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)
Opposes topic 1: Abortion is a woman's unrestricted right (-3 points on Social scale)	Supports some restrictions but Planned Parenthood ok: Favors topic 1 Rated 30% by NARAL, indicating a pro-life voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 1 YES on barring transporting minors to get an abortion: Strongly Opposes topic 1 YES on banning partial-birth abortions: Opposes topic 1 NO on banning Family Planning funding in US aid abroad: Favors topic 1 NO on Unknown roll call for 2001-89: Favors topic 1 NO on funding for health providers who don't provide abortion info: Favors topic 1 YES on banning partial-birth abortion except to save mother’s life: Strongly Opposes topic 1 NO on making it a crime to harm a fetus during another crime: Favors topic 1 YES on restricting interstate transport of minors to get abortions: Strongly Opposes topic 1 YES on allowing human embryonic stem cell research: Favors topic 1
Strongly Favors topic 2: Legally require hiring women & minorities (-5 points on Economic scale)	Constitutional Amendment for equal rights by gender: Strongly Favors topic 2 NO on ending preferential treatment by race in college admissions: Favors topic 2 YES on $84 million in grants for Black and Hispanic colleges: Strongly Favors topic 2
Strongly Favors topic 3: Comfortable with same-sex marriage (+5 points on Social scale)	More funding and stricter sentencing for hate crimes: Strongly Favors topic 3 NO on banning gay adoptions in DC: Favors topic 3 NO on Constitutional Amendment banning same-sex marriage: Strongly Favors topic 3
Opposes topic 4: Keep God in the public sphere (+2 points on Social scale)	Supports anti-flag desecration amendment: Favors topic 4 Rated 23% by the Christian Coalition: an anti-Family-Value voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 4 YES on responsible fatherhood via faith-based organizations: Favors topic 4 NO on treating religious organizations equally for tax breaks: Strongly Opposes topic 4 YES on allowing school prayer during the War on Terror: Strongly Favors topic 4 YES on constitutional amendment prohibiting flag desecration: Favors topic 4 NO on protecting the Pledge of Allegiance: Opposes topic 4 YES on allowing Courts to decide on "God" in Pledge of Allegiance: Opposes topic 4
Strongly Favors topic 5: Expand ObamaCare (-5 points on Economic scale)	Improve ObamaCare: repeal Cadillac Tax; negotiate Rx drugs: Strongly Favors topic 5 Access to Health Care for Every Ohio Child: Favors topic 5 Rated 89% by APHA, indicating a pro-public health record: Strongly Favors topic 5 Adopt national health reform legislation before the end of the year: Strongly Favors topic 5 3.2% funding increase for National Institutes of Health: Strongly Favors topic 5 NO on establishing tax-exempt Medical Savings Accounts: Favors topic 5 NO on subsidizing private insurance for Medicare Rx drug coverage: Favors topic 5 YES on allowing reimportation of prescription drugs: Favors topic 5 NO on capping damages & setting time limits in medical lawsuits: Favors topic 5 NO on limited prescription drug benefit for Medicare recipients: Favors topic 5 NO on denying non-emergency treatment for lack of Medicare co-pay: Strongly Favors topic 5
Opposes topic 6: Privatize Social Security (-3 points on Economic scale)	No Social Security privatization: Opposes topic 6 Changing Social Security disproportionately affects women: Opposes topic 6 Reject proposals for private saving accounts: Strongly Opposes topic 6 Rated 100% by the ARA, indicating a pro-senior voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 6 YES on strengthening the Social Security Lockbox: Opposes topic 6 NO on reducing tax payments on Social Security benefits: Opposes topic 6 YES on raising 401(k) limits & making pension plans more portable: Favors topic 6
Strongly Opposes topic 7: Vouchers for school choice (-5 points on Economic scale)	Criticizes $71M in charter school funding for rigged report: Opposes topic 7 Reduce class size to 18 children in grades 1 to 3: Strongly Opposes topic 7 Rated 100% by the NEA, indicating pro-public education votes: Strongly Opposes topic 7 NO on vouchers for private & parochial schools: Strongly Opposes topic 7 NO on allowing vouchers in DC schools: Opposes topic 7
Strongly Opposes topic 8: Fight EPA regulatory over-reach (+5 points on Social scale)	Safeguard clean air and water for future generations: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Rated 85% by the LCV, indicating pro-environment votes: Strongly Opposes topic 8 NO on deauthorizing "critical habitat" for endangered species: Strongly Opposes topic 8
Opposes topic 9: Stricter punishment reduces crime (+2 points on Social scale)	Alternative sentencing for adult first-time felons: Opposes topic 9 Rated 60% by CURE, indicating mixed votes on rehabilitation: Neutral on topic 9 Require DNA testing for all federal executions: Opposes topic 9 YES on more prosecution and sentencing for juvenile crime: Favors topic 9 YES on funding for alternative sentencing instead of more prisons.: Strongly Opposes topic 9
Favors topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (+2 points on Economic scale)	Supports background checks; close terror watchlist loophole: Strongly Opposes topic 10 2010: Pro-gun & NRA endorsed; 2016: end gun epidemic: Strongly Opposes topic 10 OpEd: Worked for anti-gun group, but never renounced NRA: Opposes topic 10 Against ban on semi-automatic rifles; for concealed carry: Strongly Favors topic 10 Repeal restrictions on law-abiding citizens owning firearms: Strongly Favors topic 10 Rated A by the NRA, indicating a pro-gun rights voting record: Strongly Favors topic 10 Opposes restrictions on the right to bear arms: Strongly Favors topic 10 NO on decreasing gun waiting period from 3 days to 1: Strongly Opposes topic 10 YES on prohibiting suing gunmakers & sellers for gun misuse: Strongly Favors topic 10 YES on prohibiting product misuse lawsuits on gun manufacturers: Strongly Favors topic 10
