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 right (-5 points on Social scale)	End partial birth abortion; require parental consent: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Rated 0% by NARAL, indicating a pro-life voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Rated 100% by the NRLC, indicating a pro-life stance: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Prohibit transporting minors across state lines for abortion: 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 YES on banning partial birth abortions except for maternal life: Strongly Opposes topic 1 YES on criminal penalty for harming unborn fetus during other crime: 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
Favors topic 2: Require hiring more women & minorities (-3 points on Economic scale)	Issue a commemorative postage stamp of Rosa Parks: Favors topic 2 Rated 43% by NAACP, indicating a mixed record on affirmative-action: Neutral on topic 2
Opposes topic 3: Same-sex domestic partnership benefits (-3 points on Social scale)	Rated 22% by the HRC, indicating a mixed record on gay rights: Neutral on topic 3 YES on constitutional ban of same-sex marriage: Strongly Opposes topic 3
Strongly Favors topic 4: Teacher-led prayer in public schools (-5 points on Social scale)	Rated 100% by the Christian Coalition: a pro-family voting record: Strongly Favors topic 4 Rated 0% by the AU, indicating opposition to church-state separation: Strongly Favors 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)
Favors topic 9: Mandatory Three Strikes sentencing laws (-3 points on Social scale)	Too many suspects are released without trial or jail: Strongly Favors topic 9 Strengthen the State Gang Task Force: Favors topic 9 When we get tougher on enforcement, we see a change: Strongly Favors topic 9 Mandatory sentences for repeat gun & gang offenders: Strongly Favors topic 9 Increase funding for "COPS ON THE BEAT" program: Opposes topic 9 Reduce recidivism by giving offenders a Second Chance: Strongly Opposes topic 9 Permanent crime database for volunteers with kids: Favors topic 9 YES on reinstating $1.15 billion funding for the COPS Program: Opposes topic 9
Favors topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (+2 points on Economic scale)	Standardize concealed-carry law so urbanites can get permits: Favors topic 10 Rated A by the NRA, indicating a pro-gun rights voting record: Strongly Favors topic 10 NO on banning lawsuits against gun manufacturers for gun violence: Strongly Opposes 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
Favors topic 5: More federal funding for health coverage (-3 points on Economic scale)	Favors some type of universal coverage: Favors topic 5 Tax credits for those without employee health insurance: Strongly Favors topic 5 $350 billion for prescriptions for poor seniors: Favors topic 5 Rated 0% by APHA, indicating a anti-public health voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 5 NO on allowing tribal Indians to opt out of federal healthcare: Strongly Favors topic 5 YES on means-testing to determine Medicare Part D premium: Opposes topic 5 YES on $40 billion per year for limited Medicare prescription drug benefit: Favors 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 YES on expanding enrollment period for Medicare Part D: Favors topic 5 YES on limiting medical liability lawsuits to $250,000: 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 YES on overriding veto on expansion of Medicare: Favors topic 5
Strongly Favors topic 6: Privatize Social Security (+5 points on Economic scale)	Individual retirement accounts as part of comprehensive plan: Favors topic 6 For private investment of IRA’s, but against privatization: Favors topic 6 Rated 0% by the ARA, indicating an anti-senior voting record: Strongly Favors topic 6 YES on establishing reserve funds & pre-funding for Social Security: Favors topic 6
Favors topic 7: Parents choose schools via vouchers (+2 points on Economic scale)	Supports charters; and teacher accountability: Favors topic 7 Supports charter schools and options for competition: Favors topic 7 Supported vouchers in 1996, now supports tax breaks: Favors topic 7 Rated 45% by the NEA, indicating a mixed record on public education: Neutral on topic 7 NO on $5B for grants to local educational agencies: Favors topic 7
