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)	Plan B morning-after pill is contraception, not abortion: Favors topic 1 Roe v. Wade Should Be Overturned: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Right to Privacy means contraception, not unborn: Strongly Opposes topic 1 No embryonic stem cell research; adult research ok: Opposes topic 1 Exceptions to save life of mother, rape & incest: Favors topic 1 Opposes public funding of abortion: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Supports state funding of contraceptive services: Favors topic 1 Opposes Woman’s Right to Abortion: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Opposes Tax-Funded Abortion: Opposes topic 1 Supports Legal Protection for Human Life from Conception: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Opposes Cloning of Human Embryos for Experimentation: 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 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
Strongly Favors topic 2: Require hiring more women & minorities (-5 points on Economic scale)	Committed to Affirmative Action and diverse workforce: Strongly Favors topic 2 Ban discriminatory compensation; allow 2 years to sue: Favors topic 2 Stronger enforcement against gender-based pay discrimination: Favors topic 2
Favors topic 3: Same-sex domestic partnership benefits (+2 points on Social scale)	No constitutional ban on gay marriage; civil unions ok: Strongly Favors topic 3 Supports Defense of Marriage Amendment: Strongly Opposes topic 3 Allow gay couples to adopt & share employment benefits: Strongly Favors topic 3 Opposes Legalization of Same-Sex Marriage: Strongly Opposes topic 3 Increased Penalties for Sexual Orientation Hate Crimes: Favors topic 3
Favors topic 4: Teacher-led prayer in public schools (-3 points on Social scale)	Intelligent Design in religion class, not science class: Opposes topic 4 Supports teaching “abstinence plus” in schools: Favors topic 4 Posting Ten Commandments in government buildings ok: Strongly Favors topic 4
Strongly Favors topic 8: Death Penalty (-5 points on Social scale)	Death penalty is appropriate for heinous crimes: Strongly Favors topic 8 Keep the death penalty: Strongly Favors topic 8
Strongly Opposes topic 9: Mandatory Three Strikes sentencing laws (+5 points on Social scale)	Increase funding for "COPS ON THE BEAT" program: Opposes topic 9 Reduce recidivism by giving offenders a Second Chance: Strongly Opposes topic 9 YES on reinstating $1.15 billion funding for the COPS Program: Opposes topic 9
Strongly Favors topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (+5 points on Economic scale)	Strong supporter of the second amendment: Strongly Favors topic 10 Opposes Increased Regulation on Firearm Ownership: 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 Favors topic 5: More federal funding for health coverage (-5 points on Economic scale)	Medicare Part D program is fundamentally flawed: Favors topic 5 Fill the “doughnut hole” of missing Medicare Rx costs: Favors topic 5 Fight to Expand Health Care Coverage: Strongly Favors topic 5 Use tobacco settlement for healthcare for unemployed: Strongly Favors topic 5 Supports suing HMOs, but opposes damage caps: Favors topic 5 Expand the National Health Service Corps: Strongly Favors topic 5 Expand health services for women veterans: 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 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
Strongly Opposes topic 6: Privatize Social Security (-5 points on Economic scale)	Privatization drains money from guaranteed benefits: Strongly Opposes topic 6 The crisis is privatization: Strongly Opposes topic 6 Opposes Social Security privatization: Strongly Opposes topic 6 NO on establishing reserve funds & pre-funding for Social Security: Opposes topic 6
Strongly Opposes topic 7: Parents choose schools via vouchers (-5 points on Economic scale)	Fight for more funding for public education: Opposes topic 7 Opposes school vouchers: Strongly Opposes topic 7
Strongly Favors topic 18: Replace coal & oil with alternatives (-5 points on Economic scale)	Reduce emissions & dependence on foreign oil: Strongly Favors topic 18 Opposes drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: Favors topic 18 Sign on to UN Framework Convention on Climate Change: Strongly Favors topic 18 Designate sensitive ANWR area as protected wilderness: Favors topic 18 Set goal of 25% renewable energy by 2025: Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on factoring global warming into federal project planning: Favors 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 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)	No legalization of drugs in any way: Strongly Favors topic 19
Strongly Favors topic 20: Allow churches to provide welfare services (+5 points on Economic scale)	Allow churches to register as childcare providers: Strongly Favors topic 20
Strongly Favors topic 11: Make taxes more progressive (-5 points on Economic scale)	Change estate tax to save $730B over 10 years: Strongly Favors topic 11 Repeal tax cut on top 1% of earners: Strongly Favors topic 11 Can’t justify $5B in tax cuts when schools are suffering: Favors topic 11 NO on raising the Death Tax exemption to $5M from $1M: Strongly Favors topic 11 YES on increasing tax rate for people earning over $1 million: Strongly Favors topic 11 NO on allowing AMT reduction without budget offset: Favors 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
Favors topic 12: Illegal immigrants earn citizenship (+2 points on Social scale)	Stricter employment rules and enforce the borders: Opposes topic 12 YES on continuing federal funds for declared "sanctuary cities": Strongly Favors topic 12 YES on eliminating the "Y" nonimmigrant guestworker program: Neutral topic 12 NO on declaring English as the official language of the US government: Strongly Favors topic 12 YES on comprehensive immigration reform: Strongly Favors topic 12
Strongly Opposes topic 13: Support & expand free trade (-5 points on Economic scale)	Opposes CAFTA and other unfair trade laws: Strongly Opposes topic 13 Unfair to make US workers compete with weak foreign laws: Strongly Opposes topic 13 NO on promoting free trade with Peru: Opposes topic 13
No opinion on topic 15: Expand the armed forces (0 points on Social scale)	Ensure that veterans’ health care receives proper funding: Favors topic 15 More G.I. benefits for college, retirement, and disability: Favors topic 15 Bring our troops home as soon as possible: Opposes topic 15 YES on limiting soldiers' deployment to 12 months: Opposes topic 15
Favors topic 16: Stricter limits on political campaign funds (-3 points on Economic scale)	Require more public lobbyist financial disclosure: Favors topic 16 Attack the source of corrupt “pay-to-play” culture: Favors topic 16 Lobbyist money ok if it has no impact on your vote: Strongly Opposes topic 16 Political fundraising cheats people from time with candidate: Favors topic 16 Repeal automatic Congressional pay raises: Favors topic 16
Strongly Opposes topic 14: The Patriot Act harms civil liberties (-5 points on Social scale)	Keep the wiretaps and keep the intelligence programs: Strongly Opposes topic 14 PATRIOT Act is vital law in war on terror: Strongly Opposes topic 14 Don’t censure Bush for domestic spying: Strongly Opposes topic 14 YES on requiring FISA court warrant to monitor US-to-foreign calls: Strongly Favors topic 14 YES on removing need for FISA warrant for wiretapping abroad: Strongly Opposes topic 14
Opposes topic 17: US out of Iraq (-3 points on Social scale)	Iraq: No deadline, no timeline, but replace Rumsfeld: Opposes topic 17 Would have voted for Iraq War, but based on false evidence: Favors topic 17 Disagrees with timeline & pulling troops out: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Ask tough questions about colossal intelligence failure: Favors topic 17 Finish the job in Iraq: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Sanctions on Iran to end nuclear program: Opposes topic 17 YES on redeploying US troops out of Iraq by March 2008: Strongly Favors topic 17 NO on redeploying non-essential US troops out of Iraq in 9 months: Opposes topic 17