Richard Durbin on SenateMatch

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)	Troubled that Alito 1985 memo shows closed mind on abortion: Favors topic 1 Preserve women's reproductive rights: Strongly Favors topic 1 Abortion is a private decision: Strongly Favors topic 1 IL Right to Life Action: rated "4" for pro-abortion: Strongly 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 Rated 0% by the NRLC, indicating a pro-choice stance: Strongly Favors topic 1 Let military perform abortions in cases of rape or incest: Favors topic 1 Ban anti-abortion limitations on abortion services: Strongly Favors topic 1 Access safe, legal abortion without restrictions: Strongly Favors topic 1 Born-Alive Survivors bill tries to illegalize abortion: Favors topic 1 Emergency contraception at all military health facilities: Strongly Favors topic 1 Teach teens about both abstinence & contraception: Favors topic 1
Strongly Favors topic 2: Legally require hiring women & minorities (-5 points on Economic scale)	Raise minimum wage to $10.10 & same pay regardless of gender: Strongly Favors topic 2 Sponsored bill for a Rosa Parks commemorative postage stamp: Favors topic 2 Rated 100% by the NAACP, indicating a pro-affirmative-action stance: Strongly Favors topic 2 Recognize Juneteenth as historical end of slavery: 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 Recruit women & minorities for STEM teaching: Strongly Favors topic 2 Re-introduce the Equal Rights Amendment: Strongly Favors topic 2 Reinforce anti-discrimination and equal-pay requirements: 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: Support transgender and LGBTQ+ rights (+5 points on Social scale)	Extend partner immigration rights to gay couples: Strongly Favors topic 3 More funding and stricter sentencing for hate crimes: Strongly Favors topic 3 Rated 89% by the HRC, indicating a pro-gay-rights stance: 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 Apply copyright inheritance to same-sex couples: Strongly Favors topic 3 Let states recognize same sex marriage: Favors topic 3 Provide benefits to domestic partners of Federal employees: Strongly Favors topic 3
Opposes topic 4: America was founded on Christian values (+2 points on Social scale)	Block grants for state & local welfare programs: Favors topic 4 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 Comprehensive sex ed for sexually-active adolescents: Opposes topic 4
Strongly Favors topic 5: Expand ObamaCare (-5 points on Economic scale)	Large-scale expansion of taxpayer-subsidized coverage: Strongly Favors topic 5 Defend & expand ObamaCare and Medicaid: Strongly Favors topic 5 Rated 100% by APHA, indicating a pro-public health record: Strongly Favors topic 5 Let states make bulk Rx purchases, and other innovations: Favors topic 5 Religious exemption from ObamaCare individual mandate: Opposes topic 5 Preserve access to Medicaid & SCHIP during economic downturn: Strongly Favors topic 5 Expand the National Health Service Corps: Strongly Favors topic 5 Expand health services for women veterans: Favors topic 5
Opposes topic 6: Privatize Social Security (-3 points on Economic scale)	Simpson-Bowles got it right. put everything on the table: Favors 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)	Create refundable tax credit for teachers in Title I schools: Opposes topic 7 Rated 91% by the NEA, indicating pro-public education votes: 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
Strongly Opposes topic 8: Businesses have a right to pollute (+5 points on Social scale)	Renovate our entire drinking water infrastructure: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Support UNCED Rio Declaration at 2002 conference: Opposes topic 8 Rated 89% by the LCV, indicating pro-environment votes: Strongly Opposes topic 8 EPA must do better on mercury clean-up: Opposes topic 8 Grants for beach water pollution under Clean Water Act: Opposes topic 8 Sponsored regulating all dog breeders down to kennels of 50 dogs: Opposes topic 8 Strengthen prohibitions against animal fighting: Strongly Opposes topic 8
Opposes topic 9: Stricter punishment reduces crime (+2 points on Social scale)	Maintain death penalty for the most heinous crimes: Strongly Favors topic 9 Impose "truth in sentencing" for violent criminals: Favors topic 9 Rated 75% by CURE, indicating pro-rehabilitation crime votes: Strongly Opposes topic 9 Require DNA testing for all federal executions: Opposes topic 9 Increase funding for "COPS ON THE BEAT" program: Opposes topic 9 Reduce recidivism by giving offenders a Second Chance: Strongly Opposes topic 9
No opinion on topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (0 points on Economic scale)	Endorsed by Everytown for Gun Safety for gun-sense majority: Strongly Opposes topic 10 Rated F by the NRA, indicating a pro-gun control voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 10 Close the Gun Show Loophole; restrict show sales: Opposes topic 10 Ban large-capacity ammunition: Opposes topic 10 Support tradition of hunting on wildlife refuges: Strongly Favors topic 10 Co-sponsored background check for every firearm sale: Strongly Favors 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)	Call on the wealthiest people to pay their fair share: Strongly Favors topic 11 Close tax loopholes and gain $1.2T from the wealthy: Strongly Favors topic 11 Rated 14% by NTU, indicating a "Big Spender" on tax votes: Strongly Favors topic 11 Rated 100% by the CTJ, indicating support of progressive taxation: Strongly Favors topic 11 Minimum tax rate of 30% for those earning over $1 million: Strongly Favors topic 11 Make employee educational assistance tax-deductible: Favors topic 11
