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 right (+5 points on Social scale)	Expand embryonic stem cell research: Favors topic 1 Sponsored bill providing contraceptives for low-income women: Favors topic 1 Sponsored bill for emergency contraception for rape victims: Favors topic 1 NO on banning partial birth abortions: Strongly Favors topic 1 NO on maintaining ban on Military Base Abortions: Favors topic 1 NO on banning partial birth abortions except for maternal life: Strongly Favors topic 1 YES on $100M to reduce teen pregnancy by education & contraceptives: Favors topic 1 NO on notifying parents of minors who get out-of-state abortions: Favors topic 1
Favors topic 2: Require hiring more women & minorities (-3 points on Economic scale)	Continue federal affirmative action programs: Favors topic 2 Oppose Gender-based wage discrimination: Opposes topic 2 Increase subsidies for women-owned non-profit business: Strongly Favors topic 2 NO on banning affirmative action hiring with federal funds: Strongly Favors topic 2 YES on ending special funding for minority & women-owned business: Strongly Opposes topic 2 NO on prohibiting same-sex basic training: Favors topic 2 YES on setting aside 10% of highway funds for minorities & women: Favors topic 2
Strongly Favors topic 3: Same-sex domestic partnership benefits (+5 points on Social scale)	Sponsored Employment NonDiscrimination Act for gays: Strongly Favors topic 3 Apply hate-crime rules to gender, race, & sexual orientation: Strongly Favors topic 3 Endorsed by Log Cabin Republicans; supports gay rights: Favors topic 3 More funding and stricter sentencing for hate crimes: Strongly Favors topic 3 YES on prohibiting same-sex marriage: Strongly Opposes topic 3 YES on prohibiting job discrimination by sexual orientation: Strongly Favors topic 3 YES on expanding hate crimes to include sexual orientation: Favors topic 3 YES on adding sexual orientation to definition of hate crimes: Strongly Favors topic 3 NO on constitutional ban of same-sex marriage: Strongly Favors topic 3
Strongly Opposes topic 4: Teacher-led prayer in public schools (+5 points on Social scale)	NO on requiring schools to allow voluntary prayer: Opposes topic 4 NO on $75M for abstinence education: Strongly Opposes topic 4 YES on killing restrictions on violent videos to minors: Opposes topic 4 NO on recommending Constitutional ban on flag desecration: Opposes topic 4
Opposes topic 8: Death Penalty (+2 points on Social scale)	Moratorium on death penalty; more DNA testing: Opposes topic 8 Require DNA testing for all federal executions: Opposes topic 8 NO on rejecting racial statistics in death penalty appeals: Opposes topic 8 YES on limiting death penalty appeals: Favors topic 8
Favors topic 9: Mandatory Three Strikes sentencing laws (-3 points on Social scale)	YES on mandatory prison terms for crimes involving firearms: Strongly Favors topic 9 YES on more penalties for gun & drug violations: Favors topic 9 YES on $1.15 billion per year to continue the COPS program: Opposes topic 9
Strongly Favors topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (+5 points on Economic scale)	YES on maintaining current law: guns sold without trigger locks: Strongly Favors topic 10 YES on loosening license & background checks at gun shows: Favors topic 10 NO on background checks at gun shows: Strongly Favors topic 10 YES on prohibiting lawsuits against gun manufacturers: Strongly Favors topic 10
Favors topic 5: More federal funding for health coverage (-3 points on Economic scale)	Invest funds to alleviate the nursing shortage: Favors topic 5 NO on blocking medical savings acounts: Opposes topic 5 YES on Medicare means-testing: Opposes topic 5 YES on limiting self-employment health deduction: Opposes topic 5 NO on including prescription drugs under Medicare: Opposes topic 5 YES on funding GOP version of Medicare prescription drug benefit: Opposes topic 5 YES on $40 billion per year for limited Medicare prescription drug benefit: Favors topic 5 YES on increasing Medicaid rebate for producing generics: Favors topic 5 YES on negotiating bulk purchases for Medicare prescription drug: Strongly Favors topic 5 YES on expanding enrollment period for Medicare Part D: Favors topic 5
Favors topic 6: Privatize Social Security (+2 points on Economic scale)	Raise FICA on rich; support lock-box: Opposes topic 6 Supports individual savings accounts and work incentives: Favors topic 6 YES on deducting Social Security payments on income taxes: Favors topic 6 YES on allowing Roth IRAs for retirees: Favors topic 6 NO on allowing personal retirement accounts: Opposes topic 6
Favors topic 7: Parents choose schools via vouchers (+2 points on Economic scale)	YES on school vouchers in DC: Strongly Favors topic 7 NO on education savings accounts: Opposes topic 7 YES on allowing more flexibility in federal school rules: Strongly Favors topic 7 NO on Educational Savings Accounts: Opposes topic 7 NO on funding smaller classes instead of private tutors: Favors topic 7 YES on funding student testing instead of private tutors: Opposes topic 7 YES on $5B for grants to local educational agencies: Opposes topic 7
