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)	Protect the sanctity of life: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Federal crime to harm fetus during an assault: Opposes topic 1 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 Prohibit federal funding for abortion: Strongly Opposes topic 1 YES on barring transporting minors to get an abortion: Strongly Opposes topic 1 YES on banning partial-birth abortions: Opposes topic 1 YES on banning Family Planning funding in US aid abroad: Opposes topic 1 YES on Unknown roll call for 2001-89: Opposes topic 1 YES on funding for health providers who don't provide abortion info: 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
Opposes topic 2: Legally require hiring women & minorities (+2 points on Economic scale)	Rated 11% by the NAACP, indicating an anti-affirmative-action stance: Strongly Opposes topic 2 Increase funding for occupational & physical therapy: Favors topic 2 YES on ending preferential treatment by race in college admissions: Opposes topic 2 NO on reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act: Opposes topic 2
Strongly Opposes topic 3: Comfortable with same-sex marriage (-5 points on Social scale)	Support the constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage: Strongly Opposes topic 3 Rated 0% by the HRC, indicating an anti-gay-rights stance: Strongly Opposes topic 3 Amend Constitution to define traditional marriage: Strongly Opposes topic 3 YES on banning gay adoptions in DC: 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)	Fund welfare via religious & community-based NPOs: Strongly Favors topic 4 Let schools display the words "God Bless America": Strongly Favors topic 4 Supports anti-flag desecration amendment: Favors topic 4 Supports requiring schools to allow prayer: 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 Sponsored $110M per year to teach abstinence in public schools: Favors topic 4 Rated 100% by the AU, indicating opposition to separation of church & state: Strongly Favors topic 4 Supports a Constitutional Amendment for school prayer: Strongly Favors topic 4 NO on responsible fatherhood via faith-based organizations: Opposes topic 4 YES on treating religious organizations equally for tax breaks: Strongly Favors topic 4 YES on allowing school prayer during the War on Terror: Strongly Favors topic 4 YES on recommending Constitutional ban on flag desecration: Favors topic 4
Opposes topic 5: Expand ObamaCare (+2 points on Economic scale)	Opposed ObamaCare from day one: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Let ObamaCare show itself as a continuing debacle: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Rated 12% by APHA, indicating a anti-public health voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Expand medical savings accounts for employers & individuals: Opposes topic 5 Establishment of Office of Health Care Fraud Prevention: Opposes topic 5 YES on establishing tax-exempt Medical Savings Accounts: Opposes topic 5 YES on subsidizing private insurance for Medicare Rx drug coverage: Opposes topic 5 YES on means-testing to determine Medicare Part D premium: Opposes topic 5 YES on the Ryan Budget: Medicare choice, tax & spending cuts: 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 YES on negotiating bulk purchases for Medicare prescription drug: Strongly Favors topic 5 NO on expanding enrollment period for Medicare Part D: Opposes topic 5 NO on limiting medical liability lawsuits to $250,000: 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 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)	Create personal retirement accounts within Social Security: Strongly Favors topic 6 Rated 20% by the ARA, indicating an anti-senior voting record: Strongly Favors topic 6 Rated 9% by ARA, indicating a pro-privatization stance: Strongly Favors topic 6 Reduce taxes on Social Security earnings: Favors topic 6 NO on strengthening the Social Security Lockbox: Favors topic 6 YES on reducing tax payments on Social Security benefits: Favors topic 6 YES on raising 401(k) limits & making pension plans more portable: 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)	Rated 27% by the NEA, indicating anti-public education votes: Strongly Favors topic 7 Sponsored denouncing the Common Core State Standards: Strongly Favors topic 7 YES on vouchers for private & parochial schools: Strongly Favors topic 7 YES on allowing vouchers in DC schools: Favors topic 7 NO on $5B for grants to local educational agencies: Favors topic 7
Favors topic 8: EPA regulations are too restrictive (-3 points on Social scale)	Rated 5% by the LCV, indicating anti-environment votes: Strongly Favors topic 8 Allow longer than 10 years to rebuild depleted fisheries: No opin. on topic 8 YES on protecting ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes ecosystems: 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)	Rated 30% by CURE, indicating anti-rehabilitation crime votes: Strongly Favors topic 9 Facilitate recovering crime victim restitution fees: Strongly 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 YES on more prosecution and sentencing for juvenile crime: Favors topic 9 NO on funding for alternative sentencing instead of more prisons.: Strongly 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)	Rated A by the NRA, indicating a pro-gun rights voting record: Strongly Favors topic 10 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 YES on decreasing gun waiting period from 3 days to 1: Strongly Favors topic 10 NO on banning high-capacity magazines of over 10 bullets: 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)	Phaseout the death tax: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Rated 81% 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 Supports the Taxpayer Protection Pledge: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Repeal marriage tax; cut middle class taxes: Opposes topic 11 YES on eliminating the "marriage penalty": Opposes topic 11 YES on $46 billion in tax cuts for small business: Opposes topic 11 YES on Tax cut package of $958 B over 10 years: Opposes 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 YES on making the Bush tax cuts permanent: Strongly 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 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
