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)	Contraception in health plans breaches religious liberty: Opposes topic 1 Rated 100% by the NRLC, indicating a pro-life stance: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Apply 14th amendment protections to pre-born fetuses: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Prohibit transporting minors across state lines for abortion: Opposes topic 1 Opposes both federal abortion funding & judicial activism: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Supports prohibiting human embryonic stem cell research: Opposes topic 1 Prohibit federal funding for abortion: Strongly Opposes topic 1 No family planning assistance that includes abortion: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Declare preborn as persons under 14th amendment: Strongly Opposes topic 1 YES on barring transporting minors to get an abortion: Strongly Opposes topic 1 YES on banning partial-birth abortions: Opposes topic 1 YES on prohibiting minors crossing state lines for abortion: Strongly Opposes topic 1 YES on defining unborn child as eligible for SCHIP: Opposes topic 1 NO on $100M to reduce teen pregnancy by education & contraceptives: Opposes topic 1 YES on notifying parents of minors who get out-of-state abortions: Opposes topic 1 NO on expanding research to more embryonic stem cell lines: Opposes topic 1 YES on barring HHS grants to organizations that perform abortions: Opposes topic 1 YES on restricting UN funding for population control policies: Opposes topic 1
Opposes topic 2: Legally require hiring women & minorities (+2 points on Economic scale)	Issue a commemorative postage stamp of Rosa Parks: Favors topic 2 Rated 7% by the NAACP, indicating an anti-affirmative-action stance: Strongly Opposes topic 2 YES on ending preferential treatment by race in college admissions: Opposes topic 2 NO on reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act: Opposes topic 2
Strongly Opposes topic 3: Comfortable with same-sex marriage (-5 points on Social scale)	Rated 0% by the HRC, indicating an anti-gay-rights stance: Strongly Opposes topic 3 YES on banning gay adoptions in DC: Opposes topic 3 YES on constitutional ban of same-sex marriage: Strongly Opposes topic 3
Favors topic 4: Keep God in the public sphere (-3 points on Social scale)	Constitutionally prohibit flag desecration: Favors topic 4 Supports a Constitutional Amendment for school prayer: Strongly Favors topic 4 NO on responsible fatherhood via faith-based organizations: Opposes topic 4 YES on recommending Constitutional ban on flag desecration: Favors topic 4
Strongly Opposes topic 5: Expand ObamaCare (+5 points on Economic scale)	Some patients will die sooner under ObamaCare's coercion: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Defund, repeal, & replace federal care with free market: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Repeal any federal health care takeover: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Expand medical savings accounts for employers & individuals: Opposes topic 5 Establishment of Office of Health Care Fraud Prevention: Opposes topic 5 Reforms should slow the long-term growth of health costs: Strongly Opposes topic 5 YES on establishing tax-exempt Medical Savings Accounts: Opposes topic 5 NO on subsidizing private insurance for Medicare Rx drug coverage: Favors topic 5 YES on allowing tribal Indians to opt out of federal healthcare: Strongly Opposes topic 5 YES on means-testing to determine Medicare Part D premium: Opposes topic 5 YES on the Ryan Budget: Medicare choice, tax & spending cuts: Opposes topic 5 NO on increasing Medicaid rebate for producing generics: Opposes topic 5 NO on negotiating bulk purchases for Medicare prescription drug: Strongly Opposes topic 5 NO on expanding enrollment period for Medicare Part D: Opposes topic 5 NO on requiring negotiated Rx prices for Medicare part D: Opposes topic 5 NO on adding 2 to 4 million children to SCHIP eligibility: Opposes topic 5 NO on overriding veto on expansion of Medicare: Opposes topic 5 NO on expanding the Children's Health Insurance Program: Opposes topic 5 NO on regulating tobacco as a drug: Opposes topic 5
Strongly Favors topic 6: Privatize Social Security (+5 points on Economic scale)	Give Americans real control over their retirement accounts: Strongly Favors topic 6 Create personal retirement accounts within Social Security: Strongly Favors topic 6 Supports private retirement accounts: Strongly Favors topic 6 Rated 8% by ARA, indicating a pro-privatization stance: Strongly Favors topic 6 NO on strengthening the Social Security Lockbox: Favors topic 6 YES on reducing tax payments on Social Security benefits: Favors topic 6 YES on establishing reserve funds & pre-funding for Social Security: Favors topic 6
Strongly Favors topic 7: Vouchers for school choice (+5 points on Economic scale)	The status quo isn't working, despite $2 trillion: Strongly Favors topic 7 Supports education vouchers for public or private school: Strongly Favors topic 7 YES on allowing vouchers in DC schools: Favors topic 7 NO on $5B for grants to local educational agencies: Favors topic 7
