Rick Santorum on VoteMatch

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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)	I've been to the March For Life for 25 years: Strongly Opposes topic 1 In partial birth abortion, doctor kills baby after delivery: Strongly Opposes topic 1 No abortions even in cases of rape; one violence is enough: Strongly Opposes topic 1 I've not only taken the pledge; I've taken the bullets: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Plan B morning-after pill is abortion, and dangerous: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Scientifically, an embryo is human from moment of conception: Strongly Opposes topic 1 93% of abortions are post-conception birth control: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Partial birth abortion allows killing baby if only toe is in: Opposes topic 1 There is no federal right to privacy: Opposes topic 1 Responsible stem cell research doesn't destroy embryos: Opposes topic 1 Protect any child born alive from botched abortion: Opposes topic 1 Partial birth abortion should shock your conscience: Opposes topic 1 Rated 0% by NARAL, indicating a pro-life voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Supports the Pro-life Presidential Leadership Pledge: Strongly Opposes topic 1 YES on maintaining ban on Military Base Abortions: Opposes topic 1 YES on banning partial birth abortions except for maternal life: Strongly Opposes topic 1 YES on criminal penalty for harming unborn fetus during other crime: Opposes topic 1 NO on $100M to reduce teen pregnancy by education & contraceptives: Opposes topic 1 YES on notifying parents of minors who get out-of-state abortions: Opposes topic 1
Favors topic 2: Legally require hiring women & minorities (-3 points on Economic scale)	Reverse policy on women in military combat roles: Opposes topic 2 Diversity is a challenge, not necessarily a virtue: Opposes topic 2 Affirmative program for minority business-building: Favors topic 2 Automatically awarding custody to moms celebrates sexism: Favors topic 2 Issue a commemorative postage stamp of Rosa Parks: Favors topic 2 NO on banning affirmative action hiring with federal funds: Strongly Favors topic 2 NO on ending special funding for minority & women-owned business: Strongly Favors topic 2 YES on prohibiting same-sex basic training: Opposes topic 2 NO on setting aside 10% of highway funds for minorities & women: Opposes topic 2
Strongly Opposes topic 3: Comfortable with same-sex marriage (-5 points on Social scale)	Freedom of conscience includes right to deny service to gays: Strongly Opposes topic 3 Fight gay marriage ruling, but not with civil disobedience: Opposes topic 3 I would never attend a same-sex wedding: Strongly Opposes topic 3 Marriage is a federal issue; we need one definition, not 50: Strongly Opposes topic 3 Removing Don't-Ask injects social experiment into military: Opposes topic 3 No polygamy; no gay marriage: Strongly Opposes topic 3 Same-sex marriage is unprecedented social revolution: Strongly Opposes topic 3 Marriage Protection Amendment is last resort, but needed: Strongly Opposes topic 3 Leave marriage definition to state legislatures & the people: Strongly Opposes topic 3 Same-sex marriage takes us away from purpose of marriage: Strongly Opposes topic 3 Homosexual orientation ok; but homosexual act are sodomy: Strongly Opposes topic 3 YES on prohibiting same-sex marriage: Strongly Opposes topic 3 NO on prohibiting job discrimination by sexual orientation: Strongly Opposes topic 3 NO on expanding hate crimes to include sexual orientation: Opposes topic 3 NO on adding sexual orientation to definition of hate crimes: Strongly Opposes topic 3 YES on constitutional ban of same-sex marriage: Strongly Opposes topic 3
Strongly Favors topic 4: Keep God in the public sphere (-5 points on Social scale)	Pass a 1st Amendment Defense Act: Strongly Favors topic 4 Stop harassing and persecuting people of faith: Favors topic 4 Drafted & managed 1994 Contract with America Welfare Reform: Favors topic 4 Church-state "neutrality" is not in US Constitution: Strongly Favors topic 4 One Percent Solution: increase charitable giving to 2.5%: Favors topic 4 Discriminatory to NOT give money to faith-based groups: Strongly Favors topic 4 We're plagued by tragedies when we turn our back on God: Strongly Favors topic 4 Supports anti-flag desecration amendment: Favors topic 4 Rated 100% by the Christian Coalition: a pro-Family-Value voting record: Strongly Favors topic 4 YES on giving federal aid only to schools allowing voluntary prayer: Strongly Favors topic 4 YES on $75M for abstinence education: Strongly Favors topic 4 YES on killing restrictions on violent videos to minors: Opposes topic 4 YES on recommending Constitutional ban on flag desecration: Favors topic 4
