John Ensign 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)	Rated 0% by NARAL, indicating a pro-life voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Rated 100% by the NRLC, indicating a pro-life stance: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Prohibit transporting minors across state lines for abortion: Opposes 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 YES on barring HHS grants to organizations that perform abortions: Opposes topic 1 YES on restricting UN funding for population control policies: Opposes topic 1
Strongly Opposes topic 2: Legally require hiring women & minorities (+5 points on Economic scale)	Rated 7% by the NAACP, indicating an anti-affirmative-action stance: Strongly Opposes topic 2 YES on ending the set-aside of 10% of highway funds for minorities: Opposes topic 2
Opposes topic 3: Comfortable with same-sex marriage (-3 points on Social scale)	More funding and stricter sentencing for hate crimes: Strongly Favors topic 3 Rated 11% by the HRC, indicating an anti-gay-rights stance: Strongly 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)	Supports anti-flag desecration amendment: Favors topic 4 Rated 100% 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
Strongly Opposes topic 5: Expand ObamaCare (+5 points on Economic scale)	Rated 12% by APHA, indicating a anti-public health voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 5 YES on allowing tribal Indians to opt out of federal healthcare: Strongly Opposes topic 5 YES on means-testing to determine Medicare Part D premium: 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 NO on requiring negotiated Rx prices for Medicare part D: Opposes topic 5 NO on adding 2 to 4 million children to SCHIP eligibility: Opposes topic 5 NO on overriding veto on expansion of Medicare: Opposes topic 5 NO on expanding the Children's Health Insurance Program: Opposes topic 5 NO on regulating tobacco as a drug: Opposes topic 5
Strongly Favors topic 6: Privatize Social Security (+5 points on Economic scale)	Supports privatizing Social Security: Strongly Favors topic 6 Rated 20% by the ARA, indicating an anti-senior voting record: Strongly Favors topic 6 Reduce taxes on Social Security earnings: Favors topic 6 YES on putting 90% of any budget surplus toward Social Security: Favors topic 6 YES on establishing reserve funds & pre-funding for Social Security: Favors topic 6
Strongly Favors topic 7: Vouchers for school choice (+5 points on Economic scale)	Supports parents choosing schools via vouchers: Strongly Favors topic 7 Rated 18% by the NEA, indicating anti-public education votes: Strongly Favors topic 7 NO on funding smaller classes instead of private tutors: Favors topic 7 NO on $5B for grants to local educational agencies: Favors topic 7
Neutral on topic 8: Clean air and water are property rights (0 points on Social scale)	Rated 16% by the LCV, indicating anti-environment votes: Strongly Favors topic 8 Regulate all dog breeders down to kennels of 50 dogs: Opposes topic 8 Strengthen prohibitions against animal fighting: Strongly Opposes topic 8 YES on prohibiting eminent domain for use as parks or grazing land: Favors topic 8
Strongly Favors topic 9: Stricter punishment reduces crime (-5 points on Social scale)	Permanent crime database for volunteers with kids: Favors topic 9 More prisons, more enforcement, effective death penalty: Favors topic 9 YES on making federal death penalty appeals harder: Strongly Favors topic 9 NO on maintaining right of habeas corpus in Death Penalty Appeals: Favors topic 9 NO on allowing Habeus Corpus appeals in capital cases: Favors topic 9 NO on reinstating $1.15 billion funding for the COPS Program: Favors topic 9
Strongly Favors topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (+5 points on Economic scale)	National cross-state standard for concealed carry: Strongly Favors topic 10 Ban gun registration & trigger lock law in Washington DC: Strongly Favors topic 10 Allow firearms in National Parks: Strongly Favors topic 10 Apply concealed carry permit to all other states where legal: Strongly Favors topic 10 Dangerousness, not mental incompetence, limits gun rights: 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
Strongly Opposes topic 11: Higher taxes on the wealthy (+5 points on Economic scale)	Rated 87% by NTU, indicating a "Taxpayer's Friend" on tax votes: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Rated 0% by the CTJ, indicating opposition to progressive taxation: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Member of the Congressional Flat Tax Caucus: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Taxpayer Protection Pledge: no new taxes: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Repeal marriage tax; cut middle class taxes: Opposes topic 11 YES on raising the Death Tax exemption to $5M from $1M: Strongly Opposes topic 11 YES on allowing AMT reduction without budget offset: 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 YES on raising estate tax exemption to $5 million: Strongly Opposes topic 11 YES on repealing the Alternative Minimum Tax: Strongly Opposes topic 11
Strongly Opposes topic 12: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens (-5 points on Social scale)	Rated 100% by USBC, indicating a sealed-border stance: Strongly Opposes topic 12 NO on continuing federal funds for declared "sanctuary cities": Strongly Opposes topic 12 YES on limiting immigrant benefits & controlling borders more tightly: Opposes 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 NO 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
Favors topic 13: Support & expand free trade (+2 points on Economic scale)	Rated 92% by CATO, indicating a pro-free trade voting record: Strongly 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 NO on extending free trade to Andean nations: Strongly Opposes 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
Strongly Favors topic 14: Maintain US sovereignty from UN (+5 points on Economic scale)	NO on requiring FISA court warrant to monitor US-to-foreign calls: 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 YES on removing need for FISA warrant for wiretapping abroad: Strongly Favors topic 14
Favors topic 15: Expand the military (-3 points on Social scale)	Rated 0% by SANE, indicating a pro-military voting record: Strongly Favors topic 15 Sponsored bill for Iraq budget to be part of defense budget: Opposes topic 15 No US troops under UN command; more defense spending: Favors topic 15 NO on requiring on-budget funding for Iraq, not emergency funding: Favors topic 15 NO on limiting soldiers' deployment to 12 months: Favors topic 15
Opposes topic 16: Stricter limits on voting rights (+2 points on Social scale)	Require Internet disclosure of all earmarks: Favors topic 16 Ban paid voter registration: Opposes topic 16 Military spouses don't lose voting residency while abroad: 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 YES on allowing some lobbyist gifts to Congress: Strongly Opposes topic 16
Strongly Opposes topic 17: Stay out of Iran (-5 points on Social scale)	Strengthen sanctions on Syria & assist democratic transition: 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
Opposes topic 18: Prioritize green energy (+2 points on Economic scale)	Reduce liability for hazardous waste cleanup: Opposes topic 18 Rated 17% by the CAF, indicating opposition to energy independence: Opposes topic 18 Open the Outer Continental Shelf for oil & gas leasing: Strongly Opposes 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 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 NO on factoring global warming into federal project planning: Opposes topic 18 YES on removing oil & gas exploration subsidies: Strongly Favors topic 18 NO on addressing CO2 emissions without considering India & China: Opposes topic 18 NO on tax incentives for energy production and conservation: Strongly Opposes 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
Opposes topic 19: Never legalize marijuana (+2 points on Social scale)	Require chemical resellers to certify against meth use: Favors topic 19 NO on subjecting federal employees to random drug tests: Strongly Opposes topic 19
Strongly Opposes topic 20: Stimulus better than market-led recovery (+5 points on Economic scale)	Rated 0% by UFCW, indicating a pro-management voting record: Opposes topic 20 NO on increasing tax rate for people earning over $1 million: Strongly Opposes topic 20 NO on additional $825 billion for economic recovery package: Strongly Opposes topic 20 NO on $192B additional anti-recession stimulus spending: Strongly Opposes topic 20