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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)	Endorsed by NARAL, indicating a pro-choice stance: Strongly Favors topic 1 Ban anti-abortion limitations on abortion services: Strongly Favors topic 1 Access safe, legal abortion without restrictions: Strongly Favors topic 1 Rated Funding abortion avoids discrimination against poor women: Strongly Favors topic 1 Rated Constitutional right to terminate pregnancy for health: Strongly Favors topic 1 Focus on preventing pregnancy, plus emergency contraception: Favors topic 1 Teach teens about both abstinence & contraception: Favors topic 1 NO on banning federal health coverage that includes abortion: Strongly Favors topic 1
Strongly Favors topic 2: Legally require hiring women & minorities (-5 points on Economic scale)	Constitutional Amendment for women's equal rights: 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 Recognize 1961 Freedom Riders against segregated buses: Strongly Favors topic 2 Voted YES on private lawsuits for school race discrimination: Favors topic 2 Sponsored bill for ratifying Equal Rights Amendment: Strongly Favors topic 2 Combat international and domestic Islamophobia: Favors topic 2 YES on reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act: Favors topic 2
Favors topic 3: Comfortable with same-sex marriage (+2 points on Social scale)	Voted for the NY same-sex marriage equality bill: Strongly Favors topic 3 ENDA: prohibit employment discrimination for gays: 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 Enforce against anti-gay discrimination in public schools: Strongly Favors topic 3 Don't elevate gender identity as a protected class: Strongly Opposes topic 3 Let states recognize same sex marriage: 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)	Sex Ed including both abstinence and contraception: Opposes topic 4 Religious freedom means no religious registry: Strongly Opposes topic 4
Strongly Favors topic 5: Expand ObamaCare (-5 points on Economic scale)	No one should go bankrupt due to a health emergency: Strongly Favors topic 5 Health care is a right, not a privilege: Strongly Favors topic 5 Establish a public insurance option via healthcare Exchanges: Strongly Favors topic 5 Sponsored merging Alzheimers diagnosis and care benefit: Favors topic 5 Rated GOP can't beat ObamaCare, so they pretend it's a "disaster": Strongly Favors topic 5 NO on repealing the "Prevention and Public Health" slush fund: Strongly 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)	Reject privatization; don't raise the retirement age: Strongly Opposes topic 6 Exclude Medicare and Social Security from deficit reduction: Opposes topic 6 Sponsored keeping CPI for benefits instead of lower "Chained CPI": Strongly Opposes topic 6 Rated 100% by ARA, indicating a pro-Trust Fund stance: Strongly Opposes topic 6 Endorsed Endorsed by NCPSSM for protecting Social Security and Medicare: Strongly Opposes topic 6
Strongly Opposes topic 7: Vouchers for school choice (-5 points on Economic scale)	Worked to close the STEM gender gap: Strongly Opposes topic 7 $25B to renovate or repair elementary schools: Opposes topic 7 Sponsored extending subsidized federal student loan rates until 2015: Opposes topic 7 Rated No-strings-attached block grant will kill transparency: Opposes topic 7 Rated Oppose private and religious school voucher programs: Strongly Opposes topic 7 NO on reauthorizing the DC opportunity scholarship program: Strongly Opposes topic 7 YES on $40B for green public schools: Opposes 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 Prohibit invasive research on great apes: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Prohibits breeding or possessing Big Cat species: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Sponsored tightening restrictions on hydrogen sulfide emissions: Favors topic 8 Rated Voted NO on requiring limited GMO labeling: Favors topic 8 Rated Deregulating banks encourages discriminatory practices: Opposes topic 8 Rated Keep restrictive rules for predator control in Alaska: 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)	First step: reduce recidivism & mass incarceration: Opposes topic 9 Rated 92% by the NAPO, indicating a tough-on-crime stance: Favors topic 9 Sponsored stricter rules for police accountability: Strongly Opposes topic 9
Opposes topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (-3 points on Economic scale)	Appeal Dickey to allow federal research re gun violence: Strongly Opposes topic 10 Close the Gun Show Loophole; restrict show sales: Opposes topic 10 Ban large-capacity ammunition: Opposes topic 10 Require background check for every firearm sale and transfer: Strongly Opposes topic 10 Sponsored bill for background checks for private transfers: Strongly Favors topic 10
Neutral on topic 11: Higher taxes on the wealthy (0 points on Economic scale)	Sponsored enforcing against corporate offshore tax haven banking: Favors topic 11 Rated Raising estate tax to 1990s level means $448B in new revenue: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Rated Reducing tax rates balloons federal deficit & cuts programs: Favors topic 11
