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 67% by the NRLC, indicating a mixed record on abortion: Neutral on 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 expanding research to more embryonic stem cell lines: Favors topic 1
Opposes topic 2: Require hiring more women & minorities (+2 points on Economic scale)	YES on ending preferential treatment by race in college admissions: Opposes topic 2
Opposes topic 3: Same-sex domestic partnership benefits (-3 points on Social scale)	Endorsed Endorsed by Log Cabin Republicans; supports gay rights: Favors 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 NO on banning gay adoptions in DC: Favors 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
Strongly Favors topