Favors topic 2 Honor the 100th anniversary of the NAACP: Favors topic 2
Strongly Favors topic 3: Comfortable with same-sex marriage (+5 points on Social scale)	Recognize civil unions; be tolerant & don’t hate: 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 YES on prohibiting job discrimination based on sexual orientation: Strongly Favors topic 3 YES on enforcing against anti-gay hate crimes: Favors topic 3
Opposes topic 4: Keep God in the public sphere (+2 points on Social scale)	Sex ed should include abstinence AND contraception: Opposes topic 4 Sex Ed including both abstinence and contraception: Opposes topic 4
Strongly Favors topic 5: Expand ObamaCare (-5 points on Economic scale)	Adequate health care is a fundamental right: Strongly Favors topic 5 MEDS Plan: Cover senior Rx under Medicare: 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 Expand the National Health Service Corps: Strongly Favors topic 5 Make health care a right, not a privilege: Strongly Favors topic 5 YES on giving mental health full equity with physical health: Favors topic 5 YES on Veto override: Extend SCHIP to cover 6M more kids: 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 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)	Oppose the Bush “private accounts” Wall Street windfall: Strongly Opposes topic 6 Exclude Medicare and Social Security from deficit reduction: Opposes topic 6
Strongly Opposes topic 7: Vouchers for school choice (-5 points on Economic scale)	More funding for teachers, pre-K,and after school: Strongly Opposes topic 7 $25B to renovate or repair elementary schools: Opposes topic 7 NO on reauthorizing the DC opportunity scholarship program: Strongly Opposes topic 7 YES on $40B for green public schools: Opposes topic 7
Strongly Opposes topic 8: Human needs over animal rights (+5 points on Social scale)	Promote conservation of rare felids & canids: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Celebrate the recovery of the bald eagle: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Make tax deduction permanent for conservation easements: Opposes topic 8 Add polar bear & bluefin tuna to endangered species list: Strongly 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 Strengthen prohibitions against animal fighting: Strongly Opposes topic 8 YES on environmental education grants for outdoor experiences: Opposes topic 8 YES on protecting free-roaming horses and burros: Opposes topic 8
Opposes topic 9: Stricter punishment reduces crime (+2 points on Social scale)	Supports death penalty; prosecute violent minors as adults: Strongly Favors topic 9 End parole for violent offenders, but not victimless crimes: Favors topic 9 Increase funding for "COPS ON THE BEAT" program: Opposes topic 9 Reduce recidivism by giving offenders a Second Chance: Strongly Opposes topic 9 YES on expanding services for offenders' re-entry into society: Opposes topic 9
Favors topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (+2 points on Economic scale)	Allow citizens to carry concealed guns: Strongly Favors topic 10 Close the Gun Show Loophole; restrict show sales: Opposes topic 10 Teach kids Eddie Eagle GunSafe's lifesaving message: Favors topic 10 Ban "fire sale" of firearms after delicensing closure: Opposes topic 10
Favors topic 11: Higher taxes on the wealthy (-3 points on Economic scale)	American People's Dividend: Give $300 to every person: Favors topic 11 Reduce the concentration of wealth & wage inequality: Favors topic 11 YES on paying for AMT relief by closing offshore business loopholes: Strongly Favors topic 11 YES on extending AMT exemptions to avoid hitting middle-income: Opposes topic 11
Neutral on topic 12: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens (0 points on Social scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
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 No MFN for China; condition trade on human rights: Neutral on topic 13 YES on assisting workers who lose jobs due to globalization: Opposes topic 13 NO on promoting free trade with Peru: Opposes topic 13
Strongly Opposes topic 14: Maintain US sovereignty from UN (-5 points on Social scale)	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 Veto override: Congressional oversight of CIA interrogations: Opposes topic 14 YES on requiring FISA warrants for wiretaps in US, but not abroad: Strongly Opposes topic 14 NO on removing need for FISA warrant for wiretapping abroad: Strongly Opposes topic 14
Strongly Opposes topic 15: Expand the military (+5 points on Social scale)	YES on restricting no-bid defense contracts: Strongly Opposes topic 15
Strongly Favors topic 16: Stricter limits on political campaign funds (-5 points on Economic scale)	Lower monetary limits on campaign contributions: Strongly Favors topic 16 Limit campaign contributions and campaign spending: Strongly Favors topic 16 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 Prohibit 'voter caging' which intimidates minority voting: Favors topic 16 Repeal automatic Congressional pay raises: Favors topic 16 YES on requiring lobbyist disclosure of bundled donations: Strongly Favors topic 16
Favors topic 17: Stay out of Iran (+2 points on Social scale)	Bush lied toget us into Iraq; focus on Afghanistan instead: Strongly Favors topic 17 Member of the Out-of-Iraq Congressional Caucus: Strongly Favors topic 17 Strengthen sanctions on Syria & assist democratic transition: Strongly Opposes topic 17 No contact & enforce sanctions on Iran until threat is gone: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Boycott & sanctions against Iran for terrorism & nukes: Opposes topic 17 Terminate funding for Iraq War on Dec. 31, 2011: Strongly Favors topic 17 Sanctions on Iran to end nuclear program: Opposes topic 17 NO on banning armed forces in Libya without Congressional approval: Opposes topic 17 YES on redeploying US troops out of Iraq starting in 90 days: Strongly Favors topic 17
Strongly Favors topic 18: Prioritize green energy (-5 points on Economic scale)	Invest in ethanol, solar, wind, and hybrid cars: Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on tax incentives for renewable energy: Strongly 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 YES on removing oil & gas exploration subsidies: Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on investing in homegrown biofuel: Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on criminalizing oil cartels like OPEC: Favors topic 18 YES on tax incentives for energy production and conservation: Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on tax credits for renewable electricity, with PAYGO offsets: Favors topic 18 YES on enforcing limits on CO2 global warming pollution: Favors topic 18 YES on $2 billion more for Cash for Clunkers program: Favors topic 18
Opposes topic 19: Never legalize marijuana (+2 points on Social scale)	Constant attention on meth, cocaine and crack: Favors topic 19 Decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana: Opposes topic 19 End harsher sentencing for crack vs. powder cocaine: Opposes topic 19 Allow rehabilitated drug convicts get student loans: Strongly Opposes topic 19 Expunge records for first drug offenders after probation: Strongly Opposes topic 19 Exclude industrial hemp from definition of marijuana: Opposes topic 19 Distribute sterile syringes to reduce AIDS and hepatitis: Opposes topic 19 YES on more funding for Mexico to fight drugs: Favors topic 19
Strongly Favors topic 20: Stimulus better than market-led recovery (+5 points on Economic scale)	Increase debt limit from $14.3 trillion to $16.7 trillion: Favors topic 20 Expand lending caps for credit unions to small business: Favors topic 20 YES on $60B stimulus package for jobs, infrastructure, & energy: Strongly Favors topic 20 YES on $192B additional anti-recession stimulus spending: Strongly Favors topic 20