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)	Ban Partial Birth Abortion & Overseas Abortion funding: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Rated 0% by NARAL, indicating a pro-life voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Supports giving legal protection to unborn children: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Prohibit federal funding for abortion: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Voted YES to protect infant survivors of abortion: Opposes topic 1 YES on barring transporting minors to get an abortion: Strongly Opposes topic 1 YES on banning Family Planning funding in US aid abroad: Opposes topic 1 YES on Unknown roll call for 2001-89: Opposes topic 1 YES on funding for health providers who don't provide abortion info: Opposes topic 1 YES on banning partial-birth abortion except to save mother’s life: Strongly Opposes topic 1 YES on making it a crime to harm a fetus during another crime: Opposes topic 1
Opposes topic 2: Legally require hiring women & minorities (+2 points on Economic scale)	Rated 32% 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 YES on reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act: Favors topic 2
Neutral on topic 3: Comfortable with same-sex marriage (0 points on Social scale)	Supports legalizing same-sex marriage: Strongly Favors topic 3 Change of heart: give gays the joy & stability of marriage: Strongly Favors topic 3 Gov't shouldn't deny gay couples opportunity to get married: Strongly Favors topic 3 Bible says "we are all children of God": that includes gays: Strongly Favors topic 3 Let the military decide on don't-ask-don't-tell: Opposes topic 3 Rated 45% by the HRC, indicating a mixed record on gay rights: Neutral on topic 3 Supports Amendment to prevent same sex marriage: Strongly Opposes topic 3 Supports banning homosexuals in the military: Strongly Opposes topic 3 YES on banning gay adoptions in DC: Opposes topic 3 YES on Constitutional Amendment banning same-sex marriage: Strongly Opposes topic 3
Strongly Favors topic 4: Keep God in the public sphere (-5 points on Social scale)	Supports anti-flag desecration amendment: Favors topic 4 Supports requiring schools to allow prayer: Favors topic 4 Rated 92% by the Christian Coalition: a pro-Family-Value voting record: Strongly Favors topic 4 TV shows should have explicit viewer advisories: Strongly Favors topic 4 YES on giving federal aid only to schools allowing voluntary prayer: Strongly Favors topic 4 YES on responsible fatherhood via faith-based organizations: Favors topic 4 YES on treating religious organizations equally for tax breaks: Strongly Favors topic 4 YES on allowing school prayer during the War on Terror: Strongly Favors topic 4 YES on constitutional amendment prohibiting flag desecration: Favors topic 4 YES on protecting the Pledge of Allegiance: Favors topic 4
Strongly Opposes topic 5: Expand ObamaCare (+5 points on Economic scale)	Repeal new health reform; it's a job killer: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Small business owners are fearful of current health debate: Opposes topic 5 Rated 12% by APHA, indicating a anti-public health voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Opposes government-run healthcare: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Religious exemption from ObamaCare individual mandate: Opposes topic 5 Expand medical savings accounts for employers & individuals: Opposes topic 5 YES on establishing tax-exempt Medical Savings Accounts: Opposes topic 5 YES on subsidizing private insurance for Medicare Rx drug coverage: Opposes topic 5 NO on allowing reimportation of prescription drugs: Opposes topic 5 YES on capping damages & setting time limits in medical lawsuits: Opposes topic 5 YES on limited prescription drug benefit for Medicare recipients: Opposes topic 5 YES on the Ryan Budget: Medicare choice, tax & spending cuts: Opposes topic 5
Favors topic 6: Privatize Social Security (+2 points on Economic scale)	Supported Bush's privatization, but no longer supports it: Opposes topic 6 Payroll taxes don't pay for the benefits going out: Favors topic 6 Rated 0% by the ARA, indicating an anti-senior voting record: Strongly Favors topic 6 Rated 3% by ARA, indicating a pro-privatization stance: Strongly Favors topic 6 Reduce taxes on Social Security earnings: Favors topic 6 Supported pension reform and tax credits for long-term care: Neutral on 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 raising 401(k) limits & making pension plans more portable: Favors topic 6
