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)	Strongly supports woman's right to choose: Strongly Favors topic 1 Supports public funding; opposes Born-Alive bill: Strongly Favors topic 1 Staunch defender of women's right to decisions on health: Strongly Favors topic 1 Supports public funding of abortions: Strongly Favors topic 1 Opposes parental notification: Strongly Favors topic 1 Opposes barring stem cell research: Favors topic 1 Supports abortion rights, according to Faith2Action: 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 Rated Funding abortion avoids discrimination against poor women: Strongly Favors topic 1 Rated 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)	Time for women to earn same wages as men for same work: Strongly Favors topic 2
Strongly Favors topic 3: Comfortable with same-sex marriage (+5 points on Social scale)	Marriage equality is civil rights fight of our generation: Strongly Favors topic 3 Opposes barring same sex marriage (Christian Coalition rating): Strongly Favors topic 3 Supports homosexual civil rights: Favors topic 3 Supports same-sex marriage, according to Faith2Action: Strongly 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
Strongly Opposes topic 4: Keep God in the public sphere (+5 points on Social scale)	Religious freedom means no religious registry: Strongly Opposes topic 4
Strongly Favors topic 5: Expand ObamaCare (-5 points on Economic scale)	Opposes Medicare for All, but would expand coverage: Favors topic 5 Don't force people to get rid of their private health plans: Opposes topic 5 Treat mental health like physical care with regular checkups: Favors topic 5 Expand mental care at VA, rest of country: Favors topic 5 Don't tie healthcare with job; cover pre-existing conditions: Strongly Favors topic 5 Improve ObamaCare but not single-payer: Favors topic 5 Health care is a right, and also smart policy: Strongly Favors topic 5 Opposes repealing Obamacare: Favors topic 5 Opposes repealing Obamacare, according to Faith2Action: Favors topic 5 Opposes repealing Obamacare, according to PVS rating: Favors topic 5 Rated 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)	Eliminate the payroll tax cap to cover most of funding gap: Opposes topic 6 Opposes personal retirement accounts, rated by Faith2Action: 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)	Voluntary public service rewarded with education guarantee: Strongly Opposes topic 7 Reform public education testing & teaching standards: Opposes topic 7 Supports Common Core, according to Faith2Action: Opposes topic 7 Supports Common Core, according to PVS rating: 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
Strongly Opposes topic 8: Fight EPA regulatory over-reach (+5 points on Social scale)	We need a sustainable solution to the fishing crisis: Opposes topic 8 Endorsed Endorsed by LCV; supports conservation efforts: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Voted YES to require GMO labeling: Opposes topic 8
Strongly Opposes topic 9: Stricter punishment reduces crime (+5 points on Social scale)	Death penalty not worth risk of killing one innocent person: Strongly Opposes topic 9 Decrease prison populations; focus on rehabilitation: Strongly Opposes topic 9
Strongly Opposes topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (-5 points on Economic scale)	There's no need for weapons of war on our streets: Strongly Opposes topic 10 Ban bump stocks; bar terrorists from gun purchases: Opposes topic 10 For background checks & assault weapons ban: Strongly Opposes topic 10 It's time for universal background checks: Strongly Opposes topic 10 Supports restricting right to bear arms (Christian Coalition): Strongly Opposes topic 10 Supports restricting guns, according to Faith2Action: Strongly Opposes topic 10 Supports restricting guns, according to PVS rating: Strongly Opposes topic 10
Favors topic 11: Higher taxes on the wealthy (-3 points on Economic scale)	Raise corporate taxes, but lower rates than 2017: Strongly Favors topic 11 Tax capital gains at the same rate as ordinary income: Favors topic 11 For tax reform that doesn't favor the rich: Favors topic 11 Eliminate tax loopholes that only benefit big corporations: Strongly Favors topic 11 Supports increasing federal income taxes: Strongly Favors topic 11 Opposes tax increases, according to Faith2Action: Opposes topic 11 Opposes tax increases, according to PVS rating: Opposes topic 11 Rated Raising estate tax to 1990s level means $448B in new revenue: Strongly Opposes topic 11
