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)	Pro-life; education before pregnancy to reduce abortions: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Rated 30% by NARAL, indicating a pro-life voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Protect the reproductive rights of women: Strongly Favors topic 1 YES on barring transporting minors to get an abortion: Strongly Opposes topic 1 YES on banning partial-birth abortions: Opposes 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 YES on banning partial-birth abortion except to save mother’s life: Strongly Opposes topic 1 NO on making it a crime to harm a fetus during another crime: Favors 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
Strongly Favors topic 2: Require hiring more women & minorities (-5 points on Economic scale)	Shift from group preferences to economic empowerment of all: Neutral on topic 2 Get minorities into home ownership & global marketplace: Favors topic 2 Ending racial profiling is part of fight for justice: Favors topic 2 Constitutional Amendment for equal rights by gender: Strongly Favors topic 2 Issue a commemorative postage stamp of Rosa Parks: Favors topic 2 NO on ending preferential treatment by race in college admissions: Favors topic 2 YES on $84 million in grants for Black and Hispanic colleges: Strongly Favors topic 2
Neutral on topic 3: Same-sex domestic partnership benefits (0 points on Social scale)	Increase funding for AIDS treatment & prevention: Favors topic 3 More funding and stricter sentencing for hate crimes: Strongly Favors topic 3 NO on banning gay adoptions in DC.: Favors topic 3 YES on Constitutional Amendment banning same-sex marriage: Strongly Opposes topic 3 YES on Constitutionally defining marriage as one-man-one-woman: Strongly Opposes topic 3
Favors topic 4: Teacher-led prayer in public schools (-3 points on Social scale)	Keep words “Under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance: Favors topic 4 Rated 33% by the Christian Coalition: an anti-family voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 4 NO on giving federal aid only to schools allowing voluntary prayer: Strongly Opposes topic 4 YES on allowing school prayer during the War on Terror: Strongly Favors topic 4 YES on constitutional amendment prohibiting flag desecration: Favors topic 4 YES on protecting the Pledge of Allegiance: Favors topic 4 NO on allowing Courts to decide on "God" in Pledge of Allegiance: Favors topic 4
Strongly Opposes topic 8: Death Penalty (+5 points on Social scale)	Moratorium on death penalty; more DNA testing: Opposes topic 8 Require DNA testing for all federal executions: Opposes topic 8 YES on replacing death penalty with life imprisonment: Strongly Opposes topic 8 NO on making federal death penalty appeals harder: Strongly Opposes topic 8 YES on maintaining right of habeas corpus in Death Penalty Appeals: Opposes topic 8
Strongly Opposes topic 9: Mandatory Three Strikes sentencing laws (+5 points on Social scale)	Rated 78% by CURE, indicating pro-rehabilitation crime votes: Strongly Opposes topic 9 NO on more prosecution and sentencing for juvenile crime: Opposes topic 9 YES on funding for alternative sentencing instead of more prisons.: Strongly Opposes topic 9
Neutral on topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (0 points on Economic scale)	Supports Second Amendment rights: Favors topic 10 Prevent unauthorized firearm use with "smart gun" technology: Opposes topic 10 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 YES on prohibiting suing gunmakers & sellers for gun misuse: Strongly Favors topic 10 YES on prohibiting product misuse lawsuits on gun manufacturers: Strongly Favors topic 10
Strongly Favors topic 5: More federal funding for health coverage (-5 points on Economic scale)	Let Medicare negotiate prescription drug prices: Strongly Favors topic 5 Better and immediate funding for Medicare & Medicaid: Favors topic 5 Establish "report cards" on HMO quality of care: Favors topic 5 More funding for Rx benefits, community health, CHIPs: Favors topic 5 Rated 86% 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 subsidizing private insurance for Medicare Rx drug coverage: 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
