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)
Opposes topic 1: Abortion is a woman's right (-3 points on Social scale)	Rated 30% 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 NO on banning Family Planning funding in US aid abroad: Favors topic 1 NO on funding for health providers who don't provide abortion info: Favors 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 YES on allowing human embryonic stem cell research: Favors topic 1
Strongly Favors topic 2: Require hiring more women & minorities (-5 points on Economic scale)	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 YES on $84 million in grants for Black and Hispanic colleges: Strongly Favors topic 2
Strongly Favors topic 3: Same-sex domestic partnership benefits (+5 points on Social scale)	Endorsed Endorsed by Log Cabin Republicans; supports gay rights: Favors topic 3 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 NO on Constitutionally defining marriage as one-man-one-woman: Strongly Favors topic 3
Favors topic 4: Teacher-led prayer in public schools (-3 points on Social scale)	Rated 38% by the Christian Coalition: mixed voting record on families: Neutral on topic 4 NO on giving federal aid only to schools allowing voluntary prayer: Strongly Opposes topic 4 YES on allowing school prayer during the War on Terror: Strongly Favors topic 4 NO on constitutional amendment prohibiting flag desecration: Opposes 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
Favors topic 8: Death Penalty (-3 points on Social scale)	Require DNA testing for all federal executions: Opposes topic 8 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
Neutral on topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (0 points on Economic scale)	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 YES on prohibiting product misuse lawsuits on gun manufacturers: Strongly Favors topic 10
Favors topic 5: More federal funding for health coverage (-3 points on Economic scale)	Tax credits for those without employee health insurance: Strongly Favors topic 5 $350 billion for prescriptions for poor seniors: Favors topic 5 Rated 56% 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 YES on subsidizing private insurance for Medicare Rx drug coverage: Opposes topic 5 YES on allowing reimportation of prescription drugs: Favors 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 NO on denying non-emergency treatment for lack of Medicare co-pay: Strongly Favors topic 5
Strongly Favors topic 6: Privatize Social Security (+5 points on Economic scale)	Rated 30% by the ARA, indicating an anti-senior voting record: Strongly Favors topic 6 Reduce taxes on Social Security earnings: Favors topic 6 Supports individual savings accounts and work incentives: 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
Opposes topic 7: Parents choose schools via vouchers (-3 points on Economic scale)	Support Ed-Flex: more flexibility if more accountable: Favors topic 7 Rated 55% by the NEA, indicating a mixed record on public education: Neutral on topic 7 NO on vouchers for private & parochial schools: Strongly Opposes topic 7 NO on allowing vouchers in DC schools: Opposes topic 7
Strongly Favors topic 18: Replace coal & oil with alternatives (-5 points on Economic scale)	Preserve Alaska's ANWR instead of drilling it: Favors topic 18 Make EPA into a Cabinet department: Strongly Favors topic 18 Rated 90% by the LCV, indicating pro-environment votes: Strongly Favors topic 18 Establish greenhouse gas tradeable allowances: Strongly Favors topic 18 Supports immediate reductions in greenhouse gases: Strongly Favors topic 18 NO on starting implementation of Kyoto Protocol: Strongly Opposes topic 18 YES on raising CAFE standards; incentives for alternative fuels: Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on prohibiting oil drilling & development in ANWR: Strongly Favors topic 18 NO on authorizing construction of new oil refineries: Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on scheduling permitting for new oil refinieries: Strongly Opposes topic 18 YES on keeping moratorium on drilling for oil offshore: Strongly Favors topic 18
Opposes topic 19: Drug use is immoral: enforce laws against it (+2 points on Social scale)	NO on subjecting federal employees to random drug tests: Strongly Opposes topic 19 YES on prohibiting needle exchange & medical marijuana in DC: Strongly Favors topic 19 NO on military border patrols to battle drugs & terrorism: Strongly Opposes 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 39% by NTU, indicating a "Big Spender" on tax votes: Strongly Favors topic 11 Repeal marriage tax; cut middle class taxes: Opposes topic 11 Implement socially fair, broad-based tax cuts: Favors 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 NO on retaining reduced taxes on capital gains & dividends: Strongly Favors topic 11
Opposes topic 12: Illegal immigrants earn citizenship (-3 points on Social scale)	English immersion over bilingual education: Opposes topic 12 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 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 (+5 points on Economic scale)	End economic protectionism: let dairy compacts expire : Strongly Favors topic 13 Promote the Andean Free Trade Agreement: Strongly Favors topic 13 Rated 56% 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 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
Favors topic 15: Expand the armed forces (-3 points on Social scale)	Supports $48 billion in new spending for anti-terrorism: Favors topic 15 Rated 78% by SANE, indicating a pro-peace voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 15 No US troops under UN command; more defense spending: Favors topic 15 Reduce federal government size & scope, including military: Opposes 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)	YES on banning soft money and issue ads: Favors topic 16 NO on banning soft money donations to national political parties: Opposes topic 16 YES on campaign finance reform banning soft-money contributions: Favors topic 16 YES on restricting independent grassroots political committees: Opposes topic 16
Opposes topic 14: The Patriot Act harms civil liberties (-3 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 NO on allowing electronic surveillance without a warrant: Strongly Favors topic 14
Strongly Favors topic 17: US out of Iraq & Afghanistan (+5 points on Social scale)	Multi-year commitment to Africa for food & medicine: Strongly Favors topic 17 NO on authorizing military force in Iraq: Strongly Favors topic 17 NO on declaring Iraq part of War on Terror with no exit date: Strongly Favors topic 17