Ernest Istook 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 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
Strongly Opposes topic 2: Require hiring more women & minorities (+5 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: Same-sex domestic partnership benefits (-5 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 Constitutionally defining marriage as one-man-one-woman: Strongly Opposes topic 3
Strongly Favors topic 4: Teacher-led prayer in public schools (-5 points on Social scale)	Let schools display the words "God Bless America": Strongly Favors topic 4 Supports anti-flag desecration amendment: 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 giving federal aid only to schools allowing voluntary 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 Favors topic 8: Death Penalty (-5 points on Social scale)	More prisons, more enforcement, effective death penalty: Favors 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 habeas corpus in Death Penalty Appeals: Favors topic 8
Opposes topic 9: Mandatory Three Strikes sentencing laws (+2 points on Social scale)	Rated 40% 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 funding for alternative sentencing instead of more prisons.: Strongly Opposes topic 9
Favors topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (+2 points on Economic scale)	Rated A by the NRA, indicating a pro-gun rights voting record: Strongly Favors 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 YES on prohibiting product misuse lawsuits on gun manufacturers: Strongly Favors topic 10
Opposes topic 5: More federal funding for health coverage (+2 points on Economic scale)	Limit anti-trust lawsuits on health plans and insurers: Opposes topic 5 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 NO on subsidizing private insurance for Medicare Rx drug coverage: Favors topic 5 YES on allowing reimportation of prescription drugs: Favors topic 5 NO on capping damages & setting time limits in medical lawsuits: Favors topic 5 YES on limited prescription drug benefit for Medicare recipients: Opposes topic 5
Strongly Favors topic 6: Privatize Social Security (+5 points on Economic scale)	Rated 11% by the ARA, indicating an anti-senior voting record: Strongly Favors topic 6 Reduce taxes on Social Security earnings: 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 (+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
Strongly Opposes topic 18: Replace coal & oil with alternatives (+5 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
Strongly Favors topic 19: Drug use is immoral: enforce laws against it (-5 points on Social scale)	Ban federal funding for needle-exchange programs: Strongly Favors topic 19 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 (+5 points on Economic scale)	Limit welfare to 2 years & cut welfare spending: Favors topic 20 YES on responsible fatherhood via faith-based organizations: Favors topic 20 YES on treating religious organizations equally for tax breaks: Strongly Favors topic 20
Opposes topic 11: Make taxes more progressive (+2 points on Economic scale)	Rated 65% by NTU, indicating "Satisfactory" on tax votes: Neutral on topic 11 Make employee educational assistance tax-deductible: Favors 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 retaining reduced taxes on capital gains & dividends: Strongly Opposes topic 11
Opposes topic 12: Illegal immigrants earn citizenship (-3 points on Social scale)	Rated 100% by FAIR, indicating a voting record restricting immigration: Strongly Opposes topic 12 Declared English the official language of the US: Opposes topic 12 YES on more immigrant visas for skilled workers: Favors topic 12 YES on extending Immigrant Residency rules: Favors topic 12 YES on building a fence along the Mexican border: Strongly Opposes topic 12
Favors topic 13: Support & expand free trade (+2 points on Economic scale)	Rated 63% by CATO, indicating a mixed record on trade issues: Neutral on 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 YES on withdrawing from the WTO: Strongly Opposes 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 end offshore tax havens and promote small business: Opposes topic 13 YES on implementing CAFTA, Central America Free Trade: Strongly Favors topic 13
Strongly Favors topic 15: Expand the armed forces (-5 points on Social scale)	Rated 0% by SANE, indicating a pro-military voting record: Strongly 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
Neutral on topic 16: Stricter limits on political campaign funds (0 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 NO on restricting independent grassroots political committees: Favors topic 16
Strongly Opposes topic 14: The Patriot Act harms civil liberties (-5 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
Strongly Opposes topic 17: US out of Iraq & Afghanistan (-5 points on Social scale)	YES on authorizing military force in Iraq: Strongly Opposes topic 17 YES on declaring Iraq part of War on Terror with no exit date: Strongly Opposes topic 17