Opposes topic 6: Privatize Social Security (-3 points on Economic scale)	Privatization will not enhance solvency: Strongly Opposes topic 6 Create Retirement Savings Accounts: Favors topic 6 Changing Social Security disproportionately affects women: Opposes topic 6 Rated 88% 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 (-5 points on Economic scale)	Offer every parent Charter Schools and public school choice: Opposes topic 7 Reduce class size to 18 children in grades 1 to 3: Strongly Opposes topic 7 Rated 91% by the NEA, indicating pro-public education votes: Strongly Opposes topic 7 NO on vouchers for private & parochial schools: Strongly Opposes topic 7 NO on allowing vouchers in DC schools: Opposes topic 7
Favors topic 18: Replace coal & oil with alternatives (-3 points on Economic scale)	Grow our way to energy independence, while drilling Alaska: Strongly Opposes topic 18 We need an energy policy that reduces Mideast oil: Favors topic 18 Supports tradable emissions permits for greenhouse gases: Favors topic 18 Balance fossil fuels and viable renewable energy: Favors topic 18 Preserve Alaska's ANWR instead of drilling it: Favors topic 18 Rated 90% by the LCV, indicating pro-environment votes: Strongly Favors topic 18 Establish greenhouse gas tradeable allowances: Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on starting implementation of Kyoto Protocol: Strongly Favors topic 18 NO on raising CAFE standards; incentives for alternative fuels: Strongly Opposes 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
Strongly Opposes topic 19: Drug use is immoral: enforce laws against it (+5 points on Social scale)	NO on subjecting federal employees to random drug tests: Strongly Opposes topic 19 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
Neutral on topic 20: Allow churches to provide welfare services (0 points on Economic scale)	Finish welfare reform by moving able recipients into jobs: Favors topic 20 YES on responsible fatherhood via faith-based organizations: Favors topic 20 NO on treating religious organizations equally for tax breaks: Strongly Opposes topic 20
Favors topic 11: Make taxes more progressive (-3 points on Economic scale)	Phaseout the death tax: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Rated 23% by NTU, indicating a "Big Spender" on tax votes: Strongly Favors topic 11 Make employee educational assistance tax-deductible: Favors topic 11 NO on eliminating the "marriage penalty": Favors topic 11 NO on $46 billion in tax cuts for small business: Favors topic 11 NO on Tax cut package of $958 B over 10 years: Favors topic 11 YES on reducing Marriage Tax by $399B over 10 years: Opposes topic 11 YES on eliminating the Estate Tax ("death tax"): Opposes topic 11 NO on making the Bush tax cuts permanent: Strongly Favors topic 11 YES on providing tax relief and simplification: Strongly Opposes topic 11 NO on retaining reduced taxes on capital gains & dividends: Strongly Favors topic 11
Favors topic 12: Illegal immigrants earn citizenship (+2 points on Social scale)	Rated 0% by FAIR, indicating a voting record loosening immigration: Strongly Favors topic 12 YES on more immigrant visas for skilled workers: 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 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)	Build a rule-based global trading system: Favors topic 13 Rated 33% by CATO, indicating a mixed record on trade issues: Neutral on topic 13 YES on 'Fast Track' authority for trade agreements: Strongly Favors 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
Neutral on topic 15: Expand the armed forces (0 points on Social scale)	Bush failed to define serious long-term nature of Iraq: Strongly Opposes topic 15 Rated 89% 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
Favors topic 16: Stricter limits on political campaign funds (-3 points on Economic scale)	Supports Shays-Meehan Campaign Finance Reform: Favors 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
Neutral on topic 14: The Patriot Act harms civil liberties (0 points on Social scale)	NO on making the PATRIOT Act permanent: Strongly Favors topic 14 YES on allowing electronic surveillance without a warrant: Strongly Opposes topic 14
Favors topic 17: US out of Iraq & Afghanistan (+2 points on Social scale)	Progressive Internationalism: globalize with US pre-eminence: Favors topic 17 Multi-year commitment to Africa for food & medicine: Strongly Favors topic 17 Double funding for the Peace Corps to $550M: Strongly Favors topic 17 YES on authorizing military force in Iraq: Strongly Opposes topic 17 NO on declaring Iraq part of War on Terror with no exit date: Strongly Favors topic 17