Dan Boren on VoteMatch

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)
Opposes topic 1: Abortion is a woman's right (-3 points on Social scale)	Rated 82% by the NRLC, indicating a mixed record on abortion: Neutral on topic 1 Bar funding for abortion under federal Obamacare plans: Opposes topic 1 Ban abortions for sex selection or race selection: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Prohibit federal funding for abortion: Strongly Opposes topic 1 YES on banning federal health coverage that includes abortion: Strongly Opposes topic 1 YES on restricting interstate transport of minors to get abortions: Strongly Opposes 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
Favors topic 2: Require hiring more women & minorities (-3 points on Economic scale)	Rated 67% by NAACP, indicating a mixed record on affirmative-action: Neutral on topic 2 Increase funding for occupational & physical therapy: Favors topic 2 YES on $84 million in grants for Black and Hispanic colleges: Strongly Favors topic 2
Strongly Opposes topic 3: Same-sex domestic partnership benefits (-5 points on Social scale)	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 enforcing against anti-gay hate crimes: Opposes topic 3
Strongly Favors topic 4: Teacher-led prayer in public schools (-5 points on Social scale)	Rated 8% by the AU, indicating opposition to church-state separation: Strongly Favors topic 4 NO on allowing Courts to decide on "God" in Pledge of Allegiance: Favors topic 4
Neutral on topic 8: Death Penalty (0 points on Social scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Opposes topic 9: Mandatory Three Strikes sentencing laws (+2 points on Social scale)	YES on expanding services for offenders' re-entry into society: Opposes topic 9
Strongly Favors topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (+5 points on Economic scale)	Will never vote to weaken your 2nd Amendment rights: Strongly Favors topic 10 National cross-state standard for concealed carry: Strongly Favors topic 10 Teach kids Eddie Eagle GunSafe's lifesaving message: Favors topic 10 Loosen restrictions on interstate gun purchases: Strongly Favors topic 10 Recognize heritage of hunting & shooting on federal lands: Favors topic 10 Ban gun registration & trigger lock law in Washington DC: Strongly Favors topic 10 Apply concealed carry permit to all other states where legal: Strongly Favors topic 10 YES on prohibiting product misuse lawsuits on gun manufacturers: Strongly Favors topic 10
Favors topic 5: More federal funding for health coverage (-3 points on Economic scale)	Better and immediate funding for Medicare & Medicaid: Favors topic 5 Require insurers to cover breast cancer treatment: Strongly Favors topic 5 YES on giving mental health full equity with physical health: Favors topic 5 YES on Veto override: Extend SCHIP to cover 6M more kids: Strongly Favors topic 5 YES on repealing the "Prevention and Public Health" slush fund: Strongly Opposes topic 5 NO on the Ryan Budget: Medicare choice, tax & spending cuts: 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 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
Strongly Opposes topic 6: Privatize Social Security (-5 points on Economic scale)	Oppose raising retirement age and any privatization plan: Strongly Opposes topic 6
Strongly Opposes topic 7: Parents choose schools via vouchers (-5 points on Economic scale)	NO on reauthorizing the DC opportunity scholarship program: Strongly Opposes topic 7 YES on environmental education grants for outdoor experiences: Opposes topic 7 YES on $40B for green public schools: Opposes topic 7
Opposes topic 18: Replace coal & oil with alternatives (+2 points on Economic scale)	Balance fossil fuels and viable renewable energy: Favors topic 18 Rated 50% by CAF, indicating a mixed record on energy independence: Neutral on topic 18 Establish a Carbon Storage Research Corporation: Favors topic 18 Bar greenhouse gases from Clean Air Act rules: Strongly Opposes topic 18 No EPA regulation of greenhouse gases: Strongly Opposes topic 18 NO on tax incentives for renewable energy: Strongly Opposes topic 18 YES on barring EPA from regulating greenhouse gases: Opposes topic 18 YES on opening Outer Continental Shelf to oil drilling: Strongly Opposes 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 NO on removing oil & gas exploration subsidies: Strongly Opposes topic 18 NO on investing in homegrown biofuel: Strongly Opposes topic 18 NO on criminalizing oil cartels like OPEC: Opposes topic 18 YES on tax incentives for energy production and conservation: Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on tax credits for renewable electricity, with PAYGO offsets: Favors topic 18 NO on enforcing limits on CO2 global warming pollution: Opposes topic 18 YES on $2 billion more for Cash for Clunkers program: Favors topic 18
Strongly Favors topic 19: Drug use is immoral: enforce laws against it (-5 points on Social scale)	Rated -10 by NORML, indicating a "hard-on-drugs" stance: Strongly Favors topic 19 YES on more funding for Mexico to fight drugs: Favors topic 19
Opposes topic 20: Allow churches to provide welfare services (-3 points on Economic scale)	YES on instituting National Service as a new social invention: Opposes topic 20
Strongly Opposes topic 11: Make taxes more progressive (+5 points on Economic scale)	Rated 0% by the CTJ, indicating opposition to progressive taxation: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Replace income tax & employment tax with FairTax: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Replace income tax & estate tax with 23% sales tax: Strongly 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 67% by USBC, indicating a mixed record on open borders: Neutral on 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
Strongly Opposes topic 13: Support & expand free trade (-5 points on Economic scale)	Tariffs against countries undervaluing their currency: Opposes topic 13 Impose tariffs against countries which manipulate currency: Opposes topic 13 NO on implementing CAFTA, Central America Free Trade: Strongly Opposes topic 13 YES on assisting workers who lose jobs due to globalization: Opposes topic 13
Neutral on topic 15: Expand the armed forces (0 points on Social scale)	Free postage for soldiers serving abroad: 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)	Supports Shays-Meehan Campaign Finance Reform: Favors topic 16 Ban stock trading based on Congressional insider knowledge: Strongly 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
Strongly Opposes topic 14: The Patriot Act harms civil liberties (-5 points on Social scale)	YES on Veto override: Congressional oversight of CIA interrogations: Strongly Favors topic 14 NO on requiring FISA warrants for wiretaps in US, but not abroad: Strongly Opposes topic 14 YES on extending the PATRIOT Act's roving wiretaps: 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 YES on allowing electronic surveillance without a warrant: Strongly Opposes 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
Opposes topic 17: US out of Iraq & Afghanistan (-3 points on Social scale)	No contact & enforce sanctions on Iran until threat is gone: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Boycott & sanctions against Iran for terrorism & nukes: Opposes topic 17 Sanctions on Iran to end nuclear program: Opposes topic 17 NO on removing US armed forces from Afghanistan: Strongly Opposes topic 17 YES on banning armed forces in Libya without Congressional approval: Favors 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 YES on investigating Bush impeachment for lying about Iraq: Favors topic 17