Favors topic 12: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens (+2 points on Social scale)	Advocates no restrictions on visas for skilled workers: Strongly Favors topic 12 Rated Voted to legalize DREAMer immigrants via military service: Strongly Favors topic 12 Increase both high-skill and family-based visa caps: Favors topic 12 Expand border security on Mexican border: Strongly Opposes topic 12 Sponsored bill to disallow religion-based immigration ban: Strongly Favors topic 12
Opposes topic 13: Support & expand free trade (-3 points on Economic scale)	Review free trade agreements biennially for rights violation: Strongly Opposes topic 13 Impose tariffs against countries which manipulate currency: Opposes topic 13 Require open markets for US goods in all trade agreements: Opposes topic 13 Sponsored imposing import fee on countries with undervalued currency: Opposes topic 13 $25B more loans from Export-Import Bank: Strongly Favors topic 13 Rated Oppose USMCA until more environmental & job protections: Strongly Opposes topic 13 Rated 25% by the USAE, indicating support for trade sanctions: Opposes topic 13
Opposes topic 14: Support American Exceptionalism (-3 points on Economic scale)	Condemn China's organ harvesting from Falun Gong prisoners: Opposes topic 14 Rated Maintain World Bank funding as part of multilateralism: Strongly Opposes topic 14 Voted YES to monitor forced Uyghur labor in Xinjiang: Favors topic 14
Opposes topic 15: Expand the military (+2 points on Social scale)	Rated Funding wars separately is gimmick against sequestration: Opposes topic 15 Rated Let NSF decide research grants, not Congress: Opposes topic 15
Strongly Favors topic 16: Make voter registration easier (+5 points on Social scale)	Ban stock trading based on Congressional insider knowledge: Strongly Favors topic 16 Require full disclosure of independent campaign expenditures: Strongly Favors topic 16 Establish 15 days of early voting in all states: Favors topic 16 Matching fund for small donors, with debate requirements: Favors topic 16 No photo IDs to vote; they suppress the vote: Favors topic 16 Corporate political spending is not free speech: Favors topic 16 Establish "My Voice Voucher" small campaign contributions: Strongly Favors topic 16 Public financing of federal campaigns by voter vouchers: Favors topic 16 No separate contribution limits for party activities: Favors topic 16 Statehood for the District of Columbia: Favors topic 16 Automatic voter registration for all citizens: Strongly Favors topic 16 Holiday on election day; revamp for easier voting access: Favors topic 16 Sponsored bill to expand voter registration and voter access: Strongly Favors topic 16
Strongly Favors topic 17: Avoid foreign entanglements (+5 points on Social scale)	End the war; bring our troops home safely: Strongly Favors topic 17 Defund US military presence in Afghanistan: Strongly Favors topic 17 Rated Voted NO on net neutrality: don't regulate the internet: Favors topic 17 Sponsored bill to remove US forces from Yemen: Strongly Favors topic 17 No military force against Iran without Congress approval: Strongly Favors topic 17 Repeal 2002 Military Force Authorization against Iraq: Favors topic 17 YES on removing US armed forces from Afghanistan: Strongly Favors topic 17 NO on banning armed forces in Libya without Congressional approval: Opposes topic 17
Strongly Favors topic 18: Prioritize green energy (-5 points on Economic scale)	Green New Deal needs support through legislation: Strongly Favors topic 18 National carbon cap and trade program: Favors topic 18 Voted YES on banning offshore oil drilling in Gulf of Mexico: Strongly Favors topic 18 Federal collaboration for advanced nuclear technologies: Opposes topic 18 50% clean and carbon free electricity by 2030: Strongly Favors topic 18 Voted YES to assist rural electric renewable energy: Favors topic 18 NO on barring EPA from regulating greenhouse gases: Favors topic 18 NO on opening Outer Continental Shelf to oil drilling: Strongly 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)	Exempt industrial hemp from marijuana laws: Opposes topic 19 Rated C by NORML, indicating a mixed record on drug reform: Neutral on topic 19 Distribute sterile syringes to reduce AIDS and hepatitis: Opposes topic 19
Strongly Favors topic 20: Stimulus better than market-led recovery (-5 points on Economic scale)	Federal research ensures U.S. R&D leadership: Strongly Favors topic 20 Increase debt limit from $14.3 trillion to $16.7 trillion: Favors topic 20 Expand lending caps for credit unions to small business: Favors topic 20 Sponsored investing $1 billion in transportation projects: Favors topic 20 Raise the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour by 2016: Favors topic 20 Voted YES on $900 billion COVID relief package: Favors topic 20 $1.9 trillion ARPA bill for COVID relief: Favors topic 20 NO on prioritizing spending in case debt limit is reached: Favors topic 20 YES on $192B additional anti-recession stimulus spending: Strongly Favors topic 20

Paul Tonko is a Hard-Core Liberal
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