Vern Buchanan 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 Opposes topic 1: Abortion is a woman's unrestricted right (-5 points on Social scale)	Defend the sanctity of life: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Prohibit transporting minors across state lines for abortion: Opposes topic 1 Bar funding for abortion under federal Obamacare plans: Opposes topic 1 Prohibit federal funding for abortion: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Prohibit federal funding to groups like Planned Parenthood: Strongly Opposes topic 1 No family planning assistance that includes abortion: Strongly Opposes topic 1 No taxpayer funding of abortions via ObamaCare: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Ban abortion after 20 weeks, except for maternal life: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Sponsored bill to protect infant survivors of abortion: Strongly Opposes topic 1 YES on banning federal health coverage that includes abortion: Strongly Opposes topic 1 NO on expanding research to more embryonic stem cell lines: Opposes topic 1
Opposes topic 2: Legally require hiring women & minorities (+2 points on Economic scale)	Rated Voted NO on private lawsuits for school race discrimination: Strongly Opposes topic 2 Rated Keep deadline for ratifying Equal Rights Amendment: Strongly Opposes topic 2 Rated Voted against combating Islamophobia: Opposes topic 2 YES on reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act: Favors topic 2
Opposes topic 3: Comfortable with same-sex marriage (-3 points on Social scale)	Rated Religious objections to GLBT services same as 1960s racism: Strongly Favors topic 3 NO on prohibiting job discrimination based on sexual orientation: Strongly Opposes topic 3 NO on enforcing against anti-gay hate crimes: Opposes topic 3
Strongly Favors topic 4: Keep God in the public sphere (-5 points on Social scale)	Supports right of our children to pray: Strongly Favors topic 4
Opposes topic 5: Expand ObamaCare (+2 points on Economic scale)	Repeal the Job-Killing Health Care Law: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Repeal ObamaCare reporting requirements for small business: Opposes topic 5 Fully repealing ObamaCare is important, but not sufficient: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Establishment of Office of Health Care Fraud Prevention: Opposes 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 repealing the "Prevention and Public Health" slush fund: Strongly Opposes topic 5 YES on the Ryan Budget: Medicare choice, tax & spending cuts: Opposes 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
Neutral on topic 6: Privatize Social Security (0 points on Economic scale)	Rated 28% by ARA, indicating a mixed record on senior issues: Neutral on topic 6
Favors topic 7: Vouchers for school choice (+2 points on Economic scale)	Give parents more choices and less bureaucracy: Favors topic 7 Rated No-strings-attached block grant will kill transparency: Opposes topic 7 Vouchers break link of low-income and low-quality schools: Strongly Favors topic 7 YES on reauthorizing the DC opportunity scholarship program: Strongly Favors topic 7 NO on $40B for green public schools: Favors topic 7
Opposes topic 8: Fight EPA regulatory over-reach (+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 Sponsored educating humans about spaying, neutering, & adopting pets: Strongly Opposes topic 8 No EPA expansion of regulated waters: Favors topic 8 Rated Voted NO on requiring limited GMO labeling: Favors topic 8 Regulatory relief for smaller banks stimulates growth: Favors topic 8 Loosen restrictions on predator control in Alaska: Strongly Favors topic 8 Strengthen prohibitions against animal fighting: Strongly Opposes topic 8 YES on environmental education grants for outdoor experiences: Opposes topic 8 NO on protecting free-roaming horses and burros: Favors topic 8
Neutral on topic 9: Stricter punishment reduces crime (0 points on Social scale)	Death penalty for killing police officers: Favors topic 9 First step: reduce recidivism & mass incarceration: Opposes topic 9 Rated 69% by the NAPO, indicating a moderate stance on police issues: Neutral on topic 9 Rated Keep existing rules for police accountability: Favors 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)	Defend the Second Amendment: Strongly Favors topic 10 National cross-state standard for concealed carry: Strongly Favors topic 10 Loosen restrictions on interstate gun purchases: Strongly Favors topic 10 Allow veterans to register unlicensed guns acquired abroad: Favors topic 10 Require background check for every firearm sale and transfer: Strongly Opposes topic 10 Ban gun registration & trigger lock law in Washington DC: Strongly Favors topic 10 Background checks even for private firearm transfers: Favors topic 10
Opposes topic 11: Higher taxes on the wealthy (+2 points on Economic scale)	Completely repeal the death tax: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Taxpayer Protection Pledge: no new taxes: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Supports the Taxpayer Protection Pledge: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Death Tax is a pernicious double tax: Strongly Favors topic 11 Reduce corporate tax rates from 35% to 21% to create jobs: Strongly Opposes topic 11 NO on paying for AMT relief by closing offshore business loopholes: Strongly Opposes topic 11 NO on extending AMT exemptions to avoid hitting middle-income: Favors topic 11
