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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)	Support right to woman's personal reproductive decisions: Strongly Favors topic 1 A woman should make her own reproductive decisions: Strongly Favors topic 1 Opposed Alito because he didn't respect right to privacy: Strongly Favors topic 1 Leaving abortion to states means only wealthy have choice: Strongly Favors topic 1 The real potential for cures is in the embryonic stem cells: Favors topic 1 Strongly supports “Abortion is a woman’s right”: Strongly Favors topic 1 Rated 90% by NARAL, indicating a pro-choice voting record: Strongly Favors topic 1 Expand embryonic stem cell research: Favors topic 1 Sponsored bill for emergency contraception for rape victims: Favors topic 1 NO on maintaining ban on Military Base Abortions: Favors topic 1 NO on banning partial birth abortions except for maternal life: Strongly Favors topic 1 NO on criminal penalty for harming unborn fetus during other crime: Favors topic 1 YES on $100M to reduce teen pregnancy by education & contraceptives: Favors topic 1 NO on notifying parents of minors who get out-of-state abortions: Favors topic 1
Strongly Favors topic 2: Legally require hiring women & minorities (-5 points on Economic scale)	People of color are the future of Rhode Island: Strongly Favors topic 2 1964: Opposing Civil Rights Act was wrong side of history: Strongly Favors topic 2 Continue affirmative action programs: Strongly Favors topic 2
Strongly Favors topic 3: Comfortable with same-sex marriage (+5 points on Social scale)	Longtime supporter of the LGBTQ community: Strongly Favors topic 3 2006: Marriage Amendment ignores states' rights: Strongly Favors topic 3 Gay marriage is a state issue, not for federal constitution: Strongly Favors topic 3 Supports “Sexual orientation protected by civil rights laws”: Strongly Favors topic 3 Endorsed Endorsed by Log Cabin Republicans; supports gay rights: Favors topic 3 More funding and stricter sentencing for hate crimes: Strongly Favors topic 3 YES on expanding hate crimes to include sexual orientation: Favors topic 3 YES on adding sexual orientation to definition of hate crimes: Strongly Favors topic 3 NO on constitutional ban of same-sex marriage: Strongly Favors topic 3
No opinion on topic 4: Keep God in the public sphere (0 points on Social scale)	Supports allowing churches to provide welfare services: Favors topic 4 Rated 50% by the Christian Coalition: mixed voting record on Family Values: Neutral on topic 4 NO on recommending Constitutional ban on flag desecration: Opposes topic 4
Strongly Favors topic 5: Expand ObamaCare (-5 points on Economic scale)	Individual mandate ok; universal coverage better: Strongly Favors topic 5 Watch Mass’ individual mandates as possible national model: Strongly Favors topic 5 Supports More Federal Funding for Health Coverage: Strongly Favors topic 5 Invest funds to alleviate the nursing shortage: Favors topic 5 Tax credits for those without employee health insurance: Strongly Favors topic 5 $350 billion for prescriptions for poor seniors: Favors topic 5 Rated 75% by APHA, indicating a pro-public health record: Strongly Favors topic 5 YES on including prescription drugs under Medicare: Favors topic 5 NO on funding GOP version of Medicare prescription drug benefit: Favors topic 5 YES on $40 billion per year for limited Medicare prescription drug benefit: Favors topic 5 NO on increasing Medicaid rebate for producing generics: Opposes topic 5 YES on negotiating bulk purchases for Medicare prescription drug: Strongly Favors topic 5 YES on expanding enrollment period for Medicare Part D: Favors topic 5 YES on limiting medical liability lawsuits to $250,000: Favors topic 5
Favors topic 6: Privatize Social Security (+2 points on Economic scale)	Don’t put Soc. Sec. benefits at risk: Strongly Opposes topic 6 Supports privatizing Social Security: Strongly Favors topic 6 Rated 30% by the ARA, indicating an anti-senior voting record: Strongly Favors topic 6 Supports individual savings accounts and work incentives: Favors topic 6
Favors topic 7: Vouchers for school choice (+2 points on Economic scale)	Supports charters, STEM, and early education: Opposes topic 7 Supports NCLB’s standardized testing, if federally funded: Favors topic 7 Supports parents choosing schools via vouchers: Favors topic 7 Supports vouchers & charters, plus more public funding: Strongly Favors topic 7 Supports vouchers & charters, plus more public funding: Strongly Favors topic 7 Support Ed-Flex: more flexibility if more accountable: Favors topic 7 Rated 55% by the NEA, indicating a mixed record on public education: Neutral on topic 7 NO on Educational Savings Accounts: Opposes topic 7 NO on funding smaller classes instead of private tutors: Favors topic 7 NO on funding student testing instead of private tutors: Favors topic 7 NO on $5B for grants to local educational agencies: Favors topic 7
