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)	No 3rd-trimester abortion unless life of mother at stake: Opposes topic 1 Abortion should remain legal and accessible: Strongly Favors topic 1 I consider myself pro-choice: Strongly Favors topic 1 Ban anti-abortion limitations on abortion services: 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 Endorsed Endorsed by EMILY's list for pro-choice Democratic women: Strongly 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 YES on reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act: Favors topic 2
Favors topic 3: Comfortable with same-sex marriage (+2 points on Social scale)	No one in government should tell anyone who they can love: Strongly Favors topic 3 My time in the military changed my anti-gay views: Favors topic 3 I never personally supported gay conversion therapy: Favors topic 3 Supports gay rights, 100% record with Human Rights Campaign: Favors topic 3 Views on LGBT rights evolved; 100% rating from HRC: Strongly Favors topic 3 Early 2000s: supported father's antigay rights group: Strongly Opposes topic 3 Actively supports equal rights on LGBTQ+ issues: Strongly Favors topic 3 Allow transgender Americans in the military: Strongly Favors topic 3 Regrets past anti-gay statements; now pro-LGBTQ+ rights: Favors topic 3 2002: Amend Constitution to protect traditional marriage: Strongly Opposes topic 3 2004: We shouldn't represent views of homosexual extremists: Strongly Opposes topic 3 2012: Apologized for anti-LGBT past; pro-LGBT bills now: Favors topic 3 2000: Don't let gay activists force their values on our kids: Strongly Opposes topic 3 Against gay marriage but no government morality: Opposes topic 3 Supports same-sex marriage: Strongly Favors topic 3 Don't elevate gender identity as a protected class: Strongly Opposes topic 3 Let states recognize same sex marriage: Favors topic 3
Opposes topic 4: Keep God in the public sphere (+2 points on Social scale)	Must lead in condemning bigotry, regardless of belief: Opposes topic 4
Strongly Favors topic 5: Expand ObamaCare (-5 points on Economic scale)	We don't have a healthcare system; it's a sick-care system: Strongly Favors topic 5 Medicare-for-All will reduce bureaucratic costs: Strongly Favors topic 5 Supports Medicare for All; address prescription costs: Strongly Favors topic 5 Supports Medicare-for-All but keep private insurance: Strongly Favors topic 5 Supports Medicare-for-All; tax wealthiest 5% to pay for it: Strongly Favors topic 5 Opposes repealing ObamaCare: Favors topic 5 Rated GOP can't beat ObamaCare, so they pretend it's a "disaster": Strongly Favors topic 5
Strongly Opposes topic 6: Privatize Social Security (-5 points on Economic scale)	No budget cuts to Medicare and Social Security: Strongly Opposes topic 6 Rated 100% by ARA, indicating a pro-Trust Fund stance: Strongly Opposes topic 6
Strongly Opposes topic 7: Vouchers for school choice (-5 points on Economic scale)	Rated No-strings-attached block grant will kill transparency: Opposes topic 7 Rated Oppose private and religious school voucher programs: Strongly Opposes topic 7
Neutral on topic 8: Fight EPA regulatory over-reach (0 points on Social scale)	Close down existing nuclear power reactors: Opposes topic 8 No, no, no to nuclear energy & nuclear waste: Favors topic 8 Require labeling genetically engineered food: Opposes topic 8 Rated Voted NO on requiring limited GMO labeling: Favors topic 8
Strongly Opposes topic 9: Stricter punishment reduces crime (+5 points on Social scale)	End cash bail; it hits low-income Americans: Strongly Opposes topic 9 Eliminate private prisons: Strongly Opposes topic 9 Abolish capital punishment: Strongly Opposes topic 9 Eliminate mandatory minimum sentences: Opposes topic 9 Rated 85% by the NAPO, indicating a tough-on-crime stance: Favors topic 9
Favors topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (+2 points on Economic scale)	I support our Second Amendment rights: Strongly Favors topic 10 Ban assault weapons; require universal background checks: Strongly Favors topic 10 Advocate for sensible gun control: Strongly Opposes topic 10
Favors topic 11: Higher taxes on the wealthy (-3 points on Economic scale)	Small businesses are true job creators, not big corporations: Strongly Favors topic 11 Supports an income tax increase: Favors topic 11 Rated Raising estate tax to 1990s level means $448B in new revenue: Strongly Opposes topic 11
Favors topic 12: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens (+2 points on Social scale)	Don't treat immigrants as second-class, but no free college: Opposes topic 12 Secure borders AND humane immigration policies: Favors topic 12 2015: Favor Christian over Islamic refugees: Opposes topic 12 Relax onerous visa requirements for Indian & Chinese tourism: Favors topic 12 Rated Voted to legalize DREAMer immigrants via military service: Strongly Favors topic 12
Favors topic 13: Support & expand free trade (+2 points on Economic scale)	TPP gave away our sovereignty to international panel: Strongly Opposes topic 13 Don't keep Trump tariffs on China: Favors topic 13 $25B more loans from Export-Import Bank: Strongly Favors topic 13
