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)	Supports legalized abortion with some limits: Favors topic 1 Rated 100% by NARAL, indicating a pro-choice voting record: Strongly Favors topic 1 Expand embryonic stem cell research: Favors topic 1 NO on banning partial birth abortions except for maternal life: Strongly Favors topic 1 YES on criminal penalty for harming unborn fetus during other crime: Opposes 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)	Promote racial tolerance publicly: Favors topic 2 Issue a commemorative postage stamp of Rosa Parks: Favors topic 2
Strongly Favors topic 3: Same-sex domestic partnership benefits (+5 points on Social scale)	Disgusted by Defense of Marriage Act: Strongly Favors topic 3 More funding and stricter sentencing for hate crimes: Strongly 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
No opinion on topic 4: Teacher-led prayer in public schools (0 points on Social scale)	Supports anti-flag desecration amendment: Favors topic 4 Rated 0% by the Christian Coalition: an anti-family voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 4 YES on recommending Constitutional ban on flag desecration: Favors topic 4
No opinion on topic 8: Death Penalty (0 points on Social scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Opposes topic 9: Mandatory Three Strikes sentencing laws (+2 points on Social scale)	More resources for local law enforcement & COPS: Strongly Opposes topic 9 More gang prosecution: Favors topic 9
Opposes topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (-3 points on Economic scale)	Against gun registration: Favors topic 10 Opposes gun licensing and gun registration: Strongly Favors topic 10 For background checks & trigger locks: Opposes topic 10 Zero tolerance for guns in schools: Opposes topic 10 Supports some licensing & some registration: Opposes topic 10 NO on banning lawsuits against gun manufacturers for gun violence: Strongly Opposes topic 10 NO on prohibiting lawsuits against gun manufacturers: Strongly Opposes topic 10
Strongly Favors topic 5: More federal funding for health coverage (-5 points on Economic scale)	Immediate health care coverage for all Americans: Strongly Favors topic 5 Employer-mandated coverage and universal insurance: Strongly Favors topic 5 Expand Medicare Rx coverage & other coverage: Strongly Favors topic 5 Invest funds to alleviate the nursing shortage: Favors topic 5 Let states make bulk Rx purchases, and other innovations: Opposes topic 5 Rated 100% by APHA, indicating a pro-public health record: Strongly Favors topic 5 NO on funding GOP version of Medicare prescription drug benefit: Favors 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 NO on limiting medical liability lawsuits to $250,000: Opposes topic 5
Strongly Opposes topic 6: Privatize Social Security (-5 points on Economic scale)	Opposes privatization of social security: Strongly Opposes topic 6 Keep Social Security intact: Strongly Opposes topic 6 Rated 90% by the ARA, indicating a pro-senior voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 6
Strongly Opposes topic 7: Parents choose schools via vouchers (-5 points on Economic scale)	More funding for progressive public school programs: Opposes topic 7 Vouchers undermine our educational system: Strongly Opposes topic 7 Vouchers take precious tax dollars from public schools: Strongly Opposes topic 7 Public schools are doing a good job; need more money: Opposes topic 7 Supports charter schools, opposed to vouchers: Strongly Opposes topic 7 Rated 82% by the NEA, indicating pro-public education votes: Strongly Opposes topic 7 YES on funding smaller classes instead of private tutors: Opposes topic 7 YES on funding student testing instead of private tutors: Opposes topic 7
Strongly Favors topic 18: Replace coal & oil with alternatives (-5 points on Economic scale)	Voted against Gale Norton, citing ANWR: Strongly Favors topic 18 Triple MN highway construction projects for next 10 years: Neutral on topic 18 Mass transit is an essential public service: Strongly Favors topic 18 Rated 79% by the LCV, indicating pro-environment votes: Strongly Favors topic 18 Keep efficient air conditioner rule to conserve energy: Strongly Favors topic 18 Establish greenhouse gas tradeable allowances: Strongly 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
Strongly Favors topic 19: Drug use is immoral: enforce laws against it (-5 points on Social scale)	Greatest threat to national security is flood of drugs: Strongly Favors topic 19 Strengthen the fight against illegal drugs: Strongly Favors topic 19
Opposes topic 20: Allow churches to provide welfare services (-3 points on Economic scale)	No 5-year limit on cash benefits: Opposes topic 20
Favors topic 11: Make taxes more progressive (-3 points on Economic scale)	Targeted middle class tax cuts: Favors topic 11 Don’t “give it all back”; economy will sour someday: Favors topic 11 Target tax cuts to middle class, not the rich: Strongly Favors topic 11 Rated 17% by NTU, indicating a "Big Spender" on tax votes: Strongly Favors topic 11 YES on reducing marriage penalty instead of cutting top tax rates: Favors 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 YES on extending the tax cuts on capital gains and dividends: Strongly Opposes topic 11 YES on $47B for military by repealing capital gains tax cut: Favors topic 11 YES on retaining reduced taxes on capital gains & dividends: Strongly Opposes 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
No opinion on topic 12: Illegal immigrants earn citizenship (0 points on Social scale)	Unsnarl the INS bureaucracy to reduce backlog: Favors topic 12 NO on allowing illegal aliens to participate in Social Security: Strongly Opposes 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 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)	US policy should favor American workers and sovereignty: Strongly Opposes topic 13 Rated 25% by CATO, indicating a pro-fair trade voting record: Strongly Opposes 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 NO on establishing free trade between US & Singapore: Opposes topic 13 NO on establishing free trade between the US and Chile: Opposes topic 13 NO on implementing CAFTA for Central America free-trade: Strongly Opposes topic 13 NO on free trade agreement with Oman: Strongly Opposes topic 13
Opposes topic 15: Expand the armed forces (+2 points on Social scale)	Advocate for veterans’ needs: Favors topic 15 Redirect military spending to focus within US: Favors topic 15 Rated 100% by SANE, indicating a pro-peace voting record: Strongly Opposes 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)	No PAC money, no soft money: Strongly 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 NO on allowing some lobbyist gifts to Congress: Strongly Favors 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 YES on reauthorizing the PATRIOT Act: Opposes 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
Favors topic 17: US out of Iraq (+2 points on Social scale)	Relax the Cuban embargo: Favors topic 17 Maintain military & economic aid to Israel at current level: Strongly Favors topic 17 NO on redeploying troops out of Iraq by July 2007: Strongly Opposes topic 17