Favors topic 8: EPA regulations are too restrictive (-3 points on Social scale)	NO on protecting ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes ecosystems: Favors topic 8 YES on prohibiting eminent domain for use as parks or grazing land: Favors topic 8
Favors topic 9: Stricter punishment reduces crime (-3 points on Social scale)	Supports capital punishment for certain crimes: Strongly Favors topic 9 Opposes more severe penalties for Hate Crimes: Opposes topic 9 YES on making federal death penalty appeals harder: Strongly Favors topic 9 NO on more prosecution and sentencing for juvenile crime: Opposes topic 9 NO on reinstating $1.15 billion funding for the COPS Program: Favors topic 9
Strongly Favors topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (+5 points on Economic scale)	Both Carson and Coburn have 100% NRA records: Strongly Favors topic 10 National cross-state standard for concealed carry: Strongly Favors topic 10 Rated A by the NRA, indicating a pro-gun rights voting record: Strongly Favors topic 10 Allow veterans to register unlicensed guns acquired abroad: Favors topic 10 Individual right to self-defense at home and as self-defense: Strongly Favors topic 10 Ban gun registration & trigger lock law in Washington DC: Strongly Favors topic 10 Allow firearms in National Parks: Strongly Favors topic 10 Apply concealed carry permit to all other states where legal: Strongly Favors topic 10 Dangerousness, not mental incompetence, limits gun rights: Strongly Favors topic 10 NO on decreasing gun waiting period from 3 days to 1: Strongly Opposes topic 10 NO on banning high-capacity magazines of over 10 bullets: Strongly Favors topic 10 YES on prohibiting lawsuits against gun manufacturers: Strongly Favors topic 10 YES on prohibiting foreign & UN aid that restricts US gun ownership: Favors topic 10 YES on allowing firearms in checked baggage on Amtrak trains: Favors topic 10
Strongly Opposes topic 11: Higher taxes on the wealthy (+5 points on Economic scale)	Top US corporations pay effective tax rate of only 3.3%: Opposes topic 11 Real tax reform lowers rates and broadens the base: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Rated 0% by the CTJ, indicating opposition to progressive taxation: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Member of the Congressional Flat Tax Caucus: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Replace income tax & employment tax with FairTax: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Taxpayer Protection Pledge: no new taxes: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Opposes both marriage penalty & federal tax increases: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Supports flat-rate federal tax; opposes increased tax rates: 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 Supports the Taxpayer Protection Pledge: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Keep reduction of capital gains tax: Strongly Opposes topic 11 YES on eliminating the "marriage penalty": Opposes topic 11 YES on $46 billion in tax cuts for small business: Opposes topic 11 YES on raising the Death Tax exemption to $5M from $1M: Strongly Opposes topic 11 YES on allowing AMT reduction without budget offset: Opposes topic 11 YES on extending the tax cuts on capital gains and dividends: Strongly Opposes topic 11 NO on $47B for military by repealing capital gains tax cut: Opposes topic 11 NO on retaining reduced taxes on capital gains & dividends: Strongly Favors topic 11 YES on permanently repealing the `death tax`: Strongly Opposes topic 11 YES on supporting permanence of estate tax cuts: Strongly Opposes topic 11 YES on raising estate tax exemption to $5 million: Strongly Opposes topic 11 YES on repealing the Alternative Minimum Tax: Strongly Opposes topic 11
Strongly Opposes topic 12: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens (-5 points on Social scale)	2010 Arizona law should have been allowed: Strongly Opposes topic 12 Rated 100% by USBC, indicating a sealed-border stance: Strongly Opposes topic 12 Zero tolerance for border crossing via increased prosecution: Strongly Opposes topic 12 Government services in English only: Strongly Opposes topic 12 Rated A by the ALI, indicating a strongly anti-amnesty stance: Strongly Opposes topic 12 Declared English the official language of the US: Opposes topic 12 YES on more immigrant visas for skilled workers: Favors topic 12 NO on continuing federal funds for declared "sanctuary cities": Strongly Opposes topic 12 NO on allowing illegal aliens to participate in Social Security: Strongly Opposes topic 12 NO on giving Guest Workers a path to citizenship: Strongly Opposes topic 12 NO on establishing a Guest Worker program: Opposes topic 12 YES on building a fence along the Mexican border: Strongly Opposes topic 12 YES on eliminating the "Y" nonimmigrant guestworker program: Neutral topic 12 YES on declaring English as the official language of the US government: Strongly Opposes topic 12 NO on comprehensive immigration reform: Strongly Opposes topic 12
