Chip 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 (0 points on Social scale)	Rated 0% by NARAL, indicating a pro-life voting record: 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 banning Family Planning funding in US aid abroad: Opposes topic 1 YES on federal crime to harm fetus while committing other crimes: 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 YES on restricting interstate transport of minors to get abortions: Strongly Opposes topic 1 NO on allowing human embryonic stem cell research: Opposes topic 1 NO on expanding research to more embryonic stem cell lines: Opposes topic 1
Strongly Opposes topic 2: Require companies to hire more women & minorities (10 points on Economic scale)	YES on ending preferential treatment by race in college admissions: Opposes topic 2 NO on $84 million in grants for Black and Hispanic colleges: Strongly Opposes topic 2
Strongly Opposes topic 3: Sexual orientation protected by civil rights laws (0 points on Social scale)	YES on banning gay adoptions in DC.: Opposes topic 3 YES on Constitutional Amendment banning same-sex marriage: Strongly Opposes topic 3 YES on Constitutional Amendment banning same-sex marriage: Strongly Opposes topic 3
Strongly Favors topic 4: Teach family values in public schools (0 points on Social scale)	Supports requiring schools to allow prayer: Favors topic 4 Rated 92% by the Christian Coalition: a pro-family voting record: Strongly Favors topic 4 Supports a Constitutional Amendment for school prayer: 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 NO on allowing Courts to decide on "God" in Pledge of Allegiance: Favors topic 4
Strongly Opposes topic 5: More federal funding for health coverage (10 points on Economic scale)	Rated 12% by APHA, indicating a anti-public health voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 5 YES on establishing tax-exempt Medical Savings Accounts: Opposes topic 5 YES on subsidize privat 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 denying non-emergency treatment for lack of Medicare co-pay: Strongly Opposes topic 5 NO on requiring negotiated Rx prices for Medicare part D: Opposes topic 5
Strongly Favors topic 6: Privatize Social Security (10 points on Economic scale)	Rated 0% by the ARA, indicating an anti-senior voting record: 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 raising 401(k) limits & making pension plans more portable: Favors topic 6
Strongly Favors topic 7: Parents choose schools via vouchers (10 points on Social scale)	Rated 18% 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
Neutral on topic 8: Death Penalty (5 points on Social scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Strongly Favors topic 9: Mandatory Three Strikes sentencing laws (0 points on Social scale)	Rated 10% by CURE, indicating anti-rehabilitation crime votes: Strongly 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 (10 points on Social scale)	Rated A+ by the NRA, indicating a pro-gun rights voting record: 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 YES on prohibiting product misuse lawsuits on gun manufacturers: Strongly Favors topic 10
Strongly Favors topic 11: Decrease overall taxation of the wealthy (10 points on Economic scale)	Rated 60% by NTU, indicating "Satisfactory" on tax votes: Neutral on topic 11 YES on eliminating the "marriage penalty": Favors topic 11 YES on $46 billion in tax cuts for small business: Favors topic 11 YES on Tax cut package of $958 B over 10 years: Favors topic 11 YES on reducing Marriage Tax by $399B over 10 years: Favors topic 11 YES on eliminating the Estate Tax ("death tax"): Favors topic 11 YES on making the Bush tax cuts permanent: Strongly Favors topic 11 YES on providing tax relief and simplification: Strongly Favors topic 11 YES on retaining reduced taxes on capital gains & dividends: Strongly Favors topic 11
Favors topic 12: Illegal immigrants earn citizenship (7 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 YES on preventing tipping off Mexicans about Minuteman Project: Strongly Opposes topic 12 YES on building a fence along the Mexican border: Strongly Opposes topic 12
Strongly Favors topic 13: Support & expand free trade (10 points on Economic scale)	Rated 22% by CATO, indicating a pro-fair trade voting record: Strongly Opposes 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 YES on implementing CAFTA, Central America Free Trade: Strongly Favors topic 13
Strongly Opposes topic 14: The Patriot Act harms civil liberties (10 points on Social scale)	YES on making the PATRIOT Act permanent: Strongly Opposes topic 14 YES on continuing intelligence gathering without civil oversight: Strongly Opposes topic 14 YES on allowing electronic surveillance without a warrant: Strongly Opposes topic 14
Favors topic 15: More spending on armed forces (2 points on Economic scale)	Rated 22% by SANE, indicating a pro-military voting record: Strongly 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 YES on restricting no-bid defense contracts: Strongly Opposes topic 15
Neutral on topic 16: Stricter limits on political campaign funds (5 points on Economic 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 YES on restricting independent grassroots political committees: Opposes topic 16 YES on requiring lobbyist disclosure of bundled donations: Strongly Favors topic 16
Opposes topic 17: Replace US troops with UN in Iraq (7 points on Economic scale)	NO on disallowing the invasion of Kosovo: Favors topic 17 YES on $15.2 billion for foreign operations: Favors topic 17 NO on $156M to IMF for 3rd-world debt reduction: Opposes topic 17 YES on withholding $244M in UN Back Payments until US seat restored: Opposes topic 17 YES on authorizing military force in Iraq: Strongly Opposes topic 17 YES on reforming the UN by restricting US funding: Strongly Opposes topic 17 YES on declaring Iraq part of War on Terror with no exit date: Strongly Opposes topic 17 NO on redeploying US troops out of Iraq starting in 90 days: Strongly Opposes topic 17
Strongly Opposes topic 18: Replace coal & oil with alternatives (10 points on Economic scale)	Rated 0% by the LCV, indicating anti-environment votes: Strongly Opposes topic 18 NO on starting implementation of Kyoto Protocol: Strongly Opposes 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 authorizing construction of new oil refineries: Strongly Opposes topic 18 YES on scheduling permitting for new oil refinieries: Strongly Opposes topic 18 NO on keeping moratorium on drilling for oil offshore: Strongly Opposes topic 18 NO on removing oil & gas exploration subsidies: Strongly Opposes topic 18 YES on criminalizing oil cartels like OPEC: Favors topic 18
Strongly Favors topic 19: Drug use is immoral: enforce laws against it (0 points on Social scale)	YES on subjecting federal employees to random drug tests: Strongly Favors topic 19 YES on prohibiting needle exchange & medical marijuana in DC: Strongly Favors topic 19 YES on military border patrols to battle drugs & terrorism: Strongly Favors topic 19
Strongly Favors topic 20: Allow churches to provide welfare services (0 points on Social scale)	YES on responsible fatherhood via faith-based organizations: Favors topic 20 YES on treating religious organizations equally for tax breaks: Strongly Favors topic 20