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 unrestricted right (-5 points on Social scale)	A fetus is a human being with rights: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Mother and fetus are two distinct people, even before birth: Strongly Opposes topic 1 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 Unknown roll call for 2001-89: 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: Legally require hiring women & minorities (+5 points on Economic scale)	NO on $84 million in grants for Black and Hispanic colleges: Strongly Opposes topic 2
Strongly Opposes topic 3: Comfortable with same-sex marriage (-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: Keep God in the public sphere (-5 points on Social scale)	Conservative Christian and State Senator: Favors topic 4 Let schools display the words "God Bless America": Strongly Favors topic 4 Supports anti-flag desecration amendment: Favors topic 4 Supports requiring schools to allow prayer: Favors topic 4 Rated 92% by the Christian Coalition: a pro-Family-Value voting record: Strongly Favors topic 4 YES on responsible fatherhood via faith-based organizations: Favors topic 4 YES on treating religious organizations equally for tax breaks: 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: Expand ObamaCare (+5 points on Economic scale)	Expanding Medicaid is naive; ObamaCare is crumbling: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Align MD Foundation: care for underserved populations: Favors topic 5 Rated 0% 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 subsidizing private 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
Strongly Favors topic 6: Privatize Social Security (+5 points on Economic scale)	Invest surplus Trust Fund in market certificates: Strongly Favors topic 6 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: Vouchers for school choice (+5 points on Economic scale)	Rated 8% by the NEA, indicating anti-public education votes: Strongly Favors topic 7
Favors topic 8: Fight EPA regulatory over-reach (-3 points on Social scale)	Rated 35% by the LCV, indicating a mixed record on environment: Neutral on topic 8 YES on deauthorizing "critical habitat" for endangered species: Strongly Favors topic 8
Strongly Favors topic 9: Stricter punishment reduces crime (-5 points on Social scale)	Increase penalties for assaults on police officers: Strongly Favors topic 9 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 (+5 points on Economic scale)	Strong, unwavering pro-2nd Amendment voting record: Strongly Favors topic 10 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 Opposes topic 11: Higher taxes on the wealthy (+5 points on Economic scale)	Eliminate Hall tax: 6% on unearned interest and dividends: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Reapportion corporate excise tax to favor businesses in TN: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Phaseout the death tax: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Rated 71% by NTU, indicating "Satisfactory" on tax votes: Neutral on 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 YES on retaining reduced taxes on capital gains & dividends: Strongly Opposes topic 11
Favors topic 12: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens (+2 points on Social scale)	Rated 0% by FAIR, indicating a voting record loosening immigration: Strongly 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
Favors topic 13: Support & expand free trade (+2 points on Economic scale)	End economic protectionism: let dairy compacts expire : Strongly Favors topic 13 Rated 50% by CATO, indicating a mixed record on trade issues: Neutral on topic 13 YES on Permanent Normal Trade Relations with China: Strongly Favors topic 13 NO on withdrawing from the WTO: Strongly Favors topic 13 NO on implementing US-Singapore free trade agreement: Strongly Opposes topic 13 YES on implementing free trade agreement with Chile: Strongly Favors topic 13 NO on implementing US-Australia Free Trade Agreement: Opposes 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 14: Support American Exceptionalism (+5 points on Economic scale)	Block Syrian refugees from coming to Tennessee: Strongly Favors topic 14 YES on withholding $244M in UN Back Payments until US seat restored: Strongly Favors topic 14 YES on reforming the UN by restricting US funding: Strongly Favors topic 14 YES on continuing intelligence gathering without civil oversight: Favors topic 14
Strongly Favors topic 15: Expand the military (-5 points on Social scale)	Care for returning vets' unseen scars of war: Favors topic 15 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
Opposes topic 16: Make voter registration easier (-3 points on Social scale)	Restrict campaign donations from foreigners or 3rd parties: Favors topic 16 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
Opposes topic 17: Avoid foreign entanglements (-3 points on Social scale)	Wrote book about capture of Saddam Hussein: Opposes topic 17 Don't forget soldiers who made capturing Saddam possible: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Multi-year commitment to Africa for food & medicine: Strongly Favors topic 17 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
Strongly Opposes topic 18: Prioritize green energy (+5 points on Economic scale)	Registration fee surcharge for electric vehicles: 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: Marijuana is a gateway drug (-5 points on Social scale)	Ban federal funding for needle-exchange programs: 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
Neutral on topic 20: Stimulus better than market-led recovery (0 points on Economic scale)	(No votes on which to base response)