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 (10 points on Social scale)	Rated 100% by NARAL, indicating a pro-choice voting record: Strongly Favors topic 1 NO on barring transporting minors to get an abortion: Strongly Favors topic 1 NO on banning partial-birth abortions: Favors topic 1 NO on banning Family Planning funding in US aid abroad: Favors topic 1 NO on banning human cloning, including medical research: Strongly Favors topic 1 NO on federal crime to harm fetus while committing other crimes: Favors topic 1 NO on funding for health providers who don't provide abortion info: Favors topic 1 NO on banning partial-birth abortion except to save mother’s life: Strongly Favors topic 1 NO on making it a crime to harm a fetus during another crime: Favors topic 1
Favors topic 2: Require companies to hire more women & minorities (2 points on Economic scale)	Shift from group preferences to economic empowerment of all: Neutral on topic 2 Constitutional Amendment for equal rights by gender: Strongly Favors topic 2 Supported funding for women's and disadvantaged businesses: Favors topic 2 NO on ending preferential treatment by race in college admissions: Favors topic 2
Strongly Favors topic 3: Sexual orientation protected by civil rights laws (10 points on Social scale)	More funding and stricter sentencing for hate crimes: Strongly Favors topic 3 NO on banning gay adoptions in DC.: Favors topic 3 NO on Constitutional Amendment banning same-sex marriage: Strongly Favors topic 3
Opposes topic 4: Permit prayer in public schools (7 points on Social scale)	Supports anti-flag desecration amendment: Favors topic 4 Rated 7% by the Christian Coalition: an anti-family voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 4 NO on giving federal aid only to schools allowing voluntary prayer: Strongly Opposes topic 4 YES on Constitutional amendment prohibiting Flag Desecration: Favors topic 4 NO on allowing school prayer during the War on Terror: Strongly Opposes topic 4 YES on constitutional amendment prohibiting flag desecration: Favors topic 4 NO on protecting the Pledge of Allegiance: Opposes topic 4
Opposes topic 5: More federal funding for health coverage (7 points on Economic scale)	Establish "report cards" on HMO quality of care: Favors topic 5 Rated 62% by APHA, indicating a mixed record on public health issues: Neutral on topic 5 YES on establishing tax-exempt Medical Savings Accounts: Opposes topic 5 NO on Prescription Drug Coverage under Medicare: Favors topic 5 NO on allowing reimportation of prescription drugs: Opposes topic 5 YES on capping damages and setting time limits in medical lawsuits: Opposes topic 5 YES on limited prescription drug benefit for Medicare recipients: Opposes topic 5
Favors topic 6: Privatize Social Security (7 points on Economic scale)	Create Retirement Savings Accounts: Favors topic 6 Rated 25% by the ARA, indicating an anti-senior voting record: Strongly Favors topic 6 YES on strengthening the Social Security Lockbox: Opposes 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 Opposes topic 7: Parents choose schools via vouchers (0 points on Social scale)	Offer every parent Charter Schools and public school choice: Opposes topic 7 Reduce class size to 18 children in grades 1 to 3: Strongly Opposes topic 7 Firmly opposed to Bush’s voucher proposal: Strongly Opposes topic 7 Rated 83% by the NEA, indicating pro-public education votes: Strongly Opposes topic 7 NO on vouchers for private & parochial schools: Strongly Opposes topic 7 NO on allowing vouchers in DC schools: Opposes topic 7
Favors topic 8: Death Penalty (2 points on Social scale)	Require DNA testing for all federal executions: Strongly Opposes topic 8 NO on replacing death penalty with life imprisonment: Strongly Favors topic 8 YES on making federal death penalty appeals harder: Strongly Favors topic 8 NO on maintaining right of habeus corpus in Death Penalty Appeals: Favors topic 8
Neutral on topic 9: Mandatory Three Strikes sentencing laws (5 points on Social scale)	Rated 50% by CURE, indicating mixed votes on rehabilitation: Neutral on topic 9 YES on more prosecution and sentencing for juvenile crime: Favors topic 9 YES on Amendment to prohibit burning the US flag.: Favors topic 9 YES on funding for alternative sentencing instead of more prisons.: Strongly Opposes topic 9