Strongly Opposes topic 5: Expand ObamaCare (+5 points on Economic scale)	ObamaCare causes anti-competitive consolidation of insurers: Strongly Opposes topic 5 I introduced Health Savings Accounts in Congress: Opposes topic 5 ObamaCare wasted $500M setting up 4 failed state exchanges: Strongly Opposes topic 5 ObamaCare is biggest threat facing the American Dream: Strongly Opposes topic 5 The Tea Party revolution was all about opposing ObamaCare: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Obamacare will crush economic freedom: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Promote Health Savings Accounts as market-based solution: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Private sector insurance works, even for Medicare: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Little or no benefit from negotiating Medicare Rx prices: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Rated 0% by APHA, indicating a anti-public health voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 5 NO on blocking medical savings acounts: Opposes topic 5 YES on Medicare means-testing: Opposes topic 5 YES on limiting self-employment health deduction: Opposes topic 5 NO on including prescription drugs under Medicare: Opposes topic 5 YES on funding GOP version of Medicare prescription drug benefit: Opposes topic 5 NO on $40 billion per year for limited Medicare prescription drug benefit: Opposes topic 5 NO on increasing Medicaid rebate for producing generics: Opposes topic 5 NO on negotiating bulk purchases for Medicare prescription drug: Strongly Opposes topic 5 NO on expanding enrollment period for Medicare Part D: Opposes topic 5 YES on limiting medical liability lawsuits to $250,000: Favors topic 5
Strongly Favors topic 6: Privatize Social Security (+5 points on Economic scale)	Consider cost-of-living cus, but not private accounts: Opposes topic 6 401(k) approach would provide better benefits: Favors topic 6 Increase eligibility age for Medicare & Social Security: Favors topic 6 Supports privatization if voluntary: Favors topic 6 Switched from raising retirement age to personal accounts: Strongly Favors topic 6 Promotes Individual Development Accounts set up by churches: Favors topic 6 No privatization; but voluntary personal retirement accounts: Favors topic 6 Let's grow the pie using private market system: Strongly Favors topic 6 Rated 10% by the ARA, indicating an anti-senior voting record: Strongly Favors topic 6 YES on deducting Social Security payments on income taxes: Favors topic 6 YES on allowing Roth IRAs for retirees: Favors topic 6 YES on allowing personal retirement accounts: Favors topic 6
Strongly Favors topic 7: Vouchers for school choice (+5 points on Economic scale)	Common sense instead of Common Core: Favors topic 7 Common Core is another version of mass-produced education: Strongly Favors topic 7 2001: Keep Department of Education; 2012: it's unnecessary: Strongly Favors topic 7 Rich people already have school choice; give it to the poor: Strongly Favors topic 7 Kids are trapped without choice in the public schools: Strongly Favors topic 7 Rated 27% by the NEA, indicating anti-public education votes: Strongly Favors topic 7 YES on school vouchers in DC: Strongly Favors topic 7 YES on education savings accounts: Favors topic 7 YES on allowing more flexibility in federal school rules: Strongly Favors topic 7 YES on Educational Savings Accounts: Favors topic 7 NO on funding smaller classes instead of private tutors: Favors topic 7 NO on funding student testing instead of private tutors: Favors topic 7 NO on $5B for grants to local educational agencies: Favors topic 7
Strongly Favors topic 8: EPA regulations are too restrictive (-5 points on Social scale)	Remove Obama regulations on mercury & waters: Strongly Favors topic 8 No federal energy help needed; we did it on Marcellus Shale: Strongly Favors topic 8 Sagging economy caused by stop sign on oil drilling: Strongly Favors topic 8 Rated 0% by the LCV, indicating anti-environment votes: Strongly Favors topic 8 NO on reducing funds for road-building in National Forests: Opposes topic 8
Favors topic 9: Stricter punishment reduces crime (-3 points on Social scale)	Three-strike laws put too many people in jail: Opposes topic 9 Allow felons to vote again after 5 years crime-free: Opposes topic 9 Rated 25% by CURE, indicating anti-rehabilitation crime votes: Strongly Favors topic 9 NO on replacing death penalty with life imprisonment: Strongly Favors topic 9 YES on limiting death penalty appeals: Favors topic 9 YES on more penalties for gun & drug violations: Favors topic 9 NO on $1.15 billion per year to continue the COPS program: Favors topic 9
Favors topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (+2 points on Economic scale)	YES on maintaining current law: guns sold without trigger locks: Strongly Favors topic 10 YES on loosening license & background checks at gun shows: Favors topic 10 NO on background checks at gun shows: Strongly Favors topic 10 NO on banning lawsuits against gun manufacturers for gun violence: Strongly Opposes topic 10 YES on prohibiting lawsuits against gun manufacturers: Strongly Favors topic 10
