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 100% by the NRLC, indicating a pro-life stance: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Prohibit transporting minors across state lines for abortion: Opposes topic 1 Bar funding for abortion under federal Obamacare plans: Opposes topic 1 Grant the pre-born equal protection under 14th Amendment: Opposes topic 1 Declare preborn as persons under 14th amendment: Strongly Opposes topic 1 YES on restricting interstate transport of minors to get abortions: Strongly Opposes topic 1 NO on allowing human embryonic stem cell research: Opposes topic 1 NO on expanding research to more embryonic stem cell lines: Opposes topic 1
Opposes topic 2: Require hiring more women & minorities (+2 points on Economic scale)	Rated 36% by NAACP, indicating a mixed record on affirmative-action: Neutral on topic 2 YES on ending preferential treatment by race in college admissions: Opposes topic 2 NO on $84 million in grants for Black and Hispanic colleges: Strongly Opposes topic 2
Strongly Opposes topic 3: Same-sex domestic partnership benefits (-5 points on Social scale)	Oppose civil unions and gay marriage: Strongly Opposes topic 3 Rated 0% by the HRC, indicating an anti-gay-rights stance: Strongly Opposes topic 3 YES on Constitutionally defining marriage as one-man-one-woman: Strongly Opposes topic 3 NO on prohibiting job discrimination based on sexual orientation: Strongly Opposes topic 3 NO on enforcing against anti-gay hate crimes: Opposes topic 3
Favors topic 4: Teacher-led prayer in public schools (-3 points on Social scale)	Rated 33% by the AU, a mixed record on church-state separation: Neutral on topic 4 Supports a Constitutional Amendment for school prayer: Strongly Favors topic 4 YES on giving federal aid only to schools allowing voluntary prayer: Strongly Favors topic 4 YES on allowing Courts to decide on "God" in Pledge of Allegiance: Opposes topic 4
Strongly Favors topic 8: Death Penalty (-5 points on Social scale)	More prisons, more enforcement, effective death penalty: Favors topic 8 NO on replacing death penalty with life imprisonment: Strongly Favors topic 8 YES on making federal death penalty appeals harder: Strongly Favors topic 8 NO on maintaining right of habeas corpus in Death Penalty Appeals: Favors topic 8
Opposes topic 9: Mandatory Three Strikes sentencing laws (+2 points on Social scale)	YES on expanding services for offendors' re-entry into society: Opposes 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 YES on prohibiting product misuse lawsuits on gun manufacturers: Strongly Favors topic 10
Opposes topic 5: More federal funding for health coverage (+2 points on Economic scale)	NO on giving mental health full equity with physical health: Opposes topic 5 NO on Veto override: Extend SCHIP to cover 6M more kids: Strongly Opposes topic 5 YES on denying non-emergency treatment for lack of Medicare co-pay: Strongly Opposes 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 YES on overriding veto on expansion of Medicare: Favors topic 5 NO on expanding the Children's Health Insurance Program: Opposes topic 5 NO on regulating tobacco as a drug: Opposes topic 5
Favors topic 6: Privatize Social Security (+2 points on Economic scale)	Reduce taxes on Social Security earnings: Favors topic 6
Strongly Favors topic 7: Parents choose schools via vouchers (+5 points on Economic scale)	YES on vouchers for private & parochial schools: Strongly Favors topic 7 YES on allowing vouchers in DC schools: Favors topic 7 NO on environmental education grants for outdoor experiences: Favors topic 7 NO on $40B for green public schools: Favors topic 7
Opposes topic 18: Replace coal & oil with alternatives (+2 points on Economic scale)	Environmentalists see equivalency between a child and a tree: Strongly Opposes topic 18 Rated 17% by the CAF, indicating opposition to energy independence: Opposes topic 18 Bar greenhouse gases from Clean Air Act rules: Strongly Opposes topic 18 NO on tax incentives for renewable energy: Strongly Opposes topic 18 YES on authorizing construction of new oil refineries: Strongly Opposes 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 investing in homegrown biofuel: Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on criminalizing oil cartels like OPEC: Favors topic 18 NO on tax incentives for energy production and conservation: Strongly Opposes topic 18 NO on tax credits for renewable electricity, with PAYGO offsets: Opposes topic 18 NO on enforcing limits on CO2 global warming pollution: Opposes topic 18 NO on $2 billion more for Cash for Clunkers program: Opposes topic 18
Strongly Favors topic 19: Drug use is immoral: enforce laws against it (-5 points on Social scale)	Rated -20 by NORML, indicating a "hard-on-drugs" stance: Strongly Favors topic 19 YES on more funding for Mexico to fight drugs: Favors topic 19
Favors topic 20: Allow churches to provide welfare services (+2 points on Economic scale)	Limit welfare to 2 years & cut welfare spending: Favors topic 20 NO on instituting National Service as a new social invention: Favors topic 20
Opposes topic 11: Make taxes more progressive (+2 points on Economic scale)	Rated 0% by the CTJ, indicating opposition to progressive taxation: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Make employee educational assistance tax-deductible: Favors topic 11 Repeal marriage tax; cut middle class taxes: Opposes topic 11 YES on retaining reduced taxes on capital gains & dividends: Strongly Opposes topic 11 NO on paying for AMT relief by closing offshore business loopholes: Strongly Opposes topic 11 NO on extending AMT exemptions to avoid hitting middle-income: Favors topic 11
Strongly Opposes topic 12: Illegal immigrants earn citizenship (-5 points on Social scale)	Rated 100% by USBC, indicating a sealed-border stance: Strongly Opposes topic 12 Declare English as the official language of the US: Opposes topic 12 YES on more immigrant visas for skilled workers: Favors topic 12 YES on preventing tipping off Mexicans about Minuteman Project: Strongly Opposes 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 countries undervaluing their currency: Opposes topic 13 NO on 'Fast Track' authority for trade agreements: Strongly Opposes topic 13 YES on implementing CAFTA, Central America Free Trade: Strongly Favors topic 13 NO on assisting workers who lose jobs due to globalization: Favors topic 13 YES on promoting free trade with Peru: Favors topic 13
Favors topic 15: Expand the armed forces (-3 points on Social scale)	Extend reserve retirement pay parity back to 9/11: Favors topic 15 No US troops under UN command; more defense spending: 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 (-3 points on Economic scale)	Require Internet disclosure of all earmarks: Favors topic 16 YES on restricting independent grassroots political committees: Opposes topic 16 YES on requiring lobbyist disclosure of bundled donations: Strongly Favors topic 16
Opposes topic 14: The Patriot Act harms civil liberties (-3 points on Social scale)	Address abuses of electronic monitoring in the workplace: Strongly Favors topic 14 NO on Veto override: Congressional oversight of CIA interrogations: Strongly Opposes topic 14 NO on requiring FISA warrants for wiretaps in US, but not abroad: Strongly Opposes topic 14 YES on making the PATRIOT Act permanent: Strongly Opposes 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 YES on removing need for FISA warrant for wiretapping abroad: Strongly Opposes topic 14 YES on retroactive immunity for telecoms' warrantless surveillance: Opposes topic 14
Strongly Opposes topic 17: US out of Iraq & Afghanistan (-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 declaring Iraq part of War on Terror with no exit date: Strongly Opposes topic 17 NO on redeploying US troops out of Iraq starting in 90 days: Strongly Opposes topic 17 NO on investigating Bush impeachment for lying about Iraq: Opposes topic 17