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)
Favors topic 1: Abortion is a woman's unrestricted right (+2 points on Social scale)	Vetoed licensure requirements for abortion facilities: Strongly Favors topic 1 No additional license requirements for abortion clinics: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Supports legalized abortion with some limits: Favors topic 1 Rated 100% by NARAL, indicating a pro-choice voting record: Strongly Favors topic 1 Expand embryonic stem cell research: Favors topic 1 NO on banning partial birth abortions except for maternal life: Strongly Favors topic 1 YES on criminal penalty for harming unborn fetus during other crime: Opposes 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)	Minnesota Equal Rights Amendment is long overdue: Strongly Favors topic 2 Promote racial tolerance publicly: Favors topic 2 Issue a commemorative postage stamp of Rosa Parks: Favors topic 2
Strongly Favors topic 3: Comfortable with same-sex marriage (+5 points on Social scale)	Grant same-sex marriage, but with religious exemptions: Favors topic 3 Opposed constitutional amendment defining marriage: Strongly Favors topic 3 Full same-sex marriage equality with full benefits: Strongly Favors topic 3 Disgusted by Defense of Marriage Act: Strongly Favors topic 3 More funding and stricter sentencing for hate crimes: Strongly 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
Opposes topic 4: Keep God in the public sphere (+2 points on Social scale)	No 5-year limit on cash benefits: Opposes topic 4 Supports anti-flag desecration amendment: Favors topic 4 Rated 0% by the Christian Coalition: an anti-Family-Value voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 4 YES on recommending Constitutional ban on flag desecration: Favors topic 4
Strongly Favors topic 5: Expand ObamaCare (-5 points on Economic scale)	Allow only non-profit insurers to do business in the state: Favors topic 5 Preserve successes like Medicaid expansion & MinnesotaCare: Strongly Favors topic 5 National single-payer health care system: Strongly Favors topic 5 Donated Senate salary to reimport seniors' drugs from Canada: Favors topic 5 Immediate health care coverage for all Americans: Strongly Favors topic 5 Employer-mandated coverage and universal insurance: Strongly Favors topic 5 Expand Medicare Rx coverage & other coverage: Strongly Favors topic 5 Invest funds to alleviate the nursing shortage: Favors topic 5 Let states make bulk Rx purchases, and other innovations: Opposes topic 5 Rated 100% by APHA, indicating a pro-public health record: Strongly 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 YES on increasing Medicaid rebate for producing generics: Favors 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 NO on limiting medical liability lawsuits to $250,000: Opposes topic 5
Strongly Opposes topic 6: Privatize Social Security (-5 points on Economic scale)	Opposes privatization of social security: Strongly Opposes topic 6 Keep Social Security intact: Strongly Opposes topic 6 Rated 90% by the ARA, indicating a pro-senior voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 6
Strongly Opposes topic 7: Vouchers for school choice (-5 points on Economic scale)	Invest in education before tax cuts for millionaires: Strongly Opposes topic 7 More funding for progressive public school programs: Opposes topic 7 Vouchers undermine our educational system: Strongly Opposes topic 7 Vouchers take precious tax dollars from public schools: Strongly Opposes topic 7 Public schools are doing a good job; need more money: Opposes topic 7 Supports charter schools, opposed to vouchers: Strongly Opposes topic 7 Rated 82% by the NEA, indicating pro-public education votes: Strongly Opposes topic 7 YES on funding smaller classes instead of private tutors: Opposes topic 7 YES on funding student testing instead of private tutors: Opposes topic 7
Strongly Opposes topic 8: Fight EPA regulatory over-reach (+5 points on Social scale)	Reduce water usage 15%; increase recycling 75%: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Protect clean air to breathe & clean water to drink: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Investing in transportation infrastructure improves business: Opposes topic 8 End commercial whaling and illegal trade in whale meat: 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)	More resources for local law enforcement & COPS: Strongly Opposes topic 9 More gang prosecution: Favors topic 9
Opposes topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (-3 points on Economic scale)	Against gun registration: Favors topic 10 Opposes gun licensing and gun registration: Strongly Favors topic 10 For background checks & trigger locks: Opposes topic 10 Zero tolerance for guns in schools: Opposes topic 10 Supports some licensing & some registration: 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)	Tax cuts for the wealthy do not lead to economic growth: Strongly Favors topic 11 Lowest business tax states accompanied by lowest incomes: Strongly Favors topic 11 Read my lips: "Tax the rich": Strongly Favors topic 11 Targeted middle class tax cuts: Favors topic 11 Don’t “give it all back”; economy will sour someday: Favors topic 11 Target tax cuts to middle class, not the rich: Strongly Favors topic 11 Rated 17% by NTU, indicating a "Big Spender" on tax votes: Strongly 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 YES on extending the tax cuts on capital gains and dividends: Strongly Opposes topic 11 YES on $47B for military by repealing capital gains tax cut: Favors topic 11 YES on retaining reduced taxes on capital gains & dividends: Strongly Opposes 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
Opposes topic 12: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens (-3 points on Social scale)	Require compliance with federal REAL ID: Opposes topic 12 Unsnarl the INS bureaucracy to reduce backlog: Favors topic 12 NO on allowing illegal aliens to participate in Social Security: Strongly Opposes 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 YES on building a fence along the Mexican border: Strongly Opposes topic 12
Opposes topic 13: Support & expand free trade (-3 points on Economic scale)	Immediate action on steel dumping, to protect U.S. jobs: Opposes topic 13 US policy should favor American workers and sovereignty: Strongly Opposes topic 13 Rated 25% by CATO, indicating a pro-fair trade voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 13 Reauthorize the Ex-Im Bank: 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 NO on establishing free trade between US & Singapore: Opposes topic 13 NO on establishing free trade between the US and Chile: Opposes topic 13 NO on implementing CAFTA for Central America free-trade: Strongly Opposes topic 13 NO on free trade agreement with Oman: Strongly Opposes topic 13
Strongly Opposes topic 14: Support American Exceptionalism (-5 points on Economic scale)	Existing security checks for Syrian refugees are sufficient: Strongly 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)	Advocate for veterans’ needs: Favors topic 15 Redirect military spending to focus within US: Favors topic 15 Rated 100% by SANE, indicating a pro-peace voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 15 YES on requiring on-budget funding for Iraq, not emergency funding: Opposes topic 15
Strongly Favors topic 16: Make voter registration easier (+5 points on Social scale)	Vetoed photo ID requirement for voting: Strongly Favors topic 16 No PAC money, no soft money: Strongly Favors topic 16 YES on banning campaign donations from unions & corporations: Favors topic 16 YES on banning "soft money" contributions and restricting issue ads: Favors topic 16 NO on establishing the Senate Office of Public Integrity: Opposes topic 16 NO on allowing some lobbyist gifts to Congress: Strongly Favors topic 16
Favors topic 17: Avoid foreign entanglements (+2 points on Social scale)	Relax the Cuban embargo: Favors topic 17 Maintain military & economic aid to Israel at current level: 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)	Conserve energy to save money AND reduce emissions: Strongly Favors topic 18 Voted against Gale Norton, citing ANWR: Strongly Favors topic 18 Triple MN highway construction projects for next 10 years: Neutral on topic 18 Mass transit is an essential public service: 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 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
Favors topic 19: Marijuana is a gateway drug (-3 points on Social scale)	Opioid Stewardship Program: penny a pill, to fight addiction: Opposes topic 19 Establish rules for medical marijuana: Opposes topic 19 Greatest threat to national security is flood of drugs: Strongly Favors topic 19 Strengthen the fight against illegal drugs: Strongly Favors topic 19 Rated C by NORML, indicating a mixed record on drug reform: Neutral on topic 19
Favors topic 20: Stimulus better than market-led recovery (-3 points on Economic scale)	Lift us out of miserable deficit-to-deficit cycle: Favors topic 20