Opposes topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (2 points on Social scale)	Prevent unauthorized firearm use with "smart gun" technology: Opposes topic 10 Rated F by the NRA, indicating a pro-gun control voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 10 NO on decreasing gun waiting period from 3 days to 1: Strongly Opposes topic 10 YES on prohibiting suing gunmakers & sellers for gun misuse: Strongly Favors topic 10
Neutral on topic 11: Decrease overall taxation of the wealthy (5 points on Economic scale)	Phaseout the death tax: Strongly Favors topic 11 Rated 33% by NTU, indicating a "Big Spender" on tax votes: Strongly Opposes topic 11 YES on repealing the estate tax ("death tax"): Favors topic 11 NO on eliminating the "marriage penalty": Opposes topic 11 YES on $46 billion in tax cuts for small business: Favors topic 11 NO on Tax Cut Package of $958B over 10 years: Opposes topic 11 NO on reducing Marriage Tax by $399B over 10 years: Opposes topic 11 YES on eliminating the Estate Tax: Favors topic 11 NO on making the Bush tax cuts permanent: Strongly Opposes topic 11 YES on providing tax relief and simplification: Strongly Favors topic 11
Strongly Favors topic 12: Immigration helps our economy-encourage it (10 points on Economic scale)	Rated 0% by FAIR, indicating a voting record loosening immigration: Strongly 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 (10 points on Economic scale)	Build a rule-based global trading system: Favors topic 13 End economic protectionism: let dairy compacts expire : Strongly Favors topic 13 Free & fair trade is key to economic growth : Strongly Favors topic 13 Rated 67% by CATO, indicating a pro-free trade voting record: Strongly Favors topic 13 YES on 'Fast Track' authority for trade agreements: Strongly Favors topic 13 NO on withdrawing from the WTO: Strongly Favors topic 13 YES on implementing the US-Singapore free trade agreement: Strongly Favors topic 13 YES on implementing free trade agreement with Chile: Strongly Favors topic 13 YES on implementing the US-Australia Free Trade Agreement: Favors topic 13 YES on end offshore tax havens and promote small business: Opposes topic 13
Strongly Opposes topic 14: Link human rights to trade with China (10 points on Social scale)	YES on Permanent Normal Trade Relations with China: Strongly Opposes topic 14
Favors topic 15: More spending on armed forces (2 points on Economic scale)	Rated 56% by SANE, indicating a mixed record on military issues: Neutral on topic 15 YES on $266 billion Defense Appropriations bill: Favors topic 15 YES on emergency $78B for war in Iraq & Afghanistan: Strongly Favors topic 15
Strongly Opposes topic 16: Reduce spending on missile defense (Star Wars) (10 points on Economic scale)	YES on deploying SDI: Strongly Opposes topic 16
Favors topic 17: Seek UN approval for military action (2 points on Economic scale)	Progressive Internationalism: globalize with US pre-eminence: Favors topic 17 NO on disallowing the invasion of Kosovo: Favors topic 17 YES on $15.2 billion for foreign operations: Favors topic 17 YES on $156M to IMF for 3rd-world debt reduction: Favors topic 17 NO on withholding $244M in UN Back Payments until US seat restored: Favors topic 17
Favors topic 18: Reduce use of coal, oil, & nuclear energy (2 points on Economic scale)	Supports tradable emissions permits for greenhouse gases: Favors topic 18 Rated 55% by the LCV, indicating a mixed record on environment: Neutral on topic 18 YES on starting implementation of Kyoto Protocol: Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on raising CAFE standards; incentives for alternative fuels: Strongly Favors topic 18 NO on prohibiting oil drilling & development in ANWR: Strongly Opposes topic 18
Strongly Opposes topic 19: Drug use is immoral: enforce laws against it (10 points on Social scale)	NO on subjecting federal employees to random drug tests: Strongly Opposes topic 19 NO on prohibiting needle exchange & medical marijuana in DC: Strongly Opposes topic 19 NO on military border patrols to battle drugs & terrorism: Strongly Opposes topic 19
Neutral on topic 20: Allow churches to provide welfare services (5 points on Social scale)	Finish welfare reform by moving able recipients into jobs: Favors topic 20 YES on responsible fatherhood via faith-based organizations: Favors topic 20 NO on treating religious organizations equally for tax breaks: Strongly Opposes topic 20