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)
Favors topic 1: Abortion is a woman's right (+2 points on Social scale)	Rated 30% by NARAL, indicating a pro-life voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 1 NO on barring transporting minors to get an abortion: Strongly Favors 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 federal crime to harm fetus while committing other crimes: 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 NO on making it a crime to harm a fetus during another crime: Favors topic 1
Favors topic 2: Require hiring more women & minorities (-3 points on Economic scale)	NO on ending preferential treatment by race in college admissions: 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 NO on banning gay adoptions in DC.: Favors topic 3 NO on Constitutional Amendment banning same-sex marriage: Strongly Favors topic 3
Strongly Favors topic 4: Teacher-led prayer in public schools (-5 points on Social scale)	Supports anti-flag desecration amendment: Favors topic 4 Rated 54% by the Christian Coalition: mixed voting record on families: Neutral on 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
Favors topic 8: Death Penalty (-3 points on Social scale)	Moratorium on death penalty; more DNA testing: Opposes topic 8 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 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 43% by CURE, indicating mixed votes on rehabilitation: Neutral on 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 D+ by the NRA, indicating a pro-gun control voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 10 YES on decreasing gun waiting period from 3 days to 1: 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 38% 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 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
Favors topic 6: Privatize Social Security (+2 points on Economic scale)	Rated 10% 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 NO on reducing tax payments on Social Security benefits: Opposes topic 6 YES on raising 401(k) limits & making pension plans more portable: Favors topic 6
Favors topic 7: Parents choose schools via vouchers (+2 points on Economic scale)	Support Ed-Flex: more flexibility if more accountable: Favors topic 7 Rated 27% by the NEA, indicating anti-public education votes: Strongly Favors topic 7 NO on vouchers for private & parochial schools: Strongly Opposes topic 7 YES on allowing vouchers in DC schools: Favors topic 7
Strongly Favors topic 18: Replace coal & oil with alternatives (-5 points on Economic scale)	Make EPA into a Cabinet department: Strongly Favors topic 18 Rated 25% by the LCV, indicating anti-environment votes: Strongly Opposes topic 18 Supports immediate reductions in greenhouse gases: Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on starting implementation of Kyoto Protocol: Strongly Favors 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
Favors topic 19: Drug use is immoral: enforce laws against it (-3 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 YES on military border patrols to battle drugs & terrorism: Strongly Favors topic 19
Favors topic 20: Allow churches to provide welfare services (+2 points on Economic scale)	Increase the earned income tax credit: Opposes topic 20 Limit welfare to 2 years & cut welfare spending: 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 50% 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 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 NO on eliminating the Estate Tax ("death tax"): Favors 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
Favors topic 12: Illegal immigrants earn citizenship (+2 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 NO on reporting illegal aliens who receive hospital treatment: Strongly Favors topic 12
Favors topic 13: Support & expand free trade (+2 points on Economic scale)	Maintain anti-dumping restrictions against foreign importers: Strongly Opposes topic 13 Promote the Andean Free Trade Agreement: Strongly Favors topic 13 Rated 50% 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
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 22% by SANE, indicating a pro-military voting record: Strongly Favors 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
Favors topic 16: Stricter limits on political campaign funds (-3 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
Neutral on topic 14: The Patriot Act harms civil liberties (0 points on Social scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Strongly Favors topic 17: US out of Iraq & Afghanistan (+5 points on Social scale)	NO on authorizing military force in Iraq: Strongly Favors topic 17