Strongly Opposes topic 11: Higher taxes on the wealthy (+5 points on Economic scale)	My 10% flat tax brings 3.5M jobs back to America: Opposes topic 11 20% flat tax on all income of all types: Strongly Opposes topic 11 My tax plan reduces taxes for every income bracket: Opposes topic 11 20/20 tax plan: all income treated the same: Strongly Opposes topic 11 People at the bottom get only a trickle from trickle-down: Favors topic 11 Changing estate tax would cost $100B, not save $730B: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Death should not be a taxable event: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Rated 81% by NTU, indicating a "Taxpayer's Friend" on tax votes: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Make employee educational assistance tax-deductible: Favors topic 11 YES on Internet sales tax moratorium: Opposes topic 11 YES on requiring super-majority for raising taxes: Opposes topic 11 YES on eliminating the 'marriage penalty': Opposes topic 11 YES on prioritizing national debt reduction below tax cuts: Opposes topic 11 NO on reducing marriage penalty instead of cutting top tax rates: Opposes topic 11 NO on spending $448B of tax cut on education & debt reduction: Opposes topic 11 YES on $350 billion in tax breaks over 11 years: Strongly Opposes topic 11 YES on extending the tax cuts on capital gains and dividends: Strongly Opposes topic 11 NO on $47B for military by repealing capital gains tax cut: Opposes topic 11 YES on retaining reduced taxes on capital gains & dividends: Strongly Opposes topic 11 YES on permanently repealing the `death tax`: Strongly Opposes topic 11 YES on supporting permanence of estate tax cuts: Strongly Opposes topic 11
Strongly Opposes topic 12: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens (-5 points on Social scale)	Jobs and good wages scarce due to illegals: Strongly Opposes topic 12 Send six million illegals back to their countries: Strongly Opposes topic 12 Our policy is magnet that says "amnesty"; that has to change: Strongly Opposes topic 12 We're flooding the job market with low-wage workers: Opposes topic 12 America is worth the wait, even if families are split up: Strongly Opposes topic 12 Reduce the level of legal immigration by 25%: Strongly Opposes topic 12 Follow the rule of law; veto the DREAM Act: Strongly Opposes topic 12 Focus on skilled immigrants; now most are unskilled: Opposes topic 12 Amnesty to unskilled illegals makes worker wages stagnate: Opposes topic 12 Comprehensive bill is easier than consensus on components: Favors topic 12 No promises & no government benefits to immigrants: Strongly Opposes topic 12 No benefits for illegal immigrants: Strongly Opposes topic 12 Border is not yet secure; existing laws are not yet enforced: Strongly Opposes topic 12 YES on limit welfare for immigrants: Strongly Opposes topic 12 YES on visas for skilled workers: Favors topic 12 YES on allowing more foreign workers into the US for farm work: Favors topic 12 NO on allowing illegal aliens to participate in Social Security: Strongly Opposes topic 12 NO on giving Guest Workers a path to citizenship: Strongly Opposes topic 12 NO on establishing a Guest Worker program: 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)	Take jobs back from China so US is #1 in manufacturing: Opposes topic 13 Export financing to level playing field for US manufacturers: Favors topic 13 Tariffs only hurt working men and women: Strongly Favors topic 13 Level the playing field by having an Ex-Im Bank like others: Favors topic 13 Think about the people that free trade effects: Opposes topic 13 Rated 100% by CATO, indicating a pro-free trade voting record: Strongly Favors topic 13 YES on renewing 'fast track' presidential trade authority: Favors topic 13 YES on permanent normal trade relations with China: Strongly Favors topic 13 YES on expanding trade to the third world: Favors topic 13 YES on removing common goods from national security export rules: Favors topic 13 YES on granting normal trade relations status to Vietnam: Favors topic 13 YES on extending free trade to Andean nations: Strongly Favors topic 13 YES on establishing free trade between US & Singapore: Favors topic 13 YES on establishing free trade between the US and Chile: Favors topic 13 YES on implementing CAFTA for Central America free-trade: Strongly Favors topic 13 YES on free trade agreement with Oman: Strongly Favors topic 13
Strongly Favors topic 14: Support American Exceptionalism (+5 points on Economic scale)	Will tear up agreement with Iran first day in office: Strongly Favors topic 14 YES on $17.9 billion to IMF: Opposes topic 14 YES on capping foreign aid at only $12.7 billion: Strongly Favors topic 14 NO on preserving habeas corpus for Guantanamo detainees: Strongly Favors topic 14 NO on requiring CIA reports on detainees & interrogation methods: Strongly Favors topic 14