Favors topic 12: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens (+2 points on Social scale)	Helped his Iraqi interpreter get asylum in U.S.: Favors topic 12 Confront the issue of Illegal immigration: Opposes topic 12 Citizenship path for those who follow law: Opposes topic 12 Block illegal immigration without hampering legal immigrants: Favors topic 12 Opposes deportation of illlegals, according to Faith2Action: Favors topic 12 Opposes deportation of illlegals, according to PVS rating: Favors topic 12 Rated Voted to legalize DREAMer immigrants via military service: Strongly Favors topic 12
Favors topic 13: Support & expand free trade (+2 points on Economic scale)	Deals must help Americans & protect intellectual property: Opposes topic 13 China steps in when US doesn't lead on trade deals: Strongly Favors topic 13 Use tariffs to crack down on certain countries: Strongly Opposes topic 13 $25B more loans from Export-Import Bank: Strongly Favors topic 13
Strongly Opposes topic 14: Support American Exceptionalism (-5 points on Economic scale)	Support two-state solution, not current Israeli government: Opposes topic 14 Venezuela: US should not try to be world's policeman: Strongly Opposes topic 14 Visit our allies, whom President Trump has abandoned: Strongly Opposes topic 14 Build a Pacific NATO & rebuild existing alliances: Strongly Opposes topic 14
Favors topic 15: Expand the military (-3 points on Social scale)	Boost the defense budget: Strongly Favors topic 15 Provide troops and vets both physical and mental health care: Favors topic 15 Trump's "Chicken hawks" pushing us towards war in Iran: Opposes topic 15 America leads the world when it is strong: Favors topic 15 Invest in autonomous, hypersonic, and cyber weapons: Favors topic 15 Veterans deserve the best health care in the world, period: Strongly Favors topic 15 Better funding and services for veterans: Favors topic 15
Strongly Favors topic 16: Make voter registration easier (+5 points on Social scale)	Eliminate the Electoral College: Favors topic 16 End secret contributions that buy support in Congress: 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
Opposes topic 17: Avoid foreign entanglements (-3 points on Social scale)	Condemn China's human rights abuses: Opposes topic 17 Need to push Saudis on human rights, not arm Yemen war: Favors topic 17 Rejoin Iran nuclear deal; strengthen and extend it: Favors topic 17 Interim agreement with North Korea would be step forward: Favors topic 17 Provide lethal aid to Ukraine; strengthen NATO: Opposes topic 17 Work to be done in Afghanistan after bringing troops home: Opposes topic 17 Keep the troops deployed abroad: Strongly Opposes topic 17 AdWatch: Don't send troops back to Iraq: Strongly Favors topic 17 We've got to abandon nation-building in Afghanistan: Strongly Favors topic 17 Against pushing us into war with Iran: Opposes topic 17 A mistake for those who voted for Iraq war: Opposes topic 17 Stand for national interests, but know end-game: Opposes topic 17 Supports targeting terrorists, according to Faith2Action: Opposes topic 17 Supports targeting terrorists, according to PVS rating: Opposes topic 17
Strongly Favors topic 18: Prioritize green energy (-5 points on Economic scale)	Need to make climate change a top priority: Favors topic 18 Get started on stopping climate change: Favors topic 18 Green New Deal addresses climate change AND changed economy: Strongly Favors topic 18 Member of the Climate Solutions Caucus in Congress: Favors topic 18 50% carbon-free electricity by 2030: Favors topic 18 Firm leadership to lessen greenhouse gas emissions: Strongly Favors topic 18 Supports regulating CO2, according to Faith2Action: Strongly 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 50% clean and carbon free electricity by 2030: Strongly Favors topic 18
Strongly Opposes topic 19: Marijuana is a gateway drug (+5 points on Social scale)	Legalize marijuana, but no expungement: Opposes topic 19 Supports medical and recreational marijuana: Opposes topic 19 Fewer drug-based convictions; decreased drug offenses: Strongly Opposes topic 19 Rated B by NORML, indicating a pro-drug-reform stance: Strongly Opposes topic 19
Strongly Favors topic 20: Stimulus better than market-led recovery (-5 points on Economic scale)	Rebuild our economy by rebuilding our infrastructure: Favors topic 20 Build local infrastructure and smart transportation: Strongly Favors topic 20 Supports stimulus spending, according to Faith2Action: Favors topic 20 Supports stimulus spending, according to PVS rating: Favors topic 20