Strongly Favors topic 18: Replace coal & oil with alternatives (-5 points on Economic scale)	Permanent protection for Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: Strongly Favors topic 18 Include pickup trucks in CAFE; include hybrids in HOV lanes: Favors topic 18 Keep climate change in EPA "State of the Environment" report: Favors topic 18 Keep efficient air conditioner rule to conserve energy: Strongly Favors topic 18 Establish greenhouse gas tradeable allowances: Strongly Favors topic 18 Supports immediate reductions in greenhouse gases: Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on do not require ethanol in gasoline: Opposes topic 18 YES on reducing funds for road-building in National Forests: Favors topic 18 NO on defunding renewable and solar energy: Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on ending discussion of CAFE fuel efficiency standards: Opposes topic 18 NO on preserving budget for ANWR oil drilling: Favors topic 18 NO on terminating CAFE standards within 15 months: Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on targeting 100,000 hydrogen-powered vehicles by 2010: Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on removing consideration of drilling ANWR from budget bill: Favors topic 18 YES on reducing oil usage by 40% by 2025 (instead of 5%): Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on disallowing an oil leasing program in Alaska's ANWR: Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on banning drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: Favors topic 18
Opposes topic 19: Drug use is immoral: enforce laws against it (+2 points on Social scale)	Decriminalize medical marijuana: Strongly Opposes topic 19 Drug efforts in Colombia OK if joined with society-building: Favors topic 19 NO on spending international development funds on drug control: Strongly Opposes topic 19 YES on more penalties for gun & drug violations: Favors topic 19 NO on increasing penalties for drug offenses: Opposes topic 19
Favors topic 20: Allow churches to provide welfare services (+2 points on Economic scale)	YES on welfare overhaul: Favors topic 20 YES on allowing state welfare waivers: Favors topic 20 YES on eliminating block grants for food stamps: Opposes topic 20 YES on welfare block grants: Favors topic 20
Favors topic 11: Make taxes more progressive (-3 points on Economic scale)	$1 trillion is right size for tax cut; Bush is too high: Neutral on topic 11 Implement socially fair, broad-based tax cuts: Favors topic 11 YES on Internet sales tax moratorium: Opposes topic 11 NO on requiring super-majority for raising taxes: Favors topic 11 YES on eliminating the 'marriage penalty': Opposes topic 11 YES on prioritizing national debt reduction below tax cuts: Opposes topic 11 NO on reducing marriage penalty instead of cutting top tax rates: Opposes topic 11 YES on spending $448B of tax cut on education & debt reduction: Favors topic 11 NO on $350 billion in tax breaks over 11 years: Strongly Favors topic 11 NO on extending the tax cuts on capital gains and dividends: Strongly Favors topic 11 YES on $47B for military by repealing capital gains tax cut: Favors topic 11 NO on retaining reduced taxes on capital gains & dividends: Strongly Favors topic 11 NO on permanently repealing the `death tax`: Strongly Favors topic 11 NO on supporting permanence of estate tax cuts: Strongly Favors topic 11
Strongly Favors topic 12: Illegal immigrants earn citizenship (+5 points on Social scale)	More visas & social programs for immigrants: Strongly Favors topic 12 YES on limit welfare for immigrants: Strongly Opposes topic 12 YES on visas for skilled workers: Favors topic 12 YES on allowing more foreign workers into the US for farm work: Favors topic 12 YES on allowing illegal aliens to participate in Social Security: Strongly Favors topic 12 YES on giving Guest Workers a path to citizenship: Strongly Favors topic 12 YES on establishing a Guest Worker program: Favors topic 12 NO on building a fence along the Mexican border: Strongly Favors topic 12
Favors topic 13: Support & expand free trade (+2 points on Economic scale)	YES on renewing 'fast track' presidential trade authority: Favors topic 13 NO on permanent normal trade relations with China: Strongly Opposes topic 13 YES on expanding trade to the third world: Favors topic 13 YES on removing common goods from national security export rules: Favors topic 13 YES on granting normal trade relations status to Vietnam: Favors topic 13 YES on extending free trade to Andean nations: Strongly Favors topic 13 YES on implementing CAFTA for Central America free-trade: Strongly Favors topic 13 YES on free trade agreement with Oman: Strongly Favors topic 13
Favors topic 15: Expand the armed forces (-3 points on Social scale)	Reduce federal government size & scope, including military: Opposes topic 15 YES on 1996 Defense Appropriations: Favors topic 15 YES on considering deploying NMD, and amending ABM Treaty: Favors topic 15 YES on favoring 36 vetoed military projects: Strongly Favors topic 15 YES on allowing another round of military base closures: Opposes topic 15 YES on military pay raise of 4.8%: Strongly Favors topic 15 YES on deploying National Missile Defense ASAP: Strongly Favors topic 15 YES on requiring on-budget funding for Iraq, not emergency funding: Opposes topic 15
Favors topic 16: Stricter limits on political campaign funds (-3 points on Economic scale)	Subject independent 527s to rules for political committees: Strongly Favors topic 16 YES on favoring 1997 McCain-Feingold overhaul of campaign finance: Favors topic 16 YES on banning campaign donations from unions & corporations: Favors topic 16 YES on banning "soft money" contributions and restricting issue ads: Favors topic 16 NO on establishing the Senate Office of Public Integrity: Opposes topic 16 YES on allowing some lobbyist gifts to Congress: Strongly Opposes topic 16
Strongly Favors topic 14: The Patriot Act harms civil liberties (+5 points on Social scale)	NO on extending the PATRIOT Act's wiretap provision: Strongly Favors topic 14 NO on reauthorizing the PATRIOT Act: Favors topic 14 YES on preserving habeas corpus for Guantanamo detainees: Strongly Favors topic 14 YES on requiring CIA reports on detainees & interrogation methods: Strongly Favors topic 14
Strongly Favors topic 17: US out of Iraq (+5 points on Social scale)	YES on redeploying troops out of Iraq by July 2007: Strongly Favors topic 17