Strongly Favors topic 15: Expand the military (-5 points on Social scale)	Harden electric grid against electromagnetic pulse attack: Favors topic 15 Terrorism is an asymmetric threat; we need worldwide bases: Strongly Opposes topic 15 Don't cut one penny out of defense spending: Strongly Favors topic 15 Cut waste in DOD, but don't cut defense budget: Strongly Favors topic 15 Invest in our armed services' fundamental mission: Strongly Favors topic 15 Rated 0% by SANE, indicating a pro-military voting record: Strongly Favors topic 15 YES on 1996 Defense Appropriations: Favors topic 15 YES on considering deploying NMD, and amending ABM Treaty: Favors topic 15 YES on favoring 36 vetoed military projects: Strongly Favors topic 15 YES on allowing another round of military base closures: Opposes topic 15 YES on military pay raise of 4.8%: Strongly Favors topic 15 YES on deploying National Missile Defense ASAP: Strongly Favors topic 15 NO on requiring on-budget funding for Iraq, not emergency funding: Favors topic 15
Opposes topic 16: Make voter registration easier (-3 points on Social scale)	1997: In-state campaign donation cap $4K; out-of-state $1K: Favors topic 16 Campaign finance should be purely voluntary: Strongly Opposes topic 16 NO on favoring 1997 McCain-Feingold overhaul of campaign finance: Opposes topic 16 NO on banning campaign donations from unions & corporations: Opposes topic 16 NO on banning "soft money" contributions and restricting issue ads: Opposes topic 16 NO on establishing the Senate Office of Public Integrity: Opposes topic 16 YES on allowing some lobbyist gifts to Congress: Strongly Opposes topic 16
Strongly Opposes topic 17: Avoid foreign entanglements (-5 points on Social scale)	Stay in Afghanistan until security of our country is secure: Opposes topic 17 We should withdraw from Afghanistan more slowly: Strongly Opposes topic 17 We must take land from ISIS Caliphate, under their own law: Strongly Opposes topic 17 World War III has begun; let's identify it: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Obama left Iraq because it was politically popular to do so: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Iran must be confronted to stop them from getting nukes: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Iraq: We have a great game plan, and Rumsfeld does fine job: Strongly Opposes topic 17 War in Iraq is one front in war on Islamic fascism: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Threat posed by Saddam is like drunk driver's threat to all: Strongly Opposes topic 17 YES on authorizing use of military force against Iraq: Strongly Opposes topic 17 NO on redeploying troops out of Iraq by July 2007: Strongly Opposes topic 17
Opposes topic 18: Prioritize green energy (+2 points on Economic scale)	Taking manufacturing back to US will reduce global warming: Favors topic 18 Ethanol mandate brings jobs & energy independence: Favors topic 18 Nothing the US could do will affect global warming: Strongly Opposes topic 18 Fracking gives us enough natural gas for 100 years: Strongly Opposes topic 18 Construct the Keystone pipeline: for jobs & energy: Opposes topic 18 Out of office, I stayed in the fray to defeat cap-and-trade: Strongly Opposes topic 18 YES on defunding renewable and solar energy: Strongly Opposes topic 18 NO on ending discussion of CAFE fuel efficiency standards: Favors topic 18 YES on preserving budget for ANWR oil drilling: Opposes topic 18 YES on terminating CAFE standards within 15 months: Strongly Opposes topic 18 YES on targeting 100,000 hydrogen-powered vehicles by 2010: Strongly Favors topic 18 NO on removing consideration of drilling ANWR from budget bill: Opposes topic 18 NO on reducing oil usage by 40% by 2025 (instead of 5%): Strongly Opposes topic 18 NO on disallowing an oil leasing program in Alaska's ANWR: Strongly Opposes topic 18 NO on banning drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: Opposes topic 18
Strongly Favors topic 19: Marijuana is a gateway drug (-5 points on Social scale)	Marijuana is a controlled substance for a reason: Strongly Favors topic 19 Colorado has no right to violate federal drug laws: Strongly Favors topic 19 YES on spending international development funds on drug control: Strongly Favors topic 19 YES on more penalties for gun & drug violations: Favors topic 19 YES on increasing penalties for drug offenses: Favors topic 19
Strongly Opposes topic 20: Stimulus better than market-led recovery (+5 points on Economic scale)	Over-taxation and over-regulation shut down our economy: Opposes topic 20 2020 Clear Vision: grow economy without adding to deficit: Strongly Opposes topic 20 Cap size of government budget at 18% of GDP: Strongly Opposes topic 20 Raising the minimum wage a little is ok, if phased in slowly: Favors topic 20 I opposed the Wall Street bailouts and the auto bailout: Strongly Opposes topic 20 Just two income tax rates: 10% and 28%: Strongly Opposes topic 20 Cut the corporate tax to zero, to create jobs: Strongly Opposes topic 20 Cut corporate tax rate to zero & jobs will come back: Strongly Opposes topic 20