Strongly Favors topic 7: Vouchers for school choice (+5 points on Economic scale)	Rated 17% by the NEA, indicating anti-public education votes: Strongly Favors topic 7 YES on vouchers for private & parochial schools: Strongly Favors topic 7 YES on allowing vouchers in DC schools: Favors topic 7
Favors topic 8: Fight EPA regulatory over-reach (-3 points on Social scale)	Rated 15% by the LCV, indicating anti-environment votes: Strongly Favors topic 8 Sponsored establishing International Conservation Strategy: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Sponsored matching grants for wetlands conservation projects: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Regulatory relief for smaller banks stimulates growth: Favors topic 8 Loosen restrictions on predator control in Alaska: Strongly Favors topic 8 NO on protecting ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes ecosystems: Favors topic 8
Favors topic 9: Stricter punishment reduces crime (-3 points on Social scale)	Rated 10% by CURE, indicating anti-rehabilitation crime votes: Strongly Favors topic 9 Require DNA testing for all federal executions: Opposes topic 9 Death penalty for killing police officers: Favors topic 9 First step: reduce recidivism & mass incarceration: Opposes topic 9 Rated 64% by the NAPO, indicating a moderate stance on police issues: Neutral on topic 9 More prisons, more enforcement, effective death penalty: Favors topic 9 NO on replacing death penalty with life imprisonment: Strongly Favors topic 9 YES on making federal death penalty appeals harder: Strongly Favors topic 9 NO on maintaining right of habeas corpus in Death Penalty Appeals: Favors topic 9 YES on more prosecution and sentencing for juvenile crime: Favors topic 9 NO on funding for alternative sentencing instead of more prisons.: Strongly Favors topic 9
Strongly Favors topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (+5 points on Economic scale)	Avid outdoorsman and lifelong hunter: Strongly Favors topic 10 Rated A by the NRA, indicating a pro-gun rights voting record: Strongly Favors topic 10 Opposes restrictions on the right to bear arms: 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 Reciprocity across state lines for concealed carry: Strongly Favors topic 10 YES on decreasing gun waiting period from 3 days to 1: Strongly Favors topic 10 YES on prohibiting suing gunmakers & sellers for gun misuse: Strongly Favors topic 10 NO on banning high-capacity magazines of over 10 bullets: Strongly Favors topic 10
Strongly Opposes topic 11: Higher taxes on the wealthy (+5 points on Economic scale)	Any tax increase would hurt the fragile economy: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Phaseout the death tax: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Rated 60% by NTU, indicating "Satisfactory" on tax votes: Neutral on topic 11 Taxpayer Protection Pledge: no new taxes: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Supports the Taxpayer Protection Pledge: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Reduce corporate tax rates from 35% to 21% to create jobs: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Repeal marriage tax; cut middle class taxes: 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 Tax cut package of $958 B over 10 years: Opposes topic 11 YES on reducing Marriage Tax by $399B over 10 years: Opposes topic 11 YES on eliminating the Estate Tax ("death tax"): Opposes topic 11 YES on making the Bush tax cuts permanent: Strongly Opposes topic 11 YES on providing tax relief and simplification: Strongly Opposes topic 11
Favors topic 12: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens (+2 points on Social scale)	Rated 0% by FAIR, indicating a voting record loosening immigration: Strongly Favors topic 12 Supports granting amnesty to illegal immigrants: Strongly Favors topic 12 Supports full implementation of current border security laws: Strongly Opposes topic 12 Terminate national emergency at the Southern border: Favors topic 12 Increase both high-skill and family-based visa caps: Favors topic 12 YES on more immigrant visas for skilled workers: Favors topic 12 YES on extending Immigrant Residency rules: Favors topic 12 NO on reporting illegal aliens who receive hospital treatment: Strongly Favors topic 12