Strongly Opposes topic 8: Fight EPA regulatory over-reach (+5 points on Social scale)	Proper respect for our natural world & vulnerable species: Strongly Opposes topic 8 We believe in environmental stewardship: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Committee vote killed Bush's "Clear Skies" initiative: Favors topic 8 Supports grants for brownfields remediation: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Rated 79% by the LCV, indicating pro-environment votes: Strongly Opposes topic 8 EPA must do better on mercury clean-up: Opposes topic 8
Opposes topic 9: Stricter punishment reduces crime (+2 points on Social scale)	Focus on inmate skills & treatment: Opposes topic 9 Rated 63% by CURE, indicating mixed votes on rehabilitation: Neutral on topic 9 Require DNA testing for all federal executions: Opposes topic 9
Strongly Opposes topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (-5 points on Economic scale)	Distrust of government is reason for 2d Amendment advocacy: Favors topic 10 Common-ground, commonsense safety legislation: Opposes topic 10 2014: B+ rating from Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence: Opposes topic 10 2013: Ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines: Strongly Opposes topic 10 Common sense adherence to the Second Amendment: Opposes topic 10 NO on banning lawsuits against gun manufacturers for gun violence: Strongly Opposes topic 10 NO on prohibiting lawsuits against gun manufacturers: Strongly Opposes topic 10
Strongly Favors topic 11: Higher taxes on the wealthy (-5 points on Economic scale)	Ordinary Republicans vote against their economic interests: Favors topic 11 Repeal Bush tax cuts that favor wealthy: Strongly Favors topic 11 End excessive loopholes; tax cuts for wealthy & corporations: Favors topic 11 I voted against every Bush tax cut favoring the wealthy: Strongly Favors topic 11 Sales & use tax on online sellers with no physical presence: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Reinstitute pay-as-you-go: match tax cuts & spending cuts: Favors topic 11 Fund special education before tax cuts for the wealthy: Strongly Favors topic 11 Opposes making income tax flatter & lower: Favors topic 11 Rated 46% by NTU, indicating "Satisfactory" on tax votes: Neutral on topic 11 Implement socially fair, broad-based tax cuts: Favors topic 11 NO on phasing out the estate tax ("death tax"): Favors topic 11 YES on eliminating the 'marriage penalty': Opposes topic 11 NO on prioritizing national debt reduction below tax cuts: Favors topic 11 YES on reducing marriage penalty instead of cutting top tax rates: Favors topic 11 YES on spending $448B of tax cut on education & debt reduction: Favors topic 11 NO on $350 billion in tax breaks over 11 years: Strongly Favors topic 11 NO on extending the tax cuts on capital gains and dividends: Strongly Favors topic 11 YES on $47B for military by repealing capital gains tax cut: Favors topic 11 NO on retaining reduced taxes on capital gains & dividends: Strongly Favors topic 11 NO on permanently repealing the `death tax`: Strongly Favors topic 11 NO on supporting permanence of estate tax cuts: Strongly Favors topic 11
Strongly Favors topic 12: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens (+5 points on Social scale)	Co-sponsor of DREAM Act: Strongly Favors topic 12 In-state tuition for undocumented immigrants: Favors topic 12 Supports legalization path & guest worker programs: Strongly Favors topic 12 Co-sponsored McCain-Kennedy immigration bill: Favors topic 12 More programs for legal immigrants: Strongly Favors topic 12 English immersion over bilingual education: Opposes topic 12 Comprehensive immigration reform without amnesty: Strongly Favors topic 12 Sponsored bill covering child resident aliens under Medicaid: Favors topic 12 YES on allowing illegal aliens to participate in Social Security: Strongly Favors topic 12 YES on giving Guest Workers a path to citizenship: Strongly Favors topic 12 YES on establishing a Guest Worker program: Favors topic 12 NO on building a fence along the Mexican border: Strongly Favors topic 12
Strongly Favors topic 13: Support & expand free trade (+5 points on Economic scale)	Supports Trans-Pacific Partnership: Strongly Favors topic 13 Promote the Andean Free Trade Agreement: Strongly Favors topic 13 Rated 92% by CATO, indicating a pro-free trade voting record: Strongly Favors topic 13 Reauthorize the Ex-Im Bank: Favors topic 13 YES on permanent normal trade relations with China: Strongly Favors topic 13 YES on expanding trade to the third world: Favors topic 13 YES on removing common goods from national security export rules: Favors topic 13 YES on granting normal trade relations status to Vietnam: Favors topic 13 YES on extending free trade to Andean nations: Strongly Favors topic 13 YES on establishing free trade between US & Singapore: Favors topic 13 YES on establishing free trade between the US and Chile: Favors topic 13 YES on implementing CAFTA for Central America free-trade: Strongly Favors topic 13
