Kirsten Gillibrand 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)	Financially supported by Emily's List: Strongly Favors topic 1 Supports both federal abortion funding & judicial activism: Strongly 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 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: Require hiring more women & minorities (-5 points on Economic scale)	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: Same-sex domestic partnership benefits (+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 YES on prohibiting job discrimination based on sexual orientation: Strongly Favors topic 3
Opposes topic 4: Teacher-led prayer in public schools (+2 points on Social scale)	Sex Ed including both abstinence and contraception: Opposes topic 4
Neutral on topic 8: Death Penalty (0 points on Social scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Opposes topic 9: Mandatory Three Strikes sentencing laws (+2 points on Social scale)	Increase funding for "COPS ON THE BEAT" program: Opposes topic 9 YES on expanding services for offendors' 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 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
Strongly Favors topic 5: More federal funding for health coverage (-5 points on Economic scale)	Medicare for all; allow drug reimoprtation: 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 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: Parents choose schools via vouchers (-3 points on Economic scale)	More funds for NCLB and early education: Opposes topic 7 YES on environmental education grants for outdoor experiences: Opposes topic 7
Strongly Favors topic 18: Replace coal & oil with alternatives (-5 points on Economic scale)	Raise CAFE; plus alternative energy R&D: Strongly Favors topic 18 Balance fossil fuels and viable renewable energy: 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 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: Drug use is immoral: enforce laws against it (0 points on Social scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
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)	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: Illegal immigrants earn citizenship (+5 points on Social scale)	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
Opposes topic 15: Expand the armed forces (+2 points on Social scale)	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 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)	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 YES on retroactive immunity for telecoms' warrantless surveillance: Opposes topic 14
Favors topic 17: US out of Iraq & Afghanistan (+2 points on Social scale)	Timetable for drawing down troops from Afghanistan: Favors topic 17 Iraq: exit strategy & redeploy troops: Strongly Favors 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