Charles Pickering on VoteMatch

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)	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
Strongly Opposes topic 2: Require hiring more women & minorities (+5 points on Economic scale)	Rated 31% by the NAACP, indicating an anti-affirmative-action stance: Strongly Opposes topic 2
Strongly Opposes topic 3: Same-sex domestic partnership benefits (-5 points on Social scale)	Rated 0% by the HRC, indicating an anti-gay-rights stance: Strongly Opposes topic 3 Amend Constitution to define traditional marriage: Strongly Opposes topic 3 NO on prohibiting job discrimination based on sexual orientation: Strongly Opposes topic 3
Strongly Favors topic 4: Teacher-led prayer in public schools (-5 points on Social scale)	Rated 0% by the AU, indicating opposition to church-state separation: Strongly Favors topic 4
Neutral 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)	YES on expanding services for offenders' re-entry into society: Opposes topic 9
Strongly Favors topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (+5 points on Economic scale)	No lawsuits against gun manufacturers: Strongly Favors topic 10 Individual right to self-defense at home and as self-defense: Strongly Favors topic 10
Opposes topic 5: More federal funding for health coverage (+2 points on Economic scale)	YES on giving mental health full equity with physical health: Favors topic 5 NO on Veto override: Extend SCHIP to cover 6M more kids: Strongly Opposes topic 5 NO on adding 2 to 4 million children to SCHIP eligibility: Opposes 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)	Create personal retirement accounts within Social Security: Strongly Favors topic 6
Favors topic 7: Parents choose schools via vouchers (+2 points on Economic scale)	NO on environmental education grants for outdoor experiences: Favors topic 7
Strongly Opposes topic 18: Replace coal & oil with alternatives (+5 points on Economic scale)	Rated 0% by the CAF, indicating opposition to energy independence: Opposes topic 18 NO on tax incentives for renewable energy: Strongly Opposes topic 18 NO on investing in homegrown biofuel: Strongly Opposes topic 18 NO on tax incentives for energy production and conservation: Strongly Opposes topic 18
Strongly Favors topic 19: Drug use is immoral: enforce laws against it (-5 points on Social scale)	Rated -30 by NORML, indicating a "hard-on-drugs" stance: Strongly Favors topic 19 Ban federal funding for needle-exchange programs: Strongly Favors topic 19 YES on more funding for Mexico to fight drugs: Favors topic 19
Neutral on topic 20: Allow churches to provide welfare services (0 points on Economic scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Opposes topic 11: Make taxes more progressive (+2 points on Economic scale)	Rated 0% by the CTJ, indicating opposition to progressive taxation: Strongly Opposes topic 11 NO on paying for AMT relief by closing offshore business loopholes: Strongly Opposes topic 11 NO on extending AMT exemptions to avoid hitting middle-income: Favors topic 11
Strongly Opposes topic 12: Illegal immigrants earn citizenship (-5 points on Social scale)	Rated 92% by USBC, indicating a sealed-border stance: Strongly Opposes topic 12 Declared English the official language of the US: Opposes topic 12
Favors topic 13: Support & expand free trade (+2 points on Economic scale)	NO on assisting workers who lose jobs due to globalization: Favors topic 13 YES on promoting free trade with Peru: Favors topic 13
Neutral on topic 15: Expand the armed forces (0 points on Social scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Neutral on topic 16: Stricter limits on political campaign funds (0 points on Economic scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Strongly Opposes topic 14: The Patriot Act harms civil liberties (-5 points on Social scale)	NO on Veto override: Congressional oversight of CIA interrogations: Strongly Opposes topic 14 YES on removing need for FISA warrant for wiretapping abroad: Strongly Opposes topic 14 YES on retroactive immunity for telecoms' warrantless surveillance: Opposes topic 14
Opposes topic 17: US out of Iraq & Afghanistan (-3 points on Social scale)	NO on investigating Bush impeachment for lying about Iraq: Opposes topic 17