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)	Let women make life-and-death decision about own body: Strongly Favors topic 1 Require coverage of contraception, even church employees: Strongly Favors topic 1 Financially supported by Emily's List: Strongly Favors topic 1 Supports both federal abortion funding & judicial activism: Strongly Favors topic 1 Sponsored bill allowing military abortions in cases of rape: Favors topic 1 Require pharmacies to fulfill contraceptive prescriptions: Favors topic 1 Ensure access to and funding for contraception: Favors topic 1 Focus on preventing pregnancy, plus emergency contraception: Favors topic 1 Emergency contraception at all military health facilities: Strongly Favors topic 1 Teach teens about both abstinence & contraception: Favors topic 1 Endorsed Endorsed by EMILY's list for pro-choice Democratic women: Strongly Favors topic 1 YES on expanding research to more embryonic stem cell lines: 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 Afghan laws violate women's human rights on sex & divorce: 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)	Supports gay marriage: Strongly Favors topic 3 ENDA: prohibit employment discrimination for gays: Favors topic 3 Opposes Amendment to prevent same sex marriage: Strongly 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
Opposes topic 4: Keep God in the public sphere (+2 points on Social scale)	Sex Ed including both abstinence and contraception: Opposes topic 4
Strongly Favors topic 5: Expand ObamaCare (-5 points on Economic scale)	Medicare for all; allow drug reimportation: Strongly Favors topic 5 Better and immediate funding for Medicare & Medicaid: Favors topic 5 Sponsored bill providing for autism treatment under TRICARE: 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 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 NO on the Ryan Budget: Medicare choice, tax & spending cuts: 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)	Against privatization: Strongly Opposes topic 6 Opposes private retirement accounts: Strongly Opposes topic 6 Reject privatization; don't raise the retirement age: Strongly Opposes topic 6
Opposes topic 7: Vouchers for school choice (-3 points on Economic scale)	More funds for NCLB and early education: Opposes topic 7 $25B to renovate or repair elementary schools: Opposes topic 7
Strongly Opposes topic 8: Human needs over animal rights (+5 points on Social scale)	Make tax deduction permanent for conservation easements: Opposes topic 8 Allow longer than 10 years to rebuild depleted fisheries: No opin. on topic 8 Regulate all dog breeders down to kennels of 50 dogs: Opposes topic 8 Prohibit invasive research on great apes: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Fund projects for international conservation of cranes: Strongly Opposes topic 8 YES on environmental education grants for outdoor experiences: Opposes topic 8
Opposes topic 9: Stricter punishment reduces crime (+2 points on Social scale)	Increase funding for "COPS ON THE BEAT" program: Opposes topic 9 YES on expanding services for offenders' re-entry into society: Opposes topic 9
Opposes topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (-3 points on Economic scale)	Shifted to left because "I fight for my constituents": Opposes topic 10 Earned high rating from the National Rifle Association: Favors topic 10 Close the Gun Show Loophole; restrict show sales: Opposes topic 10 Rated F by the NRA, indicating a pro-gun control voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 10 Ban large-capacity ammunition: Opposes topic 10 Ban gun registration & trigger lock law in Washington DC: Strongly Favors topic 10 NO on allowing firearms in checked baggage on Amtrak trains: Opposes topic 10
Favors topic 11: Higher taxes on the wealthy (-3 points on Economic scale)	Supports more federal taxes & keeping marriage penalty: Strongly 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
Strongly Favors topic 12: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens (+5 points on Social scale)	Create a real path to earned citizenship: Strongly Favors topic 12 Create a real path to earned citizenship: Strongly Favors topic 12 Opposed amnesty; opposed driver licenses; required English: Strongly Favors topic 12
Neutral on topic 13: Support & expand free trade (0 points on Economic scale)	End outsourcing of jobs and see "Made in America" again: Strongly Favors topic 13 Protect American jobs from going overseas: Strongly Opposes topic 13 YES on assisting workers who lose jobs due to globalization: Opposes topic 13 YES on promoting free trade with Peru: Favors topic 13
Strongly Opposes topic 14: Maintain US sovereignty from UN (-5 points on Social scale)	Integrate gender into diplomatic and foreign aid processes: Strongly Opposes topic 14 Restore habeas corpus for detainees in the War on Terror: 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
Neutral on topic 15: Expand the military (0 points on Social scale)	No across-the-board budget cuts to anti-terrorism: Favors topic 15 Extend reserve retirement pay parity back to 9/11: Favors topic 15 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)	Sunlight Report: lobbyist meetings & earmarks on website: Strongly Favors topic 16 No lobbyist gifts: Favors topic 16 Supports Shays-Meehan Campaign Finance Reform: Favors topic 16 Require Internet disclosure of all earmarks: Favors topic 16 Require full disclosure of independent campaign expenditures: Strongly 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)	Al Qaeda has metastasized; get troops out of Afghanistan: Strongly Favors topic 17 Timetable for drawing down troops from Afghanistan: Favors topic 17 Iraq: exit strategy & redeploy troops: Strongly Favors topic 17 Iranian nuclear weapons: prevention instead of containment: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Sanctions on Iran to end nuclear program: 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)	Fracking must avoid chemicals that harm drinking water: Favors topic 18 Raise CAFE; plus alternative energy R&D: Strongly Favors topic 18 Balance fossil fuels and viable renewable energy: Favors topic 18 $5 billion in tax credits for alternative energy projects: Favors topic 18 YES on tax incentives for renewable energy: 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 credits for renewable electricity, with PAYGO offsets: Favors topic 18 NO on barring EPA from regulating greenhouse gases: 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
Neutral on topic 19: Never legalize marijuana (0 points on Social scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Strongly Favors topic 20: Stimulus better than market-led recovery (+5 points on Economic scale)	Expand lending caps for credit unions to small business: Favors topic 20 Rated 83% by UFCW, indicating an anti-management/pro-labor record: Favors topic 20 Strengthen infrastructure, including rail, dams, & Internet: Strongly Favors topic 20 YES on $60B stimulus package for jobs, infrastructure, & energy: 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