Favors topic 14: Support American Exceptionalism (+2 points on Economic scale)	Bring spirit of patriotism to the White House: Favors topic 14 Trump's chicken-hawks push Iran war; go back to nuke deal: Opposes topic 14 We need to engage in diplomacy & deescalate tensions: Favors topic 14 Met with Syrian president; for "extreme vetting" of Syrians: Favors topic 14 Skeptical of Iran nuclear deal: Favors topic 14 $500M and 3,000 troops to Africa to fight Ebola: Opposes topic 14
Opposes topic 15: Expand the military (+2 points on Social scale)	I will work to end this new Cold War: Strongly Opposes topic 15 Ending regime change wars allows investment at home: Strongly Opposes topic 15 Don't cut military budget; fund weapons systems & ABMs: Strongly Favors topic 15 End this new cold war and nuclear arms race: Strongly Opposes topic 15 Must expose and punish sexual assaults in military: Opposes topic 15 Use military to fight terrorists, not for regime change: Favors topic 15 Policy allowing women in combat roles long overdue: Favors topic 15 Supports reducing defense spending: Strongly Opposes topic 15 Endorsed by VoteVets.org; against wasteful defense spending: Opposes topic 15
Strongly Favors topic 16: Make voter registration easier (+5 points on Social scale)	Eliminate the Electoral College: Favors topic 16 Mandate paper ballots: Favors topic 16 No photo IDs to vote; they suppress the vote: Favors topic 16 Establish "My Voice Voucher" small campaign contributions: Strongly Favors topic 16 Public financing of federal campaigns by voter vouchers: Favors topic 16 Statehood for the District of Columbia: Favors topic 16 Automatic voter registration for all citizens: Strongly Favors topic 16
Strongly Favors topic 17: Avoid foreign entanglements (+5 points on Social scale)	End the regime change war in Syria: Strongly Favors topic 17 Indefinite stay in Syria IS "endless war": Strongly Favors topic 17 No arbitrary deadline, but out of Afghanistan in one year: Favors topic 17 No war with Iran: it would escalate region-wide: Strongly Favors topic 17 Troops home from Afghanistan; we're no better off than 2001: Strongly Favors topic 17 No regime change in Iran; no war in Yemen: Strongly Favors topic 17 No more wars for regime change, like Syria and Afghanistan: Strongly Favors topic 17 U.S. government lied to American people to launch Iraq War: Strongly Favors topic 17 Oppose regime change wars in Syria, Venezuela, Iran: Strongly Favors topic 17 Defends meeting Syria's Assad; supports Trump on North Korea: Opposes topic 17 End US support for Saudi-led conflict in Yemen: Strongly Favors topic 17 Supports Egyptian dictator in fight against terrorism: Opposes topic 17 Opposes fighting in Afghanistan & Syria; end arms to Saudis: Strongly Favors topic 17 U.S. should focus on fighting terrorism, not regime change: Opposes topic 17 Iraq was a war we never should have gotten into: Strongly Favors topic 17 End our involvement in Afghanistan: Strongly Favors topic 17 Opposes combat operations in Afghanistan: Strongly Favors topic 17
Strongly Favors topic 18: Prioritize green energy (-5 points on Economic scale)	Off Fossil Fuel Act: plan to deal with climate change: Strongly Favors topic 18 Ban fracking: Favors topic 18 2017: Short-sighted to withdraw from Paris Climate Accord: Favors topic 18 OFF Fossil Fuels: retrofit homes & fund new technology: Strongly Favors topic 18 Ban oil & gas exports; end fossil-fuel subsidies: Strongly Favors topic 18 Mixed score on "350 Action's 2020 Climate Test": Favors topic 18 Address climate change; US must lead worldwide effort: Strongly Favors topic 18 Silent on Green New Deal; supports push for renewables: Favors topic 18 No more fossil fuels for electricity by 2050: Strongly Favors topic 18 Tax incentives for wind, solar, biomass and wave energy: Strongly Favors topic 18 Supports regulating greenhouse gas emissions: Strongly Favors topic 18 Voted YES on banning offshore oil drilling in Gulf of Mexico: Strongly Favors topic 18
Strongly Opposes topic 19: Marijuana is a gateway drug (+5 points on Social scale)	Failed war on drugs has hurt minorities: Strongly Opposes topic 19 Supports medical and recreational marijuana: Strongly Opposes topic 19 End failed war on drugs, opioid addiction is medical crisis: Strongly Opposes topic 19 Let states legalize marijuana; non-user supports free choice: Strongly Opposes topic 19 Exclude industrial hemp from definition of marijuana: Opposes topic 19 Exempt industrial hemp from marijuana laws: Opposes topic 19 Rated B+ by NORML, indicating a pro-drug-reform stance: Strongly Opposes topic 19 Immunity for banks offering services to marijuana businesses: Strongly Opposes topic 19
Opposes topic 20: Stimulus better than market-led recovery (+2 points on Economic scale)	Supports federal stimulus spending: Strongly Opposes topic 20 Supports tax incentives for job creation: Opposes topic 20 Raise the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour by 2016: Favors topic 20 NO on prioritizing spending in case debt limit is reached: Favors topic 20