Strongly Favors topic 13: Support & expand free trade (+5 points on Economic scale)	Push TPP to remove limits on US poultry exports: Strongly Favors topic 13 Negotiated fast-track under Bush; but slowing it under Obama: Opposes topic 13 Pass more trade agreements to increase Ohio exports: Strongly Favors topic 13 Trade spreads economic and political freedom: Strongly Favors topic 13 Steadfast proponent of the power of open markets: Strongly Favors topic 13 Supports Central American & Dominican Republic trade: Strongly Favors topic 13 Trade creates more and better-paying jobs at home: Strongly Favors topic 13 Rated 56% by CATO, indicating a mixed record on trade issues: Neutral on topic 13 Sponsored sugar quotas & import tariffs to stabilize prices: Strongly Opposes topic 13 Declare Turkish rebar subject to anti-dumping duties: Strongly Opposes topic 13 Rated Voted FOR reauthorizing Ex-Im Bank: Strongly Favors topic 13 Implement USMCA for improved North American trade: Strongly Favors topic 13 Rated 88% by the USAE, indicating support for trade engagement: Strongly Favors topic 13 YES on 'Fast Track' authority for trade agreements: Strongly Favors topic 13 YES on Permanent Normal Trade Relations with China: Strongly Favors topic 13 NO on withdrawing from the WTO: Strongly Favors topic 13 YES on implementing US-Singapore free trade agreement: Strongly Favors topic 13 YES on implementing free trade agreement with Chile: Strongly Favors topic 13 YES on implementing US-Australia Free Trade Agreement: Favors topic 13 YES on end offshore tax havens and promote small business: Opposes topic 13
Favors topic 14: Support American Exceptionalism (+2 points on Economic scale)	Tighten visa waiver programs but respect opinion abroad: Opposes topic 14 China’s entry into WTO makes China play by the rules: Favors topic 14 Sponsored opposing the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty: Strongly Favors topic 14 Oppose the United Nations' Arms Trade Treaty: Favors topic 14 Disallow Palestine from joining ICC to threaten Israel: Favors topic 14 Two-state solution despite Israeli settlements on West Bank: Favors topic 14 YES on withholding $244M in UN Back Payments until US seat restored: Strongly Favors topic 14
Strongly Favors topic 15: Expand the military (-5 points on Social scale)	Rated 11% by SANE, indicating a pro-military voting record: Strongly Favors topic 15 $515B for military plus $89B off sequester for wars: Favors topic 15 No US troops under UN command; more defense spending: Favors topic 15 YES on $266 billion Defense Appropriations bill: Favors topic 15 YES on deploying SDI: Favors topic 15 YES on emergency $78B for war in Iraq & Afghanistan: Strongly Favors topic 15 YES on continuing military recruitment on college campuses: Favors topic 15
Opposes topic 16: Make voter registration easier (-3 points on Social scale)	NO on banning soft money and issue ads: Opposes topic 16 YES on banning soft money donations to national political parties: Favors topic 16 NO on campaign finance reform banning soft-money contributions: Opposes topic 16
Strongly Opposes topic 17: Avoid foreign entanglements (-5 points on Social scale)	Keep sanctions on Russia for taking Crimea & east Ukraine: Favors topic 17 Arbitrary deadline for withdrawal lets enemy wait it out: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Opposes timetable for troop withdrawal from Afghanistan: Opposes topic 17 Iranian nuclear weapons: prevention instead of containment: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Sponsored shutting down Iranian foreign reserves: Opposes topic 17 Iran must accept long-term intrusive nuke inspection: Opposes topic 17 No nuclear deal with Iran without Congressional input: Opposes topic 17 Rated President ok to use military force against Iran: Opposes topic 17 YES on authorizing military force in Iraq: Strongly Opposes topic 17
Strongly Opposes topic 18: Prioritize green energy (+5 points on Economic scale)	Human activity contributes to climate change; but no laws: Opposes topic 18 Expanding nuclear energy is a safe and practical: Opposes topic 18 Cap-and-trade energy tax will force plants to close: Strongly Opposes topic 18 Opposes renewable energy tax credits: Strongly Opposes topic 18 YES on starting implementation of Kyoto Protocol: Strongly Favors topic 18 NO on raising CAFE standards; incentives for alternative fuels: Strongly Opposes topic 18 NO on prohibiting oil drilling & development in ANWR: Strongly Opposes topic 18 YES on barring EPA from regulating greenhouse gases: Opposes topic 18
Favors topic 19: Marijuana is a gateway drug (-3 points on Social scale)
Opposes topic 20: Stimulus better than market-led recovery (+2 points on Economic scale)	Opposed unemployment extension as unpaid-for, & needs reform: Opposes topic 20 Audit the Federal Reserve & its actions on mortgage loans: Opposes topic 20 Voted YES on $900 billion COVID relief package: Favors topic 20

Rob Portman is a Hard-Core Conservative
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