Favors topic 11: Higher taxes on the wealthy (-3 points on Economic scale)	Property tax cut for 1 out of 4 Ohio homeowners: Opposes topic 11 Rated 25% by NTU, indicating a "Big Spender" on tax votes: Strongly Favors topic 11 $12B in federal economic stimulus as state block grants: Favors topic 11 NO on eliminating the "marriage penalty": Favors topic 11 NO on Tax cut package of $958 B over 10 years: Favors topic 11 NO on reducing Marriage Tax by $399B over 10 years: Favors topic 11 NO on eliminating the Estate Tax ("death tax"): Favors topic 11 NO on making the Bush tax cuts permanent: Strongly Favors topic 11 YES on providing tax relief and simplification: Strongly Opposes topic 11 NO on retaining reduced taxes on capital gains & dividends: Strongly Favors topic 11
Strongly Favors topic 12: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens (+5 points on Social scale)	Fix broken system with comprehensive immigration reform: Strongly Favors topic 12 Rated 0% by FAIR, indicating a voting record loosening immigration: Strongly Favors topic 12 Rated 8% by USBC, indicating an open-border stance: Strongly Favors topic 12 NO on more immigrant visas for skilled workers: Opposes topic 12 NO on reporting illegal aliens who receive hospital treatment: Strongly Favors topic 12
Strongly Opposes topic 13: Support & expand free trade (-5 points on Economic scale)	Rated 28% by CATO, indicating a pro-fair trade voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 13 NO on 'Fast Track' authority for trade agreements: Strongly Opposes topic 13 NO on Permanent Normal Trade Relations with China: Strongly Opposes topic 13 YES on withdrawing from the WTO: Strongly Opposes topic 13 NO on implementing US-Singapore free trade agreement: Strongly Opposes topic 13 NO on implementing free trade agreement with Chile: Strongly Opposes topic 13 NO on implementing US-Australia Free Trade Agreement: Opposes topic 13 NO on end offshore tax havens and promote small business: Favors topic 13 NO on implementing CAFTA, Central America Free Trade: Strongly Opposes topic 13
Opposes topic 14: Support American Exceptionalism (-3 points on Economic scale)	Support Iran nuke treaty; opposes ground troops against ISIS: Opposes topic 14 NO on withholding $244M in UN Back Payments until US seat restored: Strongly Opposes topic 14 NO on reforming the UN by restricting US funding: Strongly Opposes topic 14 YES on continuing intelligence gathering without civil oversight: Favors topic 14
Favors topic 15: Expand the military (-3 points on Social scale)	Rated 100% by SANE, indicating a pro-peace voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 15 YES on $266 billion Defense Appropriations bill: Favors topic 15 NO on deploying SDI: Opposes topic 15 YES on emergency $78B for war in Iraq & Afghanistan: Strongly Favors topic 15 YES on continuing military recruitment on college campuses: Favors topic 15
Strongly Favors topic 16: Make voter registration easier (+5 points on Social scale)	Overturn Citizens United with constitutional amendment: Strongly Favors topic 16 Citizens United lets billionaires' dark money buy elections: Strongly Favors topic 16 Voluntary spending limits with free access to media: Strongly Favors topic 16 YES on banning soft money and issue ads: Favors topic 16 NO on banning soft money donations to national political parties: Opposes topic 16 YES on campaign finance reform banning soft-money contributions: Favors topic 16 NO on restricting independent grassroots political committees: Favors topic 16
Strongly Favors topic 17: Avoid foreign entanglements (+5 points on Social scale)	Multi-year commitment to Africa for food & medicine: Strongly Favors topic 17 NO on authorizing military force in Iraq: Strongly Favors topic 17 NO on declaring Iraq part of War on Terror with no exit date: Strongly Favors topic 17
Favors topic 18: Prioritize green energy (-3 points on Economic scale)	Tackle the challenge of catastrophic climate change: Strongly Favors topic 18 Stay out of Keystone XL discussions; it doesn't involve Ohio: Opposes topic 18 Reduce liability for hazardous waste cleanup: Opposes topic 18 Rated 67% by CAF, indicating a mixed record on energy independence: Neutral on topic 18 YES on starting implementation of Kyoto Protocol: Strongly Favors topic 18 NO on raising CAFE standards; incentives for alternative fuels: Strongly Opposes topic 18 YES on prohibiting oil drilling & development in ANWR: Strongly Favors topic 18 NO on authorizing construction of new oil refineries: Strongly Favors topic 18 NO on scheduling permitting for new oil refinieries: Strongly Favors topic 18 NO on keeping moratorium on drilling for oil offshore: Strongly Opposes topic 18
Opposes topic 19: Marijuana is a gateway drug (+2 points on Social scale)	Decriminalize and/or legalize marijuana: Opposes topic 19 Medical cannabis is a "no-brainer"; decriminalize now: Strongly Opposes topic 19 NO on subjecting federal employees to random drug tests: Strongly Opposes topic 19 NO on prohibiting needle exchange & medical marijuana in DC: Strongly Opposes topic 19 YES on military border patrols to battle drugs & terrorism: Strongly Favors topic 19
Strongly Favors topic 20: Stimulus better than market-led recovery (-5 points on Economic scale)	Turnaround Ohio: invest in innovation and entrepreneurship: Strongly Favors topic 20