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 Favors topic 1: Abortion is a woman's right (10 points on Social scale)	Rated 100% by NARAL, indicating a pro-choice voting record: Strongly Favors topic 1 NO on barring transporting minors to get an abortion: Strongly Favors topic 1 NO on banning partial-birth abortions: Favors 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 NO on banning partial-birth abortion except to save mother’s life: Strongly Favors topic 1 NO on making it a crime to harm a fetus during another crime: Favors topic 1 NO on restricting interstate transport of minors to get abortions: Strongly Favors 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
Strongly Favors topic 2: Require companies to hire more women & minorities (0 points on Economic scale)	Constitutional Amendment for equal rights by gender: Strongly Favors topic 2 YES on $84 million in grants for Black and Hispanic colleges: Strongly Favors topic 2
Strongly Favors topic 3: Sexual orientation protected by civil rights laws (10 points on Social scale)	More funding and stricter sentencing for hate crimes: Strongly 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 NO on Constitutional Amendment banning same-sex marriage: Strongly Favors topic 3
Strongly Opposes topic 4: Teach family values in public schools (10 points on Social scale)	Rated 7% by the Christian Coalition: an anti-family voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 4 NO on allowing school prayer during the War on Terror: Strongly Opposes topic 4 NO on constitutional amendment prohibiting flag desecration: Opposes topic 4 NO on protecting the Pledge of Allegiance: Opposes topic 4 YES on allowing Courts to decide on "God" in Pledge of Allegiance: Opposes topic 4
Strongly Favors topic 5: More federal funding for health coverage (0 points on Economic scale)	Rated 100% by APHA, indicating a pro-public health record: Strongly Favors topic 5 NO on establishing tax-exempt Medical Savings Accounts: Favors topic 5 NO on subsidize privat insurance for Medicare Rx drug coverage: Favors topic 5 YES on allowing reimportation of prescription drugs: Favors topic 5 NO on capping damages & setting time limits in medical lawsuits: Favors topic 5 NO on limited prescription drug benefit for Medicare recipients: Favors topic 5 NO on denying non-emergency treatment for lack of Medicare co-pay: Strongly Favors topic 5 YES on requiring negotiated Rx prices for Medicare part D: Favors topic 5
Opposes topic 6: Privatize Social Security (2 points on Economic scale)	Rated 100% by the ARA, indicating a pro-senior voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 6 YES on strengthening the Social Security Lockbox: Opposes 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
Strongly Opposes topic 7: Parents choose schools via vouchers (0 points on Social scale)	Reduce class size to 18 children in grades 1 to 3: Strongly Opposes topic 7 Rated 100% by the NEA, indicating pro-public education votes: Strongly Opposes topic 7
Strongly Opposes topic 8: Death Penalty (10 points on Social scale)	Moratorium on death penalty; more DNA testing: Opposes topic 8 Require DNA testing for all federal executions: Strongly Opposes topic 8
Favors topic 9: Mandatory Three Strikes sentencing laws (2 points on Social scale)	Rated 60% by CURE, indicating mixed votes on rehabilitation: Neutral on topic 9 NO on more prosecution and sentencing for juvenile crime: Opposes topic 9 NO on funding for alternative sentencing instead of more prisons.: Strongly Favors topic 9
Strongly Opposes topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (0 points on Social scale)	Rated F by the NRA, indicating a pro-gun control voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 10 NO on decreasing gun waiting period from 3 days to 1: Strongly Opposes topic 10 NO on prohibiting suing gunmakers & sellers for gun misuse: Strongly Opposes topic 10 NO on prohibiting product misuse lawsuits on gun manufacturers: Strongly Opposes topic 10
Opposes topic 11: Decrease overall taxation of the wealthy (2 points on Economic scale)	Rated 23% by NTU, indicating a "Big Spender" on tax votes: Strongly Opposes topic 11 NO on eliminating the "marriage penalty": Opposes topic 11 NO on $46 billion in tax cuts for small business: Opposes topic 11 NO on Tax cut package of $958 B over 10 years: Opposes topic 11 NO on reducing Marriage Tax by $399B over 10 years: Opposes topic 11 NO on eliminating the Estate Tax ("death tax"): Opposes topic 11 NO on making the Bush tax cuts permanent: Strongly Opposes topic 11 YES on providing tax relief and simplification: Strongly Favors topic 11 NO on retaining reduced taxes on capital gains & dividends: Strongly Opposes topic 11
Strongly Favors topic 12: Illegal immigrants earn citizenship (10 points on Economic 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 NO on preventing tipping off Mexicans about Minuteman Project: Strongly Favors topic 12 NO on building a fence along the Mexican border: Strongly Favors topic 12
Favors topic 13: Support & expand free trade (7 points on Economic scale)	Rated 39% 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 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 NO on implementing CAFTA, Central America Free Trade: Strongly Opposes topic 13
Favors topic 14: The Patriot Act harms civil liberties (2 points on Social scale)	NO on making the PATRIOT Act permanent: Strongly Favors topic 14 YES on continuing intelligence gathering without civil oversight: Strongly Opposes topic 14 NO on allowing electronic surveillance without a warrant: Strongly Favors topic 14
Favors topic 15: More spending on armed forces (2 points on Economic scale)	Rated 78% by SANE, indicating a pro-peace voting record: Strongly 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 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 (2 points on Economic scale)	Keep campaign soft money; allow legal resident contributions: Opposes topic 16 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 NO on restricting independent grassroots political committees: Favors topic 16 YES on requiring lobbyist disclosure of bundled donations: Strongly Favors topic 16
Strongly Favors topic 17: Replace US troops with UN in Iraq (0 points on Economic scale)	NO on disallowing the invasion of Kosovo: Favors topic 17 YES on $15.2 billion for foreign operations: Favors topic 17 YES on $156M to IMF for 3rd-world debt reduction: Favors topic 17 NO on withholding $244M in UN Back Payments until US seat restored: Favors topic 17 NO on authorizing military force in Iraq: Strongly Favors topic 17 NO on reforming the UN by restricting US funding: Strongly Favors topic 17 NO on declaring Iraq part of War on Terror with no exit date: Strongly Favors topic 17 YES on redeploying US troops out of Iraq starting in 90 days: Strongly Favors topic 17
Strongly Favors topic 18: Replace coal & oil with alternatives (0 points on Economic scale)	Rated 75% by the LCV, indicating pro-environment votes: 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 NO on authorizing construction of new oil refineries: Strongly Favors topic 18 NO on scheduling permitting for new oil refinieries: Strongly Favors topic 18 NO on keeping moratorium on drilling for oil offshore: Strongly Opposes topic 18 YES on removing oil & gas exploration subsidies: Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on criminalizing oil cartels like OPEC: Favors topic 18
Strongly Opposes topic 19: Drug use is immoral: enforce laws against it (10 points on Social scale)	NO on prohibiting needle exchange & medical marijuana in DC: Strongly Opposes topic 19 NO on military border patrols to battle drugs & terrorism: Strongly Opposes topic 19
Opposes topic 20: Allow churches to provide welfare services (7 points on Social scale)	YES on responsible fatherhood via faith-based organizations: Favors topic 20 NO on treating religious organizations equally for tax breaks: Strongly Opposes topic 20