Jim Costa on VoteMatch

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)
Favors topic 1: Abortion is a woman's right (+2 points on Social scale)	Rated 20% by the NRLC, indicating a mixed record on abortion: Neutral on topic 1 Ensure access to and funding for contraception: 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 YES on expanding research to more embryonic stem cell lines: Favors topic 1
Strongly Favors topic 2: Require hiring more women & minorities (-5 points on Economic scale)	Issue a commemorative postage stamp of Rosa Parks: Favors topic 2 Rated 83% by NAACP, indicating a mixed record on affirmative-action: Neutral on topic 2 Re-introduce the Equal Rights Amendment: Strongly Favors topic 2 YES on $84 million in grants for Black and Hispanic colleges: Strongly Favors topic 2
Strongly Favors topic 3: Same-sex domestic partnership benefits (+5 points on Social scale)	Rated 63% by the HRC, indicating a mixed record on gay rights: Neutral on topic 3 NO on Constitutionally defining marriage as one-man-one-woman: Strongly Favors topic 3 YES on prohibiting job discrimination based on sexual orientation: Strongly Favors topic 3
Opposes topic 4: Teacher-led prayer in public schools (+2 points on Social scale)	Rated 50% by the AU, a mixed record on church-state separation: Neutral on topic 4 YES on allowing Courts to decide on "God" in Pledge of Allegiance: Opposes topic 4
Neutral on topic 8: Death Penalty (0 points on Social scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Favors topic 9: Mandatory Three Strikes sentencing laws (-3 points on Social scale)	Rated 94% by the NCJA, indicating a "tough-on-crime" stance: Strongly Favors topic 9 YES on expanding services for offendors' re-entry into society: Opposes topic 9
Strongly Favors topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (+5 points on Economic scale)	YES on prohibiting product misuse lawsuits on gun manufacturers: Strongly Favors topic 10
Strongly Favors topic 5: More federal funding for health coverage (-5 points on Economic scale)	Helped enact low cost health care insurance for children: Strongly Favors topic 5 Better and immediate funding for Medicare & Medicaid: Favors topic 5 YES on giving mental health full equity with physical health: Favors topic 5 YES on Veto override: Extend SCHIP to cover 6M more kids: Strongly Favors topic 5 NO on denying non-emergency treatment for lack of Medicare co-pay: Strongly Favors topic 5 YES on requiring negotiated Rx prices for Medicare part D: Favors topic 5 YES on adding 2 to 4 million children to SCHIP eligibility: Favors topic 5
Neutral on topic 6: Privatize Social Security (0 points on Economic scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Opposes topic 7: Parents choose schools via vouchers (-3 points on Economic scale)	Co-authored a class size reduction law: Opposes topic 7
Favors topic 18: Replace coal & oil with alternatives (-3 points on Economic scale)	Balance fossil fuels and viable renewable energy: Favors topic 18 Rated 33% by CAF, indicating a mixed record on energy independence: Neutral on topic 18 YES on tax incentives for renewable energy: 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 YES on removing oil & gas exploration subsidies: Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on investing in homegrown biofuel: Strongly Favors topic 18 NO on criminalizing oil cartels like OPEC: Opposes topic 18 YES on tax incentives for energy production and conservation: Strongly Favors topic 18
Strongly Favors topic 19: Drug use is immoral: enforce laws against it (-5 points on Social scale)	Rated -10 by NORML, indicating a "hard-on-drugs" stance: Strongly Favors topic 19
Neutral on topic 20: Allow churches to provide welfare services (0 points on Economic scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Favors topic 11: Make taxes more progressive (-3 points on Economic scale)	Rated 50% by CTJ, indicating a mixed record on progressive taxation: Neutral on topic 11 NO on retaining reduced taxes on capital gains & dividends: Strongly Favors topic 11 YES on paying for AMT relief by closing offshore business loopholes: Strongly Favors topic 11 YES on extending AMT exemptions to avoid hitting middle-income: Opposes topic 11
Strongly Opposes topic 12: Illegal immigrants earn citizenship (-5 points on Social scale)	Rated 42% by USBC, indicating a mixed record on open borders: Neutral on topic 12 YES on preventing tipping off Mexicans about Minuteman Project: Strongly Opposes topic 12 YES on building a fence along the Mexican border: Strongly Opposes topic 12
Opposes topic 13: Support & expand free trade (-3 points on Economic scale)	NO on implementing CAFTA, Central America Free Trade: Strongly Opposes topic 13 YES on assisting workers who lose jobs due to globalization: Opposes topic 13 YES on promoting free trade with Peru: Favors topic 13
Opposes topic 15: Expand the armed forces (+2 points on Social scale)	YES on continuing military recruitment on college campuses: Favors topic 15 YES on restricting no-bid defense contracts: Strongly Opposes topic 15
Strongly Favors topic 16: Stricter limits on political campaign funds (-5 points on Economic scale)	Supports Shays-Meehan Campaign Finance Reform: Favors topic 16 NO on restricting independent grassroots political committees: Favors topic 16 YES on requiring lobbyist disclosure of bundled donations: Strongly Favors topic 16
Opposes topic 14: The Patriot Act harms civil liberties (-3 points on Social scale)	YES on Veto override: Congressional oversight of CIA interrogations: Strongly Favors topic 14 YES on requiring FISA warrants for wiretaps in US, but not abroad: Strongly Favors topic 14 YES on making the PATRIOT Act permanent: Strongly Opposes topic 14 YES on continuing intelligence gathering without civil oversight: Strongly Opposes topic 14 NO on allowing electronic surveillance without a warrant: Strongly Favors topic 14 YES on removing need for FISA warrant for wiretapping abroad: Strongly Opposes topic 14 YES on retroactive immunity for telecoms' warrantless surveillance: Opposes topic 14
Opposes topic 17: US out of Iraq (-3 points on Social scale)	YES on declaring Iraq part of War on Terror with no exit date: Strongly Opposes topic 17 NO on redeploying US troops out of Iraq starting in 90 days: Strongly Opposes topic 17 YES on investigating Bush impeachment for lying about Iraq: Favors topic 17