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)	Make abortions safe, legal, and rare: Strongly Favors topic 1 Focus on preventing pregnancy, plus emergency contraception: 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)	More funding & services for victims of domestic violence: Strongly Favors topic 2 Enforce against wage discrimination based on gender: 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)	Leave definition of marriage up to state law: 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
No opinion on topic 4: Keep God in the public sphere (0 points on Social scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Favors topic 5: Expand ObamaCare (-3 points on Economic scale)	I'd vote for ObamaCare again, but do "sensible fixes": Favors topic 5 Keep fighting to extend health coverage to children: Favors topic 5 Allow the government to negotiate for lower drug costs: Favors topic 5 Bridge the gap on health care: Favors topic 5 Merge Alzheimers diagnosis and care benefit: Favors topic 5 Provide for treatment of autism under TRICARE: 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 NO on regulating tobacco as a drug: Opposes topic 5
Opposes topic 6: Privatize Social Security (-3 points on Economic scale)	Protect Social Security benefits: Opposes topic 6 Sponsored keeping CPI for benefits instead of lower "Chained CPI": Strongly Opposes topic 6 Rated 86% by ARA, indicating a mixed record on senior issues: Neutral on topic 6
Strongly Opposes topic 7: Vouchers for school choice (-5 points on Economic scale)	Repeatedly stressed support for public schools: Strongly Opposes topic 7 For incentives and more competitive salaries for teachers: Opposes topic 7 Fix the problems with No Child Left Behind: Opposes topic 7 Increase teacher pay, reduce class size: Opposes topic 7
Favors topic 8: EPA regulations are too restrictive (-3 points on Social scale)	Allow longer than 10 years to rebuild depleted fisheries: No opin. on topic 8 No EPA permits required for forest road runoff: Strongly Favors topic 8 No permits for legal pesticide runoff into lakes & streams: Strongly Favors topic 8 YES on protecting ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes ecosystems: Opposes topic 8
No opinion on topic 9: Stricter punishment reduces crime (0 points on Social scale)	Rated 73% by the NAPO, indicating a moderate stance on police issues: Neutral on topic 9
Strongly Favors topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (+5 points on Economic scale)	I am a strong supporter of Second Amendment right: Strongly Favors topic 10 NO on banning high-capacity magazines of over 10 bullets: Strongly Favors topic 10 YES on allowing firearms in checked baggage on Amtrak trains: Favors topic 10
Favors topic 11: Higher taxes on the wealthy (-3 points on Economic scale)	Support tax cuts for middle class families: Favors topic 11
Opposes topic 12: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens (-3 points on Social scale)	Inaction is not an option; comprehensive reform is best: Strongly Opposes topic 12 ID’ing illegal immigrants is an unfunded federal mandate: Favors topic 12 Supports increased border security and opposes amnesty: Strongly Opposes topic 12 Deportation program is an unfunded federal mandate: Favors topic 12 Deportation program is an unfunded federal mandate: Strongly Opposes topic 12 Lack of immigration system is why we have unsecured border: Opposes topic 12 Work towards a practical solution to end illegal immigration: Favors topic 12
Strongly Opposes topic 13: Support & expand free trade (-5 points on Economic scale)	Fix trade agreements to avoid job loss: Strongly Opposes topic 13 Would have voted against CAFTA due to labor concerns: Opposes topic 13 Oppose trade deals that are bad for North Carolina workers: Strongly Opposes topic 13 Rated 38% by the USAE, indicating support for trade sanctions: Opposes topic 13
Opposes topic 14: Support American Exceptionalism (-3 points on Economic scale)	Need cooperation around the world to defeat terrorism: Strongly Opposes topic 14 Oppose the United Nations' Arms Trade Treaty: Favors topic 14
Favors topic 15: Expand the military (-3 points on Social scale)	Support better pay for our brave service members: Favors topic 15 Increase funding for veterans’ health care and benefits: Favors topic 15
Strongly Favors topic 16: Make voter registration easier (+5 points on Social scale)	Require full disclosure of independent campaign expenditures: Strongly Favors topic 16 Repeal automatic Congressional pay raises: Favors topic 16
Favors topic 17: Avoid foreign entanglements (+2 points on Social scale)	Supports Obama's anti-ISIS strategy: Opposes topic 17 US should have more quickly armed the moderate Syrian rebels: Opposes topic 17 End the war in Iraq with a diplomatic surge: Strongly Favors topic 17 The Iraq war had not made the U.S. safer: Strongly Favors topic 17 A responsible withdrawal to re-focus on defeating al Qaeda: 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
Favors topic 18: Prioritize green energy (-3 points on Economic scale)	Advocate for Keystone XL pipeline: Opposes topic 18 Opposed offshore drilling until August compromise: Opposes topic 18 No tax breaks for big oil companies that give us $4 gas: Favors topic 18 Increase funding for R&D of renewable energy sources: Strongly Favors topic 18 NO on barring EPA from regulating greenhouse gases: Favors topic 18 YES on requiring full Senate debate and vote on cap-and-trade: Opposes topic 18 YES on protecting middle-income taxpayers from a national energy tax: Opposes topic 18 YES on $2 billion more for Cash for Clunkers program: Favors topic 18
No opinion on topic 19: Marijuana is a gateway drug (0 points on Social scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Favors topic 20: Stimulus better than market-led recovery (-3 points on Economic scale)	Will work towards a balanced budget and fiscal constraints: Opposes 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 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