Peter Welch 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)	Abortion decision should be between a woman and her doctor: Strongly 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)	Constitutional Amendment for women's equal rights: Strongly Favors topic 2 Increase funding for occupational & physical therapy: 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 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: Comfortable with same-sex marriage (+5 points on Social scale)	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 Give domestic partnership benefits to Federal employees: 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 including both abstinence and contraception: Opposes topic 4
Strongly Favors topic 5: Expand ObamaCare (-5 points on Economic scale)	Everyone deserves access to health care: 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 Expand the National Health Service Corps: Strongly Favors topic 5 Make health care a right, not a privilege: Strongly 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)	Fight the ideological agenda of privatization: Strongly Opposes topic 6
Strongly Opposes topic 7: Vouchers for school choice (-5 points on Economic scale)	NO on reauthorizing the DC opportunity scholarship program: Strongly Opposes topic 7 YES on $40B for green public schools: Opposes topic 7
Opposes topic 8: Human needs over animal rights (+2 points on Social scale)	Make tax deduction permanent for conservation easements: Opposes topic 8 Regulate all dog breeders down to kennels of 50 dogs: 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
Strongly Opposes topic 9: Stricter punishment reduces crime (+5 points on Social scale)	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
Strongly Favors topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (+5 points on Economic scale)	100 percent National Rife Association record: Strongly Favors topic 10
Strongly Favors topic 11: Higher taxes on the wealthy (-5 points on Economic scale)	Tax cuts to wealthiest 1% are irresponsible: Strongly Favors topic 11 American People's Dividend: Give $300 to every person: Favors topic 11 Minimum tax rate of 30% for those earning over $1 million: Strongly 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
Strongly Favors topic 12: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens (+5 points on Social scale)	Path for earned citizenship plus guest worker program: Strongly Favors topic 12
Opposes topic 13: Support & expand free trade (-3 points on Economic scale)	Tariffs against countries undervaluing their currency: Opposes topic 13 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
Opposes topic 14: Maintain US sovereignty from UN (-3 points on Social scale)	Allow travel between the United States and Cuba: Opposes topic 14 YES on Veto override: Congressional oversight of CIA interrogations: Opposes topic 14 NO 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 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)	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 YES on requiring lobbyist disclosure of bundled donations: Strongly Favors topic 16
Favors topic 17: Stay out of Iran (+2 points on Social scale)	Withdraw US troops from Iraq in 2007: Strongly Favors 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 Defund US military presence in Afghanistan: Strongly Favors topic 17 Sanctions on Iran to end nuclear program: Opposes topic 17 YES on removing US armed forces from Afghanistan: Strongly Favors 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 YES on investigating Bush impeachment for lying about Iraq: Favors topic 17
Strongly Favors topic 18: Prioritize green energy (-5 points on Economic scale)	Global warming is real, is accelerating, & is human-caused: Strongly Favors topic 18 Extend through 2016 the renewable energy tax credit: Strongly Favors topic 18 Set goal of 25% renewable energy by 2025: Strongly Favors topic 18 Let states define stricter-than-federal emission standards: 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)	Exclude industrial hemp from definition of marijuana: Opposes topic 19 NO on more funding for Mexico to fight drugs: Opposes topic 19
Strongly Favors topic 20: Stimulus better than market-led recovery (+5 points on Economic scale)	Sponsored bill increasing debt limit to $16.7 trillion: Strongly Favors topic 20 Audit the Federal Reserve & its actions on mortgage loans: Opposes 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