Favors topic 18: Replace coal & oil with alternatives (-3 points on Economic scale)	Speed up nuclear plant processing; send waste to Yucca: Strongly Opposes topic 18 Drill offshore; but don’t drill ANWR: Favors topic 18 Helped pass wind-power tax credits for energy independence: Favors topic 18 Alternative energy; no ANWR drilling: Favors topic 18 Make EPA into a Cabinet department: Strongly Favors topic 18 Rated 21% by the LCV, indicating anti-environment votes: Strongly Opposes topic 18 Tax credit for gas stations providing 85% ethanol fuel: Favors topic 18 Sponsored bill raising CAFE by a 4% per year until 2018: Strongly Favors topic 18 Rated 50% by CAF, indicating a mixed record on energy independence: Neutral on topic 18 Open the Outer Continental Shelf for oil & gas leasing: Strongly Opposes topic 18 Set goal of 25% renewable energy by 2025: 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 NO on reducing oil usage by 40% by 2025 (instead of 5%): Strongly Opposes 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 YES on factoring global warming into federal project planning: Favors topic 18 YES on removing oil & gas exploration subsidies: Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on addressing CO2 emissions without considering India & China: Favors topic 18 YES on tax incentives for energy production and conservation: Strongly Favors topic 18
Favors topic 19: Drug use is immoral: enforce laws against it (-3 points on Social scale)	Require chemical resellers to certify against meth use: Favors topic 19
Strongly Favors topic 20: Allow churches to provide welfare services (+5 points on Economic scale)	Create jobs and there’s no need for welfare: Favors topic 20 Create safety net; not a web you get stuck in: Strongly Favors topic 20
Strongly Opposes topic 11: Make taxes more progressive (+5 points on Economic scale)	Reduce corporate tax; eliminate corporate capital gains tax: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Eliminate capital gains tax & estate tax: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Clinton tax increases failed to create jobs: Opposes topic 11 Permanently repeal the estate tax: Strongly Opposes topic 11 We are taxed across the board, and that has to change: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Rated 69% by NTU, indicating "Satisfactory" on tax votes: Neutral on topic 11 Rated 0% by the CTJ, indicating opposition to progressive taxation: Strongly Opposes topic 11 YES on raising the Death Tax exemption to $5M from $1M: Strongly Opposes topic 11 NO on increasing tax rate for people earning over $1 million: Strongly Opposes topic 11 YES on allowing AMT reduction without budget offset: Opposes topic 11 YES on $350 billion in tax breaks over 11 years: Strongly 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 YES on retaining reduced taxes on capital gains & dividends: Strongly Opposes 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
Opposes topic 12: Illegal immigrants earn citizenship (-3 points on Social scale)	I do not support a path to citizenship: Strongly Opposes topic 12 No benefits to Mexican citizens without consulting Congress: Opposes topic 12 Rated 25% by USBC, indicating an open-border stance: Strongly 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 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 NO 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
Strongly Favors topic 13: Support & expand free trade (+5 points on Economic scale)	Supports Korea Trade; supports Fast Track: Strongly Favors topic 13 For private investment of IRA’s, but against privatization: Strongly Favors topic 13 Gut the USDA’s milk marketing system: Favors topic 13 Promote the Andean Free Trade Agreement: Strongly Favors topic 13 YES on establishing free trade between US & Singapore: Favors topic 13 YES on establishing free trade between the US and Chile: 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 YES on promoting free trade with Peru: Favors topic 13
Favors topic 15: Expand the armed forces (-3 points on Social scale)	Rated 0% by SANE, indicating a pro-military voting record: Strongly Favors topic 15 Extend reserve retirement pay parity back to 9/11: Favors 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
Strongly Opposes topic 16: Stricter limits on political campaign funds (+5 points on Economic scale)	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 Opposes topic 14: The Patriot Act harms civil liberties (-5 points on Social scale)	NO on requiring FISA court warrant to monitor US-to-foreign calls: Strongly Opposes topic 14 YES on extending the PATRIOT Act's wiretap provision: Strongly Opposes topic 14 YES on reauthorizing the PATRIOT Act: Opposes topic 14 NO on preserving habeas corpus for Guantanamo detainees: Strongly Opposes topic 14 NO on requiring CIA reports on detainees & interrogation methods: Strongly Opposes topic 14 YES on removing need for FISA warrant for wiretapping abroad: Strongly Opposes topic 14
Strongly Opposes topic 17: US out of Iraq (-5 points on Social scale)	The surge in Iraq succeeded; failure isn’t an option: Strongly 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