Strongly Opposes topic 14: Support American Exceptionalism (-5 points on Economic scale)	After Iraq war, we have to repair American credibility: Strongly Opposes topic 14 Work with UN on issues such as climate change & trade: Strongly Opposes topic 14 Neocon advocates for invasions are "delusional": Strongly Opposes topic 14 Rebuild alliances abroad to fight ISIS: Strongly Opposes topic 14 Strong supporter of Palestinian-Israeli land-for-peace deal: Opposes topic 14 Prohibit torture of terrorists in US custody: Opposes topic 14 YES on preserving habeas corpus for Guantanamo detainees: Strongly Opposes topic 14 YES on requiring CIA reports on detainees & interrogation methods: Strongly Opposes topic 14
Opposes topic 15: Expand the military (+2 points on Social scale)	Disarmament, non-proliferation where we want to go: Strongly Opposes topic 15 Keep Rhode Island's military installations thriving: Favors topic 15 Supports more spending on Armed Forces personnel: Favors topic 15 Supports $48 billion in new spending for anti-terrorism: Favors topic 15 Rated 40% by SANE, indicating a mixed record on military issues: Neutral on topic 15 Reduce federal government size & scope, including military: Opposes topic 15 YES on requiring on-budget funding for Iraq, not emergency funding: Opposes topic 15
Favors topic 16: Make voter registration easier (+2 points on Social scale)	YES on banning campaign donations from unions & corporations: Favors topic 16 YES on banning "soft money" contributions and restricting issue ads: Favors topic 16 YES on establishing the Senate Office of Public Integrity: Favors topic 16 YES on allowing some lobbyist gifts to Congress: Strongly Opposes topic 16
Strongly Favors topic 17: Avoid foreign entanglements (+5 points on Social scale)	Calls drone strikes "extrajudicial assassinations": Favors topic 17 We need a new paradigm to stop these Mideast wars: Strongly Favors topic 17 Outspoken backer of Iran nuclear agreement: Favors topic 17 Iraq: There was "no evidence" of WMDs, it was a hoax: Strongly Favors topic 17 Iraq war was on hawks' wish list; feared another Vietnam: Strongly Favors topic 17 Averse to foreign entanglements, including Iraq: Strongly Favors topic 17 End prevailing attitude of arrogant reckless war: Strongly Favors topic 17 Know your enemy: Al Qaeda wants US troops away from Mecca: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Only Republican vote against Iraq War: Strongly Favors topic 17 2002: War authorization just ratchets up the hatred: Strongly Favors topic 17 Replace unilateral pre-emption with Mideast alliances: Favors topic 17 Support a timetable if diplomacy does not work: Favors topic 17 Only Republican to vote against Iraq war?but keep Rumsfeld: Strongly Favors topic 17 Iraq war wasn't about WMDs, but changing Middle East: Strongly Favors topic 17 Supports continuing Foreign Aid to Russia, Israel, & others: Strongly Favors topic 17 NO on authorizing use of military force against Iraq: Strongly Favors topic 17 NO on redeploying troops out of Iraq by July 2007: Strongly Opposes topic 17
Strongly Favors topic 18: Prioritize green energy (-5 points on Economic scale)	Don't deny climate change: deal with it: Strongly Favors topic 18 Close the SUV loophole and raise mileage standards overall: Strongly Favors topic 18 ANWR: Let's leave just one place off limits: Strongly Favors topic 18 Supports spending resources to stop Global Warming: Strongly Favors topic 18 Reduce liability for hazardous waste cleanup: Opposes topic 18 Make EPA into a Cabinet department: Strongly Favors topic 18 Keep efficient air conditioner rule to conserve energy: Strongly Favors topic 18 Establish greenhouse gas tradeable allowances: Strongly Favors topic 18 Letter to Congress supporting renewable energy tax credit: Strongly Favors topic 18 Supports immediate reductions in greenhouse gases: Strongly Favors topic 18 NO on preserving budget for ANWR oil drilling: Favors topic 18 NO on terminating CAFE standards within 15 months: Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on targeting 100,000 hydrogen-powered vehicles by 2010: Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on removing consideration of drilling ANWR from budget bill: Favors topic 18 YES on reducing oil usage by 40% by 2025 (instead of 5%): Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on disallowing an oil leasing program in Alaska's ANWR: Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on banning drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: Favors topic 18
Opposes topic 19: Marijuana is a gateway drug (+2 points on Social scale)	Uruguay is leading the way on legalizing & regulating pot: Strongly Opposes topic 19 Taxing legal pot to fix potholes is appealing: Opposes topic 19 Decriminalized small amounts of marijuana as governor: Strongly Opposes topic 19 Legalize medical marijuana to relieve pain: Opposes topic 19 I doubt our culture would allow legalizing hard drugs: Favors topic 19 Discuss implementation of "Plan Colombia": Neutral on topic 19 Not proud of trying cocaine as college student: Favors topic 19 Lobbied DEA to reclassify marijuana for medical use: Opposes topic 19
Strongly Favors topic 20: Stimulus better than market-led recovery (-5 points on Economic scale)	Pork barrel accounts for 1% of the budget, and is requested: Strongly Favors topic 20 Increase the minimum wage: Strongly Favors topic 20

Lincoln Chafee is a Libertarian-Leaning Progressive
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