David Loebsack 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 right (+5 points on Social scale)	Don’t chip away at Roe v. Wade: Strongly Favors topic 1 Ensure access to and funding for contraception: Favors topic 1 Focus on preventing pregnancy, plus emergency contraception: Favors topic 1 YES on expanding research to more embryonic stem cell lines: Favors topic 1
Strongly Favors topic 2: Require hiring more women & minorities (-5 points on Economic scale)	Continue affirmative action programs: Strongly Favors topic 2 Recognize Juneteenth as historical end of slavery: 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
Strongly Favors topic 3: Same-sex domestic partnership benefits (+5 points on Social scale)	Guarantee full civil rights for GLBT people: Strongly Favors topic 3 YES on prohibiting job discrimination based on sexual orientation: Strongly Favors topic 3
Neutral on topic 4: Teacher-led prayer in public schools (0 points on Social scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Strongly Opposes topic 8: Death Penalty (+5 points on Social scale)	Eliminate the death penalty: Strongly Opposes topic 8
Strongly Opposes topic 9: Mandatory Three Strikes sentencing laws (+5 points on Social scale)	Support prison rehabilitation & drug treatment: Strongly Opposes topic 9 Increase funding for "COPS ON THE BEAT" program: Opposes topic 9 YES on expanding services for offendors' re-entry into society: Opposes topic 9
Strongly Opposes topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (-5 points on Economic scale)	Ban semi-automatics; require licenses & background checks: Strongly Opposes topic 10
Strongly Favors topic 5: More federal funding for health coverage (-5 points on Economic scale)	Work towards truly universal coverage: Strongly Favors topic 5 MEDS Plan: Cover senior Rx under Medicare: 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 YES on adding 2 to 4 million children to SCHIP eligibility: Favors topic 5
Neutral on topic 6: Privatize Social Security (0 points on Economic scale)	I will never vote to privatize Social Security: Strongly Opposes topic 6 Increase FICA cap to $150,000: Strongly Favors topic 6
Opposes topic 7: Parents choose schools via vouchers (-3 points on Economic scale)	Provide needed resources for failing schools: Opposes topic 7
Strongly Favors topic 18: Replace coal & oil with alternatives (-5 points on Economic scale)	Energy policy that benefits the Midwest, not the Mideast: Strongly Favors topic 18 Set goal of 25% renewable energy by 2025: Strongly 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 incentives for energy production and conservation: Strongly Favors topic 18
Opposes topic 19: Drug use is immoral: enforce laws against it (+2 points on Social scale)	Allow medical marijuana: Strongly Opposes topic 19 More funding for Colombia to combat the war on drugs: Favors topic 19
Neutral on topic 20: Allow churches to provide welfare services (0 points on Economic scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Favors topic 11: Make taxes more progressive (-3 points on Economic scale)	Don’t repeal the estate tax; do repeal Bush tax cuts: Strongly Favors topic 11 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
Favors topic 12: Illegal immigrants earn citizenship (+2 points on Social scale)	Supports temporary worker program; enforce employer laws: Favors topic 12
Opposes topic 13: Support & expand free trade (-3 points on Economic scale)	Fair trade agreements should help open markets: Strongly 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 15: Expand the armed forces (+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)	Public campaign financing to end politics-as-usual: Strongly Favors topic 16 Repeal automatic Congressional pay raises: Favors topic 16 YES on requiring lobbyist disclosure of bundled donations: Strongly Favors topic 16
Strongly Favors topic 14: The Patriot Act harms civil liberties (+5 points on Social scale)	Vigilance against restricting civil liberties: Favors topic 14 Bush ignoring FISA courts may constitute impeachable offense: Strongly Favors topic 14 Restore habeas corpus for detainees in the War on Terror: Favors topic 14 YES on Veto override: Congressional oversight of CIA interrogations: Strongly Favors topic 14 YES on requiring FISA warrants for wiretaps in US, but not abroad: Strongly Favors topic 14 NO on removing need for FISA warrant for wiretapping abroad: Strongly Favors topic 14 NO on retroactive immunity for telecoms' warrantless surveillance: Favors topic 14
Strongly Favors topic 17: US out of Iraq (+5 points on Social scale)	Iraq war did not need to happen; disengage immediately: Strongly Favors topic 17 YES on redeploying US troops out of Iraq starting in 90 days: Strongly Favors topic 17