Strongly Opposes topic 12: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens (-5 points on Social scale)	Crack down on illegal immigrants: Strongly Opposes topic 12 Rated A by the ALI, indicating a strongly anti-amnesty stance: Strongly Opposes topic 12 Voted YES to ban DREAMer immigrants from military service: Strongly Opposes topic 12 Declare English as the official language of the US: Opposes topic 12 Rated Allow immigration bans from non-cooperating countries: Opposes topic 12
Strongly Favors topic 13: Support & expand free trade (+5 points on Economic scale)	Implement USMCA for improved North American trade: Strongly Favors topic 13 Rated 75% by the USAE, indicating support for trade engagement: Strongly Favors topic 13 NO on assisting workers who lose jobs due to globalization: Favors topic 13 YES on promoting free trade with Peru: Favors topic 13
Strongly Favors topic 14: Support American Exceptionalism (+5 points on Economic scale)	Withhold UN funding until voluntary and program-specific: Strongly Favors topic 14 Cut World Bank funding to enforce against terrorism: Favors topic 14 Two-state solution despite Israeli settlements on West Bank: Favors topic 14 Voted YES to monitor forced Uyghur labor in Xinjiang: Favors topic 14 NO on Veto override: Congressional oversight of CIA interrogations: Favors topic 14 NO on requiring FISA warrants for wiretaps in US, but not abroad: Strongly Favors topic 14 YES on removing need for FISA warrant for wiretapping abroad: Strongly Favors topic 14
Favors topic 15: Expand the military (-3 points on Social scale)	Supported “National Strategy for Homeland Security”: Strongly Favors topic 15 Extend reserve retirement pay parity back to 9/11: Favors topic 15 $515B for military plus $89B off sequester for wars: Favors topic 15 Sponsored bill to base research grants on national interest: Strongly Favors topic 15 YES on restricting no-bid defense contracts: Strongly Opposes topic 15
Favors topic 16: Make voter registration easier (+2 points on Social scale)	Ban stock trading based on Congressional insider knowledge: Strongly Favors topic 16 Rated No holiday on election day; no same-day registration: Strongly Opposes topic 16 Repeal automatic Congressional pay raises: Favors topic 16 Rated Oppose expanding voter registration and voter access: Opposes topic 16 YES on requiring lobbyist disclosure of bundled donations: Strongly Favors topic 16
Strongly Opposes topic 17: Avoid foreign entanglements (-5 points on Social scale)	Strengthen sanctions on Syria & assist democratic transition: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Boycott & sanctions against Iran for terrorism & nukes: Opposes topic 17 Iranian nuclear weapons: prevention instead of containment: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Aid the Syrian opposition with training & equipment: Opposes topic 17 Rated Voted NO on removing US forces from Yemen: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Sanctions on Iran to end nuclear program: Opposes topic 17 Rated 2002 AUMF against Iraq should apply to ISIS: Opposes topic 17 NO on removing US armed forces from Afghanistan: Strongly Opposes topic 17 YES on banning armed forces in Libya without Congressional approval: Favors topic 17 NO on redeploying US troops out of Iraq starting in 90 days: Strongly Opposes topic 17 NO on investigating Bush impeachment for lying about Iraq: Opposes topic 17
Favors topic 18: Prioritize green energy (-3 points on Economic scale)	Bar greenhouse gases from Clean Air Act rules: Strongly Opposes topic 18 Voted YES on banning offshore oil drilling in Gulf of Mexico: Strongly Favors topic 18 Rated Voted NO on assisting rural electric renewable energy: Strongly Opposes topic 18 YES on tax incentives for renewable energy: Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on barring EPA from regulating greenhouse gases: Opposes 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 NO on investing in homegrown biofuel: Strongly Opposes 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 NO on enforcing limits on CO2 global warming pollution: Opposes topic 18
Strongly Favors topic 19: Marijuana is a gateway drug (-5 points on Social scale)	Sponsored bill for harsher sentencing for "pill mills": Strongly Favors topic 19 Rated 25% by NORML, indicating an anti-legalization stance: Strongly Favors topic 19 Rated C by NORML, indicating a mixed record on drug reform: Neutral on topic 19 Sponsored bill for combatting epidemic of synthetic drugs: Strongly Favors topic 19 YES on more funding for Mexico to fight drugs: Favors topic 19
Favors topic 20: Stimulus better than market-led recovery (-3 points on Economic scale)	Audit the Federal Reserve & its actions on mortgage loans: Opposes topic 20 Voted YES on $900 billion COVID relief package: Favors topic 20 Rated Opposed $1.9 trillion ARPA bill for COVID relief: Strongly Opposes topic 20 YES on prioritizing spending in case debt limit is reached: 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

Vern Buchanan is a Moderate Conservative
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