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)	Fierce advocate for choice: Strongly Favors topic 1 Would codify Roe; my opponent was thrilled it was overturned: Strongly Favors topic 1 Ban anti-abortion limitations on abortion services: Strongly Favors topic 1 Supports abortion rights, according to PVS rating: Favors topic 1 Access safe, legal abortion without restrictions: Strongly Favors topic 1 Funding abortion avoids discrimination against poor women: Strongly Favors topic 1 Constitutional right to terminate pregnancy for health: Strongly Favors topic 1
Strongly Favors topic 2: Legally require hiring women & minorities (-5 points on Economic scale)	Equal work for equal pay; be ashamed of the wage gap: Strongly Favors topic 2 Recruit women & minorities for STEM teaching: 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
Favors topic 3: Support transgender and LGBTQ+ rights (+2 points on Social scale)	Fight for same-sex marriage in all 50 states: Strongly Favors topic 3 2009: pushed to overturn military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell": Favors topic 3 Supports same-sex marriage, according to PVS rating: 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
Favors topic 4: America was founded on Christian values (-3 points on Social scale)	Catholicism taught him to help the poor and disadvantaged: Favors topic 4
Strongly Favors topic 5: Expand ObamaCare (-5 points on Economic scale)	Supports Medicaid and Medicare expansion: Strongly Favors topic 5 Opposes repealing Obamacare, according to PVS rating: Favors topic 5 GOP can't beat ObamaCare, so they pretend it's a "disaster": Strongly Favors topic 5
Strongly Opposes topic 6: Privatize Social Security (-5 points on Economic scale)	Privatizing exposes America's seniors to risks: Strongly Opposes topic 6 Opposes personal retirement accounts, according to PVS rating: Strongly Opposes topic 6
Strongly Opposes topic 7: Vouchers for school choice (-5 points on Economic scale)	Supports Common Core, according to PVS rating: Opposes topic 7 No-strings-attached block grant will kill transparency: Opposes topic 7 Oppose private and religious school voucher programs: Strongly Opposes topic 7
Strongly Opposes topic 8: Businesses have a right to pollute (+5 points on Social scale)	Rosemont Mine has devastating environmental impact: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Endorsed Endorsed by LCV; supports conservation efforts: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Require reporting lead in drinking water to the public: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Voted YES to require GMO labeling: Opposes topic 8 Deregulating banks encourages discriminatory practices: Opposes topic 8 Keep restrictive rules for predator control in Alaska: Strongly Opposes topic 8
Strongly Opposes topic 9: Stricter punishment reduces crime (+5 points on Social scale)	Recall Sheriff Joe Arpaio for racial profiling: Opposes topic 9 Invest in public safety, fund violence intervention programs: Opposes topic 9 First step: reduce recidivism & mass incarceration: Opposes 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)	More gun buyback programs, not more guns: Strongly Opposes topic 10 Supports restricting guns, according to PVS rating: Strongly 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
Strongly Favors topic 11: Higher taxes on the wealthy (-5 points on Economic scale)	Opposed Trump's largest corporate cuts in US history: Strongly Favors topic 11 End tax loopholes and exorbitant giveaways for the rich: Strongly Favors topic 11 Keep middle-class tax cuts, no to increased corporate cuts: Strongly Favors topic 11 Supports tax increases, according to PVS rating: Strongly Favors topic 11 Raising estate tax to 1990s level means $448B in new revenue: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Reducing tax rates balloons federal deficit & cuts programs: Favors topic 11
Strongly Favors topic 12: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens (+5 points on Social scale)	Only workable solution is comprehensive immigration reform: Strongly Favors topic 12 Border wall works with technology and proper manpower: Opposes topic 12 Child of Hispanic immigrants; speaks Spanish: Favors topic 12 Opposes deportation of illlegals, according to PVS rating: Favors topic 12 Voted to legalize DREAMer immigrants via military service: Strongly Favors topic 12 Provide lawyers and evidence for children being deported: Favors topic 12 Increase both high-skill and family-based visa caps: Favors topic 12 Sponsored bill to disallow religion-based immigration ban: Strongly Favors topic 12
Strongly Favors topic 13: Support & expand free trade (+5 points on Economic scale)	$25B more loans from Export-Import Bank: Strongly Favors topic 13 Implement USMCA for improved North American trade: Strongly Favors topic 13
Favors topic 14: Stay away from the UN & Globalism (+2 points on Economic scale)	America can be a responsible leader on the world stage: Favors topic 14 I am lucky to be born in the best country in this world: Strongly Favors topic 14 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: Peace through Strength (+2 points on Social scale)	Troops in Iraq got inadequate resources: Favors topic 15 Funding wars separately is gimmick against sequestration: Opposes topic 15 Let NSF decide research grants, not Congress: Opposes topic 15
Strongly Favors topic 16: Make voter registration easier (+5 points on Social scale)	Get Washington working again by taking money out of politics: Strongly Favors topic 16 Freedom to Vote Act: same-day voter registration: Strongly Favors topic 16 I'm not for illegals voting, but keep vote by mail: Strongly Favors topic 16 No photo IDs to vote; they suppress the vote: 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 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: Stay out of foreign wars (+5 points on Social scale)	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
Strongly Favors topic 18: Prioritize green energy (-5 points on Economic scale)	Climate change is biggest long-term issue our world faces: Strongly Favors topic 18 We need more energy; it will have to be nuclear: Favors topic 18 Supports regulating CO2, according to PVS rating: Strongly Favors topic 18 Voted YES on banning offshore oil drilling in Gulf of Mexico: Strongly Favors topic 18 Voted YES to assist rural electric renewable energy: Favors topic 18
Strongly Opposes topic 19: Marijuana is a gateway drug (+5 points on Social scale)	End decades of failed drug policy: Strongly Opposes topic 19 Legalize marijuana, and allow banking services: Strongly Opposes topic 19 Rated A by NORML, indicating a pro-drug-reform stance: Strongly Opposes topic 19 Voted NO on additional Drug War funding for synthetic drugs: Strongly Opposes topic 19
Favors topic 20: Stimulus better than market-led recovery (-3 points on Economic scale)	Supports stimulus spending, according to PVS rating: 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

Ruben Gallego is a Hard-Core Liberal
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