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 0% by NARAL, indicating a pro-life voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Rated 82% by the NRLC, indicating a mixed record on abortion: Neutral on 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 YES on expanding research to more embryonic stem cell lines: Favors topic 1
Opposes topic 2: Require hiring more women & minorities (+2 points on Economic scale)	Rated 39% by NAACP, indicating a mixed record on affirmative-action: Neutral on topic 2 NO on $84 million in grants for Black and Hispanic colleges: Strongly Opposes topic 2
Opposes topic 3: Same-sex domestic partnership benefits (-3 points on Social scale)	Rated 0% by the HRC, indicating an anti-gay-rights stance: Strongly 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 YES on prohibiting job discrimination based on sexual orientation: Strongly Favors topic 3
Strongly Favors topic 4: Teacher-led prayer in public schools (-5 points on Social scale)	Rated 83% by the Christian Coalition: a pro-family voting record: Strongly Favors topic 4 Rated 0% by the AU, indicating opposition to church-state separation: 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
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 offendors' re-entry into society: Opposes topic 9
Strongly Favors topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (+5 points on Economic scale)	Rated A by the NRA, indicating a pro-gun rights voting record: Strongly Favors topic 10 Ban gun registration & trigger lock law in Washington DC: 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
Opposes topic 5: More federal funding for health coverage (+2 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 11% by APHA, indicating a anti-public health voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 5 NO on giving mental health full equity with physical health: Opposes topic 5 YES on Veto override: Extend SCHIP to cover 6M more kids: Strongly Favors 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 YES on adding 2 to 4 million children to SCHIP eligibility: Favors 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)	Rated 0% by the ARA, indicating an anti-senior voting record: Strongly Favors topic 6
Favors topic 7: Parents choose schools via vouchers (+2 points on Economic scale)	Rated 17% by the NEA, indicating anti-public education votes: Strongly Favors topic 7 Support the goals and ideals of Charter Schools: Favors topic 7 YES on environmental education grants for outdoor experiences: Opposes topic 7
Opposes topic 18: Replace coal & oil with alternatives (+2 points on Economic scale)	Make EPA into a Cabinet department: Strongly Favors topic 18 Rated 10% by the LCV, indicating anti-environment votes: Strongly Opposes topic 18 Rated 0% by the CAF, indicating opposition to energy independence: Opposes topic 18 NO on tax incentives for renewable energy: 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 NO on investing in homegrown biofuel: Strongly Opposes topic 18 YES on criminalizing oil cartels like OPEC: Favors topic 18 YES on tax incentives for energy production and conservation: Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on tax credits for renewable electricity, with PAYGO offsets: Favors topic 18
Opposes topic 19: Drug use is immoral: enforce laws against it (+2 points on Social scale)	Rated +10 by NORML, indicating a pro-drug-reform stance: Strongly Opposes 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)
Strongly Opposes topic 11: Make taxes more progressive (+5 points on Economic scale)	Rated 61% by NTU, indicating "Satisfactory" on tax votes: Neutral on topic 11 Rated 0% by the CTJ, indicating opposition to progressive taxation: Strongly Opposes topic 11 YES on providing tax relief and simplification: Strongly Opposes topic 11 YES on retaining reduced taxes on capital gains & dividends: 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
Opposes topic 12: Illegal immigrants earn citizenship (-3 points on Social scale)	Rated 0% by FAIR, indicating a voting record loosening immigration: Strongly Favors topic 12 Rated 75% by USBC, indicating a sealed-border stance: Strongly Opposes 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 (+5 points on Economic scale)	Promote the Andean Free Trade Agreement: 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 NO on assisting workers who lose jobs due to globalization: Favors topic 13 YES on promoting free trade with Peru: Favors topic 13
Favors topic 15: Expand the armed forces (-3 points on Social scale)	Rated 11% by SANE, indicating a pro-military voting record: Strongly Favors topic 15 Extend reserve retirement pay parity back to 9/11: 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
Favors topic 16: Stricter limits on political campaign funds (-3 points on Economic scale)	YES on restricting independent grassroots political committees: Opposes topic 16 YES on requiring lobbyist disclosure of bundled donations: Strongly Favors topic 16
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 NO on requiring FISA warrants for wiretaps in US, but not abroad: Strongly Opposes topic 14 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 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
Strongly Opposes topic 17: US out of Iraq (-5 points on Social scale)	Strengthen sanctions on Syria & assist democratic transition: 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 NO on investigating Bush impeachment for lying about Iraq: Opposes topic 17