Favors topic 12: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens (+2 points on Social scale)	Legal status for undocumented workers: Strongly Favors topic 12 Need comprehensive reform, not partial executive action: Opposes topic 12 Driving out 11 million illegals impractical; fix the system: Favors topic 12 Streamline and quicken deportations: Strongly Opposes topic 12 Secure border now in place with comprehensive immigration: Favors topic 12 New amnesty is tough and ends incoming illegals: Strongly Favors topic 12 Sponsored comprehensive immigration reform, without amnesty: Strongly Favors topic 12 Rated 27% by USBC, indicating an open-border stance: Strongly Favors topic 12 Declared English the official language of the US: Opposes topic 12 YES on more immigrant visas for skilled workers: Favors topic 12 YES on extending Immigrant Residency rules: Favors topic 12 NO on continuing federal funds for declared "sanctuary cities": Strongly Opposes topic 12 YES on allowing illegal aliens to participate in Social Security: Strongly Favors topic 12 YES on establishing a Guest Worker program: Favors 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 YES on comprehensive immigration reform: Strongly Favors topic 12
Opposes topic 13: Support & expand free trade (-3 points on Economic scale)	NAFTA drained away textile trade from Upstate SC: Opposes topic 13 Rated 17% by CATO, indicating a pro-fair trade voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 13 Free trade with post-Orange Revolution Ukraine: Favors topic 13 NO on 'Fast Track' authority for trade agreements: Strongly Opposes topic 13 NO on Permanent Normal Trade Relations with China: Strongly Opposes topic 13 NO on withdrawing from the WTO: Strongly Favors topic 13 NO on establishing free trade between US & Singapore: Opposes topic 13 NO on establishing free trade between the US and Chile: Opposes topic 13 NO on implementing CAFTA for Central America free-trade: Strongly Opposes 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: Support American Exceptionalism (+5 points on Economic scale)	Without American leadership the world disintegrates rapidly: Strongly Favors topic 14 America is the glue that holds the free world together: Strongly Favors topic 14 Prohibit torture of terrorists in US custody: Opposes topic 14 Oppose the United Nations' Arms Trade Treaty: Favors topic 14 YES on withholding $244M in UN Back Payments until US seat restored: Strongly Favors topic 14 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
Strongly Favors topic 15: Expand the military (-5 points on Social scale)	Fill Guantanamo with more terrorists instead of closing it: Favors topic 15 More budget & more than 440,000 troops against North Korea: Strongly Favors topic 15 Cuts to military systems will leave us with a hollow force: Strongly Favors topic 15 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 Extend reserve retirement pay parity back to 9/11: Favors topic 15 Set minimum spending on defense at 4% of GDP: Strongly Favors topic 15 No US troops under UN command; more defense spending: Favors topic 15 YES on $266 billion Defense Appropriations bill: Favors topic 15 YES on deploying SDI: 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
Neutral on topic 16: Make voter registration easier (0 points on Social scale)	Increase campaign contribution limits; but no foreigners: Strongly Opposes topic 16 Require Internet disclosure of all earmarks: Favors topic 16 Matching fund for small donors, with debate requirements: Favors topic 16 Restrict campaign donations from foreigners or 3rd parties: 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 YES on allowing some lobbyist gifts to Congress: Strongly Opposes topic 16
Strongly Opposes topic 17: Avoid foreign entanglements (-5 points on Social scale)	Returning from Iraq prematurely was a mistake: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Form regional coalition to enforce no-fly zone in Syria: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Ok to hold off Iranian sanctions but only while negotiating: Favors topic 17 U.S. ground troops to fight ISIL in Syria and Iraq: Strongly Opposes topic 17 We should have left 10,000 US troops in Iraq: Strongly Opposes topic 17 2012: Arm the Syrian rebels & fight Assad's air force: Strongly Opposes topic 17 More intervention in Iraq avoids an American city in flames: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Sanctions against Putin; arm & train the Ukrainians: Opposes topic 17 Israel: stay as long as needed in Gaza to deal with Hamas: Opposes topic 17 Arm Ukraine; sanction Russia; more NATO troops to region: Opposes topic 17 Obama "screams loudly & carries no stick," in Russia & Syria: Opposes topic 17 Create a democratic noose around Putin's Russia: Opposes topic 17 Support the Syrian rebels against Assad & Iran: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Intervention in Syria to degrade Assad's chemical weapons: Strongly Favors topic 17 Getting Syria wrong leads to Iranian nukes & war with Israel: Strongly Favors topic 17 Syria: Assad must go, and small arms won't do it: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Get involved in Syria to protect against al Qaeda and Iran: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Slow Afghan withdrawal, with 15,000 US troops left behind: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Sponsored prevention, not containment, for Iranian nukes: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Support the completion of the US mission in Iraq: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Sanctions on Iran to end nuclear program: Opposes topic 17 YES on authorizing military force in 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
Strongly Opposes topic 18: Prioritize green energy (+5 points on Economic scale)	Green diesel regulations cost $367 per truck per year: Strongly 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 Gas tax holiday for the summer: Opposes topic 18 NO on starting implementation of Kyoto Protocol: Strongly Opposes topic 18 NO on raising CAFE standards; incentives for alternative fuels: Strongly Opposes topic 18 NO on prohibiting oil drilling & development in ANWR: Strongly Opposes topic 18 YES on barring EPA from regulating greenhouse gases: 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 NO on removing oil & gas exploration subsidies: Strongly Opposes 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
Strongly Favors topic 19: Marijuana is a gateway drug (-5 points on Social scale)	Enhance interdiction by criminalizing unflagged submarines: Strongly Favors topic 19 YES on subjecting federal employees to random drug tests: Strongly Favors topic 19 YES on prohibiting needle exchange & medical marijuana in DC: Strongly Favors topic 19 YES on military border patrols to battle drugs & terrorism: Strongly Favors topic 19
Opposes topic 20: Stimulus better than market-led recovery (+2 points on Economic scale)	Supports the Cut-Cap-and-Balance Pledge: Opposes topic 20 Disapprove of increasing the debt limit: Opposes topic 20 Rated 14% 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 YES on $192B additional anti-recession stimulus spending: Strongly Favors topic 20