Opposes topic 13: Support & expand free trade (-3 points on Economic scale)	Insist on access to post-mad-cow Japanese beef markets: Favors topic 13 Sponsored sugar quotas & import tariffs to stabilize prices: Strongly Opposes topic 13 NO on 'Fast Track' authority for trade agreements: Strongly Opposes topic 13 NO on Permanent Normal Trade Relations with China: Strongly Opposes topic 13 YES on withdrawing from the WTO: Strongly Opposes topic 13 YES on implementing CAFTA for Central America free-trade: Strongly Favors topic 13 NO on free trade agreement with Oman: Strongly Opposes topic 13 YES on promoting free trade with Peru: Favors topic 13
Strongly Favors topic 14: Support American Exceptionalism (+5 points on Economic scale)	Sponsored opposing the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty: Strongly Favors topic 14 Oppose the United Nations' Arms Trade Treaty: Favors topic 14 NO on requiring FISA court warrant to monitor US-to-foreign calls: Favors topic 14 NO on preserving habeas corpus for Guantanamo detainees: Strongly Favors topic 14 NO on requiring CIA reports on detainees & interrogation methods: Strongly Favors topic 14 YES on removing need for FISA warrant for wiretapping abroad: Strongly Favors topic 14
Opposes topic 15: Expand the military (+2 points on Social scale)	Focus military research on militarily-related diseases: Opposes topic 15 Eliminate Hollywood liaison offices for Defense Department: Strongly Opposes topic 15 Military wastes money by bad contracting and parochialism: Strongly Opposes topic 15 Defense budget lacks common sense & does not lack money: Strongly Opposes topic 15 Freeze any increase in spending except homeland security: Favors topic 15 Sponsored bill for Iraq budget to be part of defense budget: Opposes topic 15 NO on $266 billion Defense Appropriations bill: Opposes topic 15 YES on requiring on-budget funding for Iraq, not emergency funding: Opposes topic 15 NO on limiting soldiers' deployment to 12 months: Favors topic 15
Favors topic 16: Make voter registration easier (+2 points on Social scale)	Earmarks are unconstitutional perversion of Congress' duties: Favors topic 16 Earmarks are gateway drug for wasteful government spending: Opposes topic 16 Sponsored bill requiring Internet disclosure of earmarks: Strongly Favors topic 16 Ban paid voter registration: Opposes topic 16 Military spouses don't lose voting residency while abroad: Favors topic 16 NO on banning soft money and issue ads: Opposes 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 Opposes topic 17: Avoid foreign entanglements (-5 points on Social scale)	Justices citing foreign law is bad behavior: Opposes topic 17 Iranian nuclear weapons: prevention instead of containment: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Sanctions on Iran to end nuclear program: Opposes topic 17 NO on redeploying troops out of Iraq by July 2007: Strongly Opposes topic 17 NO on redeploying US troops out of Iraq by March 2008: Strongly Opposes topic 17 NO on redeploying non-essential US troops out of Iraq in 9 months: Opposes topic 17
Strongly Opposes topic 18: Prioritize green energy (+5 points on Economic scale)	Let ethanol tax credit permanently expire: Opposes topic 18 Rated 17% by the CAF, indicating opposition to energy independence: Opposes topic 18 Open the Outer Continental Shelf for oil & gas leasing: Strongly Opposes topic 18 Signed the No Climate Tax Pledge by AFP: 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 NO on starting implementation of Kyoto Protocol: Strongly Opposes topic 18 YES on barring EPA from regulating greenhouse gases: Opposes topic 18 NO on reducing oil usage by 40% by 2025 (instead of 5%): Strongly Opposes topic 18 NO on disallowing an oil leasing program in Alaska's ANWR: Strongly Opposes topic 18 NO on banning drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: Opposes topic 18 NO on factoring global warming into federal project planning: Opposes topic 18 NO on addressing CO2 emissions without considering India & China: Opposes topic 18 NO on tax incentives for energy production and conservation: Strongly Opposes topic 18 YES on requiring full Senate debate and vote on cap-and-trade: Opposes topic 18 YES on protecting middle-income taxpayers from a national energy tax: Opposes topic 18 NO on $2 billion more for Cash for Clunkers program: Opposes topic 18
Strongly Favors topic 19: Marijuana is a gateway drug (-5 points on Social scale)	Ban federal funding for needle-exchange programs: Strongly Favors topic 19 Require chemical resellers to certify against meth use: Favors topic 19 YES on prohibiting needle exchange & medical marijuana in DC: 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 Supports the Cut-Cap-and-Balance Pledge: Opposes topic 20 Disapprove of increasing the debt limit: Opposes topic 20 Rated 17% by UFCW, indicating a pro-management voting record: Opposes topic 20 Audit the Federal Reserve & its actions on mortgage loans: Opposes topic 20 NO on increasing tax rate for people earning over $1 million: Strongly Opposes topic 20 NO on additional $825 billion for economic recovery package: Strongly Opposes topic 20 NO on $192B additional anti-recession stimulus spending: Strongly Opposes topic 20