Jeff Merkley on SenateMatch

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)	100 percent ratings from NARAL and Planned Parenthood: Strongly Favors topic 1 Led the fight to pass the Access to Birth Control Act: Favors topic 1 Public funding for stem cell research: Favors topic 1 Abortions should always be legally available: Strongly Favors topic 1 Let military perform abortions in cases of rape or incest: 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)	Apply affirmative action to state hiring: 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 Ban discriminatory compensation; allow 2 years to sue: Favors topic 2 Stronger enforcement against gender-based pay discrimination: Favors topic 2
Favors topic 3: Comfortable with same-sex marriage (+2 points on Social scale)	Co-sponsored Equality & Family Fairness Act for gay equality: Strongly Favors topic 3 Ok to define marriage against polygamy or same-sex: Strongly Opposes topic 3 Ok to define marriage against polygamy or same-sex: Strongly Opposes topic 3 Oregon Equality Act: sexual orientation is a civil right: Strongly Favors topic 3 Sponsored the Employment Non-Discrimination Act: Strongly 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
Favors topic 4: Keep God in the public sphere (-3 points on Social scale)	Supports workfare and 2-year welfare limits: Favors topic 4
Strongly Favors topic 5: Expand ObamaCare (-5 points on Economic scale)	Support Healthy Americans Act: universal comprehensive care: Strongly Favors topic 5 Health care for all Americans: Strongly Favors topic 5 Expand the National Health Service Corps: Strongly Favors topic 5 Expand health services for women veterans: 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 YES on regulating tobacco as a drug: Favors topic 5
Strongly Opposes topic 6: Privatize Social Security (-5 points on Economic scale)	Privatization would melt away retirement in stock crash: Strongly Opposes topic 6
Strongly Opposes topic 7: Vouchers for school choice (-5 points on Economic scale)	History making efforts that improved education in Oregon: Opposes topic 7 Fully fund public schools: Strongly Opposes topic 7 $25B to renovate or repair elementary schools: Opposes topic 7
Opposes topic 8: Human needs over animal rights (+2 points on Social scale)	Sustainable forest harvest important for economy: Opposes topic 8 Regulate all dog breeders down to kennels of 50 dogs: Opposes topic 8
Favors topic 9: Stricter punishment reduces crime (-3 points on Social scale)	Worked hard to get better laws to deal with criminals: Favors topic 9 More state troopers; more crime labs; more funding: Favors topic 9 Mandatory minimum sentence for some 1st-degree sex offenders: Strongly Favors topic 9 Opposes the death penalty: Strongly Opposes topic 9 Increase rehabilitation & alternatives to incarceration: Opposes topic 9
Strongly Opposes topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (-5 points on Economic scale)	Maintain restrictions on purchase & possession of firearms: Strongly Opposes topic 10 NO on allowing firearms in checked baggage on Amtrak trains: Opposes topic 10
Favors topic 11: Higher taxes on the wealthy (-3 points on Economic scale)	Supports raising taxes on earnings over $250,000 per year: Strongly Favors topic 11 Repeal $18 billion in tax breaks given to big oil companies: Favors topic 11 Tax credits to families to make child care affordable: Favors topic 11 No state sales tax: Opposes topic 11 Minimum tax rate of 30% for those earning over $1 million: Strongly Favors topic 11
No opinion on topic 12: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens (0 points on Social scale)	Rated 90% by Oregonians for Immigration Reform: Opposes topic 12 Rated 90% by Oregonians for Immigration Reform: Favors topic 12
Strongly Opposes topic 13: Support & expand free trade (-5 points on Economic scale)	Cancel or fix unfair trade deals: Strongly Opposes topic 13 Strengthen the Buy American Act: Strongly Opposes topic 13 Include real & enforceable labor & environmental standards: Opposes topic 13 Review free trade agreements biennially for rights violation: Strongly Opposes topic 13
No opinion on topic 14: Maintain US sovereignty from UN (0 points on Social scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
No opinion on topic 15: Expand the military (0 points on Social scale)	Persuasive evidence & clear objectives before military force: Opposes topic 15 Honor America’s veterans and take good care of them: Favors topic 15
Strongly Favors topic 16: Stricter limits on political campaign funds (-5 points on Economic scale)	Spending limits on campaigns, plus full disclosure: Strongly Favors topic 16 Require full disclosure of independent campaign expenditures: Strongly Favors topic 16
No opinion on topic 17: Stay out of Iran (0 points on Social scale)	Signed onto “A Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq”: Strongly Favors topic 17 Opposed the war from the start: Strongly Favors topic 17 Redeploy American combat troops out of Iraq: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Iranian nuclear weapons: prevention instead of containment: Strongly Opposes topic 17
Strongly Favors topic 18: Prioritize green energy (-5 points on Economic scale)	Cap greenhouse gases with international collaboration: Strongly Favors topic 18 Set a 25 percent renewable energy national standard by 2025: Strongly Favors topic 18 Supports 80% reduction in carbon emissions by 2050: Strongly Favors topic 18 Incentives to cities for the reduction of emissions: Favors topic 18 Sustainable, renewable energy to combat global warming: Strongly Favors topic 18 $5 billion in tax credits for alternative energy projects: Favors topic 18 NO on barring EPA from regulating greenhouse gases: 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
Favors topic 19: Never legalize marijuana (-3 points on Social scale)	Step up enforcement to combat meth: Strongly Favors topic 19 Toughen laws against meth traffickers: Favors topic 19 Exclude industrial hemp from definition of marijuana: Opposes topic 19
Favors topic 20: Stimulus better than market-led recovery (+2 points on Economic scale)	Bailout bill is a $700-million blank check: Opposes topic 20 Supports raising taxes on earnings over $250,000 per year: Favors topic 20 Rated 86% by UFCW, indicating an anti-management/pro-labor record: 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