Joe Sestak 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)	Secure reproductive rights; pass family leave: Strongly Favors topic 1 Secure reproductive rights & services for all women: Strongly Favors topic 1 Enshrine a woman's right to choose, in case Roe overturned: Favors topic 1 Right to choose is part of securing future for women: Favors topic 1 Supports Roe v. Wade: Favors topic 1 Ensure access to and funding for contraception: 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
Strongly Favors topic 2: Legally require hiring women & minorities (-5 points on Economic scale)	Supports Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act: Strongly Favors topic 2 Create new contract opportunities for MWOB small businesses: Strongly Favors topic 2 Ensure that women are provided fair wages: Favors topic 2 Ban discriminatory compensation; allow 2 years to sue: Favors topic 2 Stronger enforcement against gender-based pay discrimination: Favors topic 2 Honor the 100th anniversary of the NAACP: Favors topic 2
Strongly Favors topic 3: Comfortable with same-sex marriage (+5 points on Social scale)	Anti-discrimination laws toward LGBT are long overdue: Strongly Favors topic 3 Equal LGBT rights: Strongly Favors topic 3 ENDA: prohibit employment discrimination for gays: Favors topic 3 Opposes Amendment to prevent same sex marriage: Strongly Favors topic 3 Opposes banning homosexuals in the military: 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 YES on enforcing against anti-gay hate crimes: Favors topic 3
Strongly Opposes topic 4: Keep God in the public sphere (+5 points on Social scale)	Rated 0% by the Christian Coalition: an anti-Family-Value voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 4 Sex Ed including both abstinence and contraception: Opposes topic 4
Strongly Favors topic 5: Expand ObamaCare (-5 points on Economic scale)	For public option as path to single payer: Favors topic 5 Add public option based on Veterans Health Administration: Strongly Favors topic 5 Authored successful increase in funding for autism: Favors topic 5 Our health system saved my daughter; let's make it a right: Favors topic 5 Add public option to ObamaCare: Strongly Favors topic 5 Shift away from fee-for-service programs: Strongly Favors topic 5 Sponsored bill providing for autism treatment under TRICARE: Favors topic 5 Expand the National Health Service Corps: 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 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)	Protect Medicare, Social Security, and Consumer Finance: Strongly Opposes topic 6 Never supported policy to cut Social Security or Medicare: Strongly Opposes topic 6 Never raise, never, the age for our seniors to retire: Strongly Opposes topic 6 Social Security is the cornerstone of retirement security: Strongly Opposes topic 6 Co-sponsored the Social Security Fairness Act: Opposes topic 6 Oppose privatization; would have lost income in recession: Strongly Opposes topic 6 Opposes private retirement accounts: Strongly Opposes topic 6
Strongly Opposes topic 7: Vouchers for school choice (-5 points on Economic scale)	Universal pre-K; create "Training for a Lifetime": Strongly Opposes topic 7 Universal pre-K; tuition grants; increased job training: Strongly Opposes topic 7 Support Common Core and expand pre-K: Strongly Opposes topic 7 Improve our nation's schools and make college accessible: Opposes topic 7 Invest more in our public schools, and demand more: Opposes topic 7 Opposes less federal or more local control of education: Opposes topic 7 YES on $40B for green public schools: Opposes topic 7
Strongly Opposes topic 8: Fight EPA regulatory over-reach (+5 points on Social scale)	Favors fee on polluters with Americans receiving dividend: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Ratify the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Promote conservation of rare felids & canids: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Grants for beach water pollution under Clean Water Act: Opposes topic 8 Make tax deduction permanent for conservation easements: Opposes topic 8 Add polar bear & bluefin tuna to endangered species list: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Endorsed Endorsed by LCV; supports conservation efforts: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Strengthen prohibitions against animal fighting: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Fund projects for international conservation of cranes: Strongly Opposes topic 8 YES on protecting free-roaming horses and burros: Opposes topic 8
Opposes topic 9: Stricter punishment reduces crime (+2 points on Social scale)	Increase funding for "COPS ON THE BEAT" program: Opposes topic 9 Supports more severe penalties for Hate Crimes: Favors topic 9 YES on expanding services for offenders' re-entry into society: Opposes topic 9
Strongly Opposes topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (-5 points on Economic scale)	Reform background checks to keep guns out of wrong hands: Strongly Opposes topic 10 Improve background checks; keep guns out of wrong hands: Opposes topic 10 Strong proponent of common sense gun laws: Strongly Opposes 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
