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 Opposes topic 1: Abortion is a woman's unrestricted right (-5 points on Social scale)	Life begins at conception: Strongly Opposes topic 1 I consider myself pro-life: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Ban abortions for sex selection or race selection: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Prohibit federal funding for abortion: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Prohibiting forced abortions by UN Population Fund: Opposes topic 1 Encourage adoption of children in foster care: Opposes topic 1 Life and human rights begin at fertilization or cloning: Strongly Opposes topic 1 No family planning assistance that includes abortion: Strongly Opposes topic 1 No taxpayer funding of abortions via ObamaCare: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Ban abortion after 20 weeks, except for maternal life: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Include pre-born human beings in 14th Amendment protection: Strongly Opposes topic 1 YES on banning federal health coverage that includes abortion: Strongly Opposes topic 1
Favors topic 2: Legally require hiring women & minorities (-3 points on Economic scale)	YES on reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act: Favors topic 2
Opposes topic 3: Comfortable with same-sex marriage (-3 points on Social scale)	Opposes same-sex marriage: Strongly Opposes topic 3 Rated Religious objections to GLBT services same as 1960s racism: Strongly Favors topic 3 Respect faith-based opposition to same-sex marriage: Strongly Opposes topic 3
Neutral on topic 4: Keep God in the public sphere (0 points on Social scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Strongly Opposes topic 5: Expand ObamaCare (+5 points on Economic scale)	Cross-state insurance & health savings accounts: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Defund, repeal, & replace federal care with free market: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Repeal the Job-Killing Health Care Law: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Repeal ObamaCare reporting requirements for small business: Opposes topic 5 Religious exemption from ObamaCare individual mandate: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Fully repealing ObamaCare is important, but not sufficient: Strongly Opposes topic 5 YES on repealing the "Prevention and Public Health" slush fund: Strongly Opposes topic 5 YES on the Ryan Budget: Medicare choice, tax & spending cuts: Opposes topic 5
Strongly Favors topic 6: Privatize Social Security (+5 points on Economic scale)	Supports privatizing Social Security: Strongly Favors topic 6 Rated 3% by ARA, indicating a pro-privatization stance: Strongly Favors topic 6
Strongly Favors topic 7: Vouchers for school choice (+5 points on Economic scale)	Denounce the Common Core State Standards: Favors topic 7 A-PLUS lets states escape No Child Left Behind: Favors topic 7 Vouchers break link of low-income and low-quality schools: Strongly Favors topic 7 YES on reauthorizing the DC opportunity scholarship program: Strongly Favors topic 7
Favors topic 8: Fight EPA regulatory over-reach (-3 points on Social scale)	Defund the EPA and start from scratch: Strongly Favors topic 8 Stop considering manure as pollutant or hazardous: Favors topic 8 Voted YES to require GMO labeling: Opposes topic 8
Favors topic 9: Stricter punishment reduces crime (-3 points on Social scale)	Supports the death penalty: Strongly Favors topic 9 Death penalty for killing police officers: Favors topic 9 Rated 54% by the NAPO, indicating a moderate stance on police issues: Neutral on topic 9
Strongly Favors topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (+5 points on Economic scale)	National cross-state standard for concealed carry: Strongly Favors topic 10 Opposes restricting gun purchase & possession: Strongly Favors topic 10 Loosen restrictions on interstate gun purchases: Strongly Favors topic 10 Allow veterans to register unlicensed guns acquired abroad: Favors topic 10 Interstate transportation of firearms is federally prote: Favors topic 10
Strongly Opposes topic 11: Higher taxes on the wealthy (+5 points on Economic scale)	Supports tax simplification; ok with both flat tax & FairTax: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Adopt a single-rate tax system: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Repeal tax hikes in capital gains and death tax: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Replace income tax & estate tax with 23% sales tax: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Supports the Taxpayer Protection Pledge: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Replace income tax and IRS with FairTax: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Death Tax is a pernicious double tax: Strongly Favors topic 11
Strongly Opposes topic 12: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens (-5 points on Social scale)	Opposes a pathway to citizenship: Strongly Opposes topic 12 Redefine "birthright citizenship" to exclude illegal aliens: Strongly Opposes topic 12 Voted YES to ban DREAMer immigrants from military service: Strongly Opposes topic 12
Opposes topic 13: Support & expand free trade (-3 points on Economic scale)	Stop foreign internet piracy of copyrighted materials: Strongly Opposes topic 13 Rated 63% by the USAE, indicating a mixed record on trade: Neutral on topic 13
Favors topic 14: Support American Exceptionalism (+2 points on Economic scale)	Withhold UN funding until voluntary and program-specific: Strongly Favors topic 14 Sponsored opposing the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty: Strongly Favors topic 14 Condemn China's organ harvesting from Falun Gong prisoners: Opposes topic 14
Neutral on topic 15: Expand the military (0 points on Social scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Neutral on topic 16: Make voter registration easier (0 points on Social scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Strongly Opposes topic 17: Avoid foreign entanglements (-5 points on Social scale)	Supports a continued presence in Afghanistan: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Boycott & sanctions against Iran for terrorism & nukes: Opposes topic 17 Iranian nuclear weapons: prevention instead of containment: Strongly Opposes topic 17 NO on removing US armed forces from Afghanistan: Strongly Opposes topic 17 YES on banning armed forces in Libya without Congressional approval: Favors topic 17
Strongly Opposes topic 18: Prioritize green energy (+5 points on Economic scale)	Open up land and water for oil & gas exploration: Strongly Opposes topic 18 Cap-and-trade has no impact on global temperatures: Strongly Opposes topic 18 Explore proven energy reserves & keep energy prices low: Opposes topic 18 Let states lease energy rights on federal lands: Strongly Opposes topic 18 Rated Drill for oil & gas in offshore OCS & Eastern Gulf of Mexico: Strongly Opposes topic 18 Federal collaboration for advanced nuclear technologies: Opposes topic 18 YES on barring EPA from regulating greenhouse gases: Opposes topic 18 YES on opening Outer Continental Shelf to oil drilling: Strongly Opposes topic 18
Strongly Favors topic 19: Marijuana is a gateway drug (-5 points on Social scale)	Rated C- by NORML, indicating a "hard-on-drugs" stance: Strongly Favors topic 19
Strongly Opposes topic 20: Stimulus better than market-led recovery (+5 points on Economic scale)	Limit federal spending growth to per-capita inflation rate: Strongly Opposes topic 20 Ban roadway signs indicating Recovery Act funding: Opposes topic 20 Apply all remaining stimulus funds to budget deficit: Strongly Opposes topic 20 Disapprove of increasing the debt limit: Opposes topic 20 Audit the Federal Reserve & its actions on mortgage loans: Opposes topic 20 YES on prioritizing spending in case debt limit is reached: Opposes topic 20

Blake Farenthold is a Hard-Core Conservative
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