Strongly Favors topic 12: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens (+5 points on Social scale)	Our border with Mexico is strongest it's been in 40 years: Favors topic 12 Cover child resident aliens under Medicaid and SCHIP: Favors topic 12 Rated 8% by USBC, indicating an open-border stance: Strongly Favors topic 12 Provide lawyers and evidence for children being deported: Favors topic 12 Terminate national emergency at the Southern border: Favors 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)	Patriot employers: reward companies that supply U.S. jobs: Opposes topic 13 Vigorous enforcement against unfair importation & dumping: Strongly Opposes topic 13 Supports NAFTA, GATT, and WTO: Strongly Favors topic 13 Rated 17% by CATO, indicating a pro-fair trade voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 13 Sponsored sugar quotas & import tariffs to stabilize prices: Strongly Opposes topic 13 Voted FOR reauthorizing Ex-Im Bank: Strongly Favors topic 13 $25B more loans from Export-Import Bank: Strongly Favors topic 13 Ban imports from Xinjiang made by Uyghur forced labor: Opposes topic 13
Strongly Opposes topic 14: Stay away from the UN & Globalism (-5 points on Economic scale)	Restore habeas corpus for detainees in the War on Terror: Opposes topic 14 Allow travel between the United States and Cuba: Opposes topic 14 Sponsored bill to oppose Israeli annexation of West Bank: Strongly Opposes topic 14
Favors topic 15: Peace through Strength (-3 points on Social scale)	$15 billion investment for homeland security: Strongly Favors topic 15 Became unofficial ombudsman for wounded warriors: Strongly Favors topic 15 Ensure that the military are given the resources they need: Favors topic 15 Rated 100% by SANE, indicating a pro-peace voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 15
Strongly Favors topic 16: Make voter registration easier (+5 points on Social scale)	Require full disclosure of independent campaign expenditures: Strongly Favors topic 16 No photo IDs to vote; they suppress the vote: Favors topic 16 Matching fund for small donors, with debate requirements: Favors topic 16 Statehood for the District of Columbia: Favors topic 16 Public financing of federal campaigns by voter vouchers: Favors topic 16 Automatic voter registration for all citizens: Strongly Favors topic 16 Replace electoral college with direct election of president: Strongly Favors topic 16 Sponsored bill for election holiday & easier voting access: Strongly Favors topic 16 Military spouses don't lose voting residency while abroad: Favors topic 16 Repeal automatic Congressional pay raises: Favors topic 16 Sponsored bill to expand voter registration and voter access: Strongly Favors topic 16
Favors topic 17: Stay out of foreign wars (+2 points on Social scale)	We can' afford $10B to $15B a month in Iraq: Favors topic 17 Multi-year commitment to Africa for food & medicine: Strongly Favors topic 17 No troop surge: no military escalation in Iraq: Strongly Favors topic 17 Iranian nuclear weapons: prevention instead of containment: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Require Congress' approval before military action in Iran: Favors topic 17 Sanctions on Iran to end nuclear program: Opposes topic 17 No military force against Iran without Congress approval: Strongly Favors topic 17 Sponsored resolution to repeal 2002 AUMF against Iraq: Strongly Favors topic 17
Strongly Favors topic 18: Prioritize green energy (-5 points on Economic scale)	Energy tax to fund infrastructure investment: Strongly Favors topic 18 Empower the EPA to regulate greenhouse emissions: Strongly Favors topic 18 Include pickup trucks in CAFE; include hybrids in HOV lanes: Favors topic 18 Keep efficient air conditioner rule to conserve energy: Strongly Favors topic 18 Establish greenhouse gas tradeable allowances: Strongly Favors topic 18 Sponsored bill for tax credit for providing 85% ethanol gas: Favors topic 18 Rated 100% by the CAF, indicating support for energy independence: Favors topic 18 Sponsored bill raising CAFE by a 4% per year until 2018: Strongly Favors topic 18 Sign on to UN Framework Convention on Climate Change: Strongly Favors topic 18 50% clean and carbon free electricity by 2030: Strongly Favors topic 18 Designate sensitive ANWR area as protected wilderness: Favors topic 18 Set goal of 25% renewable energy by 2025: Strongly Favors topic 18 Let states define stricter-than-federal emission standards: Strongly Favors topic 18
Favors topic 19: Marijuana is a gateway drug (-3 points on Social scale)	The plague of methamphetamine abuse is growing: Favors topic 19 Strengthen enforcement against Ecstasy and other club drugs: Strongly Favors topic 19 Decriminalize medical marijuana: Opposes topic 19 End harsher sentencing for crack vs. powder cocaine: Opposes topic 19 Require chemical resellers to certify against meth use: Favors topic 19
Strongly Favors topic 20: Stimulus better than market-led recovery (-5 points on Economic scale)	Fund science to protect food supply, cure disease, and more: Favors topic 20 Educate farmers about federal programs that can help them: Favors topic 20 Rated 86% by UFCW, indicating an anti-management/pro-labor record: Favors topic 20 Strengthen infrastructure, including rail, dams, & Internet: Strongly Favors topic 20 Raise the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour by 2016: Favors topic 20 $1.9 trillion ARPA bill for COVID relief: Favors topic 20

Richard Durbin is a Hard-Core Liberal
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