Ben Nelson on SenateMatch

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)	Strongly opposes “Abortion is a woman’s right”: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Rated 7% by NARAL, indicating a pro-life voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Rated 75% by the NRLC, indicating a mixed record on abortion: Neutral on topic 1 YES on prohibiting minors crossing state lines for abortion: Strongly Opposes topic 1 YES on defining unborn child as eligible for SCHIP: 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 NO on expanding research to more embryonic stem cell lines: Opposes topic 1 NO on barring HHS grants to organizations that perform abortions: Favors topic 1 YES on restricting UN funding for population control policies: Opposes topic 1
Favors topic 2: Legally require hiring women & minorities (-3 points on Economic scale)	Strongly favors requiring companies to hire more minorities: Strongly Favors topic 2 Shift from group preferences to economic empowerment of all: Neutral on topic 2 Rated 57% by NAACP, indicating a mixed record on affirmative-action: Neutral on topic 2
No opinion on topic 3: Comfortable with same-sex marriage (0 points on Social scale)	Supports “Sexual orientation protected by civil rights laws”: Strongly Favors topic 3 Rated 11% by the HRC, indicating an anti-gay-rights stance: Strongly Opposes topic 3 YES on adding sexual orientation to definition of hate crimes: Strongly Favors 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)	Rated 83% by the Christian Coalition: a pro-Family-Value voting record: Strongly Favors topic 4 Rated 0% by the AU, indicating opposition to church-state separation: Strongly Favors topic 4 YES on recommending Constitutional ban on flag desecration: Favors topic 4
Favors topic 5: Expand ObamaCare (-3 points on Economic scale)	Supports More Federal Funding for Health Coverage: Favors topic 5 Establish "report cards" on HMO quality of care: Favors topic 5 Rated 50% by APHA, indicating a mixed record on public health issues: Neutral on topic 5 Support enhanced health insurance marketplace pooling: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Maintain Medicare funding of HMO benefits: Favors topic 5 NO on allowing tribal Indians to opt out of federal healthcare: Strongly Favors topic 5 NO on means-testing to determine Medicare Part D premium: Favors topic 5 NO on the Ryan Budget: Medicare choice, tax & spending cuts: Favors topic 5 NO on funding GOP version of Medicare prescription drug benefit: Favors topic 5 YES on $40 billion per year for limited Medicare prescription drug benefit: Favors topic 5 YES on increasing Medicaid rebate for producing generics: Favors 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 NO on limiting medical liability lawsuits to $250,000: Opposes topic 5 YES on requiring negotiated Rx prices for Medicare part D: Favors topic 5 YES on adding 2 to 4 million children to SCHIP eligibility: Favors topic 5 YES on overriding veto on expansion of Medicare: Favors topic 5 YES on expanding the Children's Health Insurance Program: Favors topic 5 YES on regulating tobacco as a drug: Favors topic 5
Opposes topic 6: Privatize Social Security (-3 points on Economic scale)	Opposes privatizing Social Security: Opposes topic 6 Create Retirement Savings Accounts: Favors topic 6 Rated 40% by the ARA, indicating a mixed record on senior issues: Neutral on topic 6 NO on establishing reserve funds & pre-funding for Social Security: Opposes topic 6
Strongly Opposes topic 7: Vouchers for school choice (-5 points on Economic scale)	Opposes parents choosing schools via vouchers: Strongly Opposes topic 7 Offer every parent Charter Schools and public school choice: Opposes topic 7 Rated 100% by the NEA, indicating pro-public education votes: Strongly Opposes topic 7 YES on funding smaller classes instead of private tutors: Opposes topic 7 YES on funding student testing instead of private tutors: Opposes topic 7 YES on $5B for grants to local educational agencies: Opposes topic 7
Favors topic 8: Clean air and water are property rights (+2 points on Social scale)	Rated 21% by the LCV, indicating anti-environment votes: Strongly Favors topic 8 NO on prohibiting eminent domain for use as parks or grazing land: Opposes topic 8
Favors topic 9: Stricter punishment reduces crime (-3 points on Social scale)	Supports the death penalty: Strongly Favors topic 9 YES on reinstating $1.15 billion funding for the COPS Program: Opposes topic 9
Favors topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (+2 points on Economic scale)	Opposes absolute right to gun ownership: Strongly Opposes topic 10 Prevent unauthorized firearm use with "smart gun" technology: Opposes topic 10 Allow veterans to register unlicensed guns acquired abroad: Favors topic 10 Ban gun registration & trigger lock law in Washington DC: 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 YES on prohibiting foreign & UN aid that restricts US gun ownership: Favors topic 10 YES on allowing firearms in checked baggage on Amtrak trains: Favors topic 10