Strongly Favors topic 11: Higher taxes on the wealthy (-5 points on Economic scale)	Roll back corporate tax cuts by at least half: Strongly Favors topic 11 Boost estate taxes to 45% on wealthiest 400 families: Strongly Favors topic 11 Favors increasing corporate tax rate & restoring estate tax: Strongly Favors topic 11 Bush tax oplicies shift burden to middle class & future: 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: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens (+5 points on Social scale)	Secure borders & due process for asylum seekers: Favors topic 12 Path to citizenship with background check & English test: Favors topic 12 Expand involvement of the Office of Refugee Resettlement: Strongly Favors topic 12 Create a path to naturalization for undocumented immigrants: Strongly Favors topic 12 Broken system can only be fixed by comprehensive reform: Strongly Favors topic 12 Supports continued funding of sanctuary cities: Strongly Favors topic 12 Supports granting amnesty to illegal immigrants: Strongly Favors topic 12
Favors topic 13: Support & expand free trade (+2 points on Economic scale)	Mistake to withdraw from TPP: creates opening for China: Strongly Favors topic 13 Would rejoin Trans-Pacific Partnership: Favors topic 13 Encourage export potential; rejoin "improved" TPP: Favors topic 13 Stop using tariffs as weapon in disputes with China: Favors topic 13 Re-join the Trans-Pacific Partnership: Strongly Favors topic 13 Supports Ex-Im Bank & supports trade agreements in principle: Favors topic 13 Supports TPP in principle, but verify openly before we trust: Opposes topic 13 Tariffs against countries undervaluing their currency: 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 14: Support American Exceptionalism (-3 points on Economic scale)	Absence from leadership has let autocrats act with impunity: Favors topic 14 Support 2-state solution; return embassy to Tel Aviv: Opposes topic 14 Rejoin Iran deal; strengthen trade with allies: Strongly Favors topic 14 Rejoin Iran nuclear deal; "reestablish" ties with allies: Opposes topic 14 Strengthen our alliances; other countries are interconnected: Strongly Opposes topic 14 Reverse America's retreat from the global community: Strongly Opposes topic 14 Building liberal world order is what makes America First: Opposes topic 14 Restore U.S. status abroad; protect American dream at home: Opposes topic 14 Restore habeas corpus for detainees in the War on Terror: Opposes topic 14 Allow travel between the United States and Cuba: Opposes topic 14 YES on Veto override: Congressional oversight of CIA interrogations: Opposes topic 14 YES on requiring FISA warrants for wiretaps in US, but not abroad: Strongly Opposes topic 14 NO on removing need for FISA warrant for wiretapping abroad: Strongly Opposes topic 14
Opposes topic 15: Expand the military (+2 points on Social scale)	Reduce size of navy from 375 to 260 ships: Strongly Opposes topic 15 More funding for veterans and for cyberspace: Favors topic 15 Reduce number of carrier strike groups from 11 to 9: Strongly Opposes topic 15 Reprioritized defense funding toward cyberspace: Favors topic 15 Free postage for soldiers serving abroad: Favors topic 15 YES on restricting no-bid defense contracts: Strongly Opposes topic 15
Strongly Favors topic 16: Make voter registration easier (+5 points on Social scale)	YES on requiring lobbyist disclosure of bundled donations: Strongly Favors topic 16
Opposes topic 17: Avoid foreign entanglements (-3 points on Social scale)	Work with allies to oppose Russian aggression in Ukraine: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Join with allies to compel improved behavior by Saudis: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Leaving Iran deal saps credibility in future negotiations: Favors topic 17 Withdraw from Afghanistan, after achieving stability: Strongly Opposes topic 17 America broke its word with departure from Iran agreement: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Immediately rejoin the Iran nuclear deal: Strongly Favors topic 17 Ensure stability as we draw down our forces in Iraq: Favors topic 17 We’ve achieved our goals; withdraw from Iraq by end of 2007: Strongly Favors topic 17 Strengthen sanctions on Syria & assist democratic transition: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Opposes timetable for troop withdrawal from Afghanistan: 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)	Rejoin Paris Accord; US must restore global leadership: Strongly Favors topic 18 Net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050; end coal exports: Strongly Favors topic 18 Rejoin Paris Accord, ban offshore drilling: Strongly Favors topic 18 Rejoin Paris Accord, stop subsidies to fossil fuel industry: Strongly Favors topic 18 Global warming is a grave threat to humanity and the planet: Strongly Favors topic 18 Replace fossil fuel subsidies with fees for carbon polluters: Strongly Favors topic 18 Offshore drilling moratorium; oversight of Marcellus Shale: Strongly Favors topic 18 Reduce greenhouse emissions & stop global warming: Strongly Favors topic 18 Create an advanced alternative energy research project: Strongly Favors topic 18 Supports renewable energy tax credits: 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 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: Marijuana is a gateway drug (+2 points on Social scale)	Rated 75% by NORML, indicating a pro-legalization stance: Strongly Opposes topic 19 YES on more funding for Mexico to fight drugs: Favors topic 19
Strongly Favors topic 20: Stimulus better than market-led recovery (-5 points on Economic scale)	Championed fiscally accountable "pay-as-you-go" legislation: Opposes topic 20 Increase nutrition assistance for needy families: Favors topic 20 Auto & bank bailouts were to clean up Bush's mess: Strongly Favors 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