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 right (-5 points on Social scale)	Rated 0% by NARAL, indicating a pro-life voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 1 YES on banning partial birth abortions: 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
Opposes topic 2: Require hiring more women & minorities (+2 points on Economic scale)	NO on banning affirmative action hiring with federal funds: Strongly Favors topic 2 YES on ending special funding for minority & women-owned business: Strongly Opposes 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: Same-sex domestic partnership benefits (-5 points on Social scale)	YES on prohibiting same-sex marriage: Strongly Opposes topic 3 NO on prohibiting job discrimination by sexual orientation: Strongly Opposes topic 3 YES on expanding hate crimes to include sexual orientation: Favors 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: Teacher-led prayer in public schools (-5 points on Social scale)	Supports anti-flag desecration amendment: Favors topic 4 Rated 100% by the Christian Coalition: a pro-family voting record: Strongly Favors topic 4 YES on $75M for abstinence education: Strongly Favors topic 4 NO on killing restrictions on violent videos to minors: Favors topic 4 YES on recommending Constitutional ban on flag desecration: Favors topic 4
Favors topic 8: Death Penalty (-3 points on Social scale)	YES on limiting death penalty appeals: Favors topic 8
Favors topic 9: Mandatory Three Strikes sentencing laws (-3 points on Social scale)	Rated 25% by CURE, indicating anti-rehabilitation crime votes: Strongly Favors topic 9 NO on more penalties for gun & drug violations: Opposes topic 9 NO on $1.15 billion per year to continue the COPS program: Favors topic 9
Strongly Opposes topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (-5 points on Economic scale)	NO on maintaining current law: guns sold without trigger locks: Strongly Opposes topic 10 NO on loosening license & background checks at gun shows: Opposes topic 10 YES on background checks at gun shows: Strongly Opposes topic 10 NO on banning lawsuits against gun manufacturers for gun violence: Strongly Opposes topic 10 NO on prohibiting lawsuits against gun manufacturers: Strongly Opposes topic 10
Opposes topic 5: More federal funding for health coverage (+2 points on Economic scale)	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 YES on $40 billion per year for limited Medicare prescription drug benefit: Favors 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 YES on expanding enrollment period for Medicare Part D: Favors topic 5 YES on limiting medical liability lawsuits to $250,000: Favors topic 5
Favors topic 6: Privatize Social Security (+2 points on Economic scale)	Only consider privatizing as part of complete reform package: Opposes topic 6 Rated 0% 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: Parents choose schools via vouchers (+5 points on Economic scale)	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
Opposes topic 18: Replace coal & oil with alternatives (+2 points on Economic scale)	Rated 16% by the LCV, indicating anti-environment votes: Strongly Opposes topic 18 YES on reducing funds for road-building in National Forests: Favors 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 YES on removing consideration of drilling ANWR from budget bill: Favors topic 18 NO on reducing oil usage by 40% by 2025 (instead of 5%): Strongly Opposes topic 18 YES on disallowing an oil leasing program in Alaska's ANWR: Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on banning drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: Favors topic 18
Favors topic 19: Drug use is immoral: enforce laws against it (-3 points on Social scale)	YES on spending international development funds on drug control: Strongly Favors topic 19 NO on more penalties for gun & drug violations: Opposes topic 19 YES on increasing penalties for drug offenses: Favors topic 19
Favors topic 20: Allow churches to provide welfare services (+2 points on Economic scale)	YES on welfare overhaul: Favors topic 20 YES on allowing state welfare waivers: Favors topic 20 NO on eliminating block grants for food stamps: Favors topic 20 YES on welfare block grants: Favors topic 20
Strongly Opposes topic 11: Make taxes more progressive (+5 points on Economic scale)	Rated 69% by NTU, indicating "Satisfactory" on tax votes: Neutral on topic 11 YES on Internet sales tax moratorium: Opposes topic 11 NO on requiring super-majority for raising taxes: Favors 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
Favors topic 12: Illegal immigrants earn citizenship (+2 points on Social scale)	Cover child resident aliens under Medicaid and SCHIP: Favors 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 YES on allowing illegal aliens to participate in Social Security: Strongly Favors topic 12 YES on giving Guest Workers a path to citizenship: Strongly Favors topic 12 YES on establishing a Guest Worker program: Favors 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)	Tariffs against dumping steel, & give fines to US companies: Strongly Opposes topic 13 Rated 100% by CATO, indicating a pro-free trade voting record: Strongly Favors topic 13 Free trade with post-Orange Revolution Ukraine: 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 NO on removing common goods from national security export rules: Opposes 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 15: Expand the armed forces (-5 points on Social scale)	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: Stricter limits on political campaign funds (+2 points on Economic scale)	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 NO on allowing some lobbyist gifts to Congress: Strongly Favors topic 16
Strongly Opposes topic 14: The Patriot Act harms civil liberties (-5 points on Social scale)	YES on extending the PATRIOT Act's wiretap provision: Strongly Opposes topic 14 YES on reauthorizing the PATRIOT Act: Opposes topic 14 NO on preserving habeas corpus for Guantanamo detainees: Strongly Opposes topic 14 NO on requiring CIA reports on detainees & interrogation methods: Strongly Opposes topic 14
Opposes topic 17: US out of Iraq (-3 points on Social scale)	Cannot set an artificial timetable for withdrawal from Iraq: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Multi-year commitment to Africa for food & medicine: Strongly Favors topic 17 NO on redeploying troops out of Iraq by July 2007: Strongly Opposes topic 17