Opposes topic 11: Higher taxes on the wealthy (+2 points on Economic scale)	Supports making income tax flatter & lower: Opposes topic 11 Rated 42% by NTU, indicating "Satisfactory" on tax votes: Neutral on topic 11 Rated 0% by the CTJ, indicating opposition to progressive taxation: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Taxpayer Protection Pledge: no new taxes: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Supports the Taxpayer Protection Pledge: Strongly Opposes topic 11 NO on raising the Death Tax exemption to $5M from $1M: Strongly Favors topic 11 NO on allowing AMT reduction without budget offset: Favors topic 11 NO on reducing marriage penalty instead of cutting top tax rates: Opposes topic 11 YES on spending $448B of tax cut on education & debt reduction: Favors 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 NO on raising estate tax exemption to $5 million: Strongly Favors topic 11 NO on repealing the Alternative Minimum Tax: Strongly Favors topic 11
Opposes topic 12: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens (-3 points on Social scale)	Supports “Immigration helps our economy-encourage it”: Favors topic 12 Rated 83% by USBC, indicating a sealed-border stance: Strongly Opposes topic 12 Ease Canadian border-crossing rules: Favors topic 12 YES on continuing federal funds for declared "sanctuary cities": Strongly 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 YES on eliminating the "Y" nonimmigrant guestworker program: Neutral topic 12 YES on declaring English as the official language of the US government: Strongly Opposes topic 12 NO on comprehensive immigration reform: Strongly Opposes topic 12
Strongly Favors topic 13: Support & expand free trade (+5 points on Economic scale)	Supports expanding Free Trade: Favors topic 13 Build a rule-based global trading system: Favors topic 13 Rated 58% by CATO, indicating a mixed record on trade issues: Neutral on topic 13 Ease Canadian border-crossing rules: Favors topic 13 Grant fast-track authority to the President: 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 YES on promoting free trade with Peru: Favors topic 13
Favors topic 14: Maintain US sovereignty from UN (+2 points on Economic scale)	NO on preserving habeas corpus for Guantanamo detainees: Strongly Favors topic 14 YES on requiring CIA reports on detainees & interrogation methods: Strongly Opposes topic 14 YES on removing need for FISA warrant for wiretapping abroad: Strongly Favors topic 14
Opposes topic 15: Expand the military (+2 points on Social scale)	Rated 40% by SANE, indicating a mixed record on military issues: Neutral on topic 15 YES on requiring on-budget funding for Iraq, not emergency funding: Opposes topic 15 YES on limiting soldiers' deployment to 12 months: Opposes topic 15
No opinion on topic 16: Stricter limits on voting rights (0 points on Social scale)	Repeal automatic Congressional pay raises: Favors 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
Opposes topic 17: Stay out of Iran (-3 points on Social scale)	Supports continuing Foreign Aid to Russia, Israel, & others: Strongly Favors topic 17 Progressive Internationalism: globalize with US pre-eminence: Favors topic 17 Iranian nuclear weapons: prevention instead of containment: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Sanctions on Iran to end nuclear program: 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 NO on redeploying US troops out of Iraq by March 2008: Strongly Opposes topic 17 NO on redeploying non-essential US troops out of Iraq in 9 months: Opposes topic 17
Favors topic 18: Prioritize green energy (-3 points on Economic scale)	Supports spending resources to stop Global Warming: Favors topic 18 Supports tradable emissions permits for greenhouse gases: Favors topic 18 Keep efficient air conditioner rule to conserve energy: Strongly Favors topic 18 Rated 33% by CAF, indicating a mixed record on energy independence: Neutral on topic 18 Set goal of 25% renewable energy by 2025: Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on barring EPA from regulating greenhouse gases: 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 YES on reducing oil usage by 40% by 2025 (instead of 5%): Strongly Favors 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 NO on factoring global warming into federal project planning: Opposes topic 18 YES on removing oil & gas exploration subsidies: Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on addressing CO2 emissions without considering India & China: Favors topic 18 YES on tax incentives for energy production and conservation: Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on requiring full Senate debate and vote on cap-and-trade: Opposes topic 18 YES on protecting middle-income taxpayers from a national energy tax: Opposes topic 18 NO on $2 billion more for Cash for Clunkers program: Opposes topic 18
Strongly Favors topic 19: Never legalize marijuana (-5 points on Social scale)	Supports “Drug use is immoral: enforce laws against it”: Strongly Favors topic 19 Require chemical resellers to certify against meth use: Favors topic 19
Favors topic 20: Stimulus better than market-led recovery (-3 points on Economic scale)	Rated 57% by UFCW, indicating a mixed management/labor voting record: Neutral on topic 20 NO on increasing tax rate for people earning over $1 million: Strongly Opposes topic 20 YES on additional $825 billion for economic recovery package: Strongly Favors topic 20 YES on $192B additional anti-recession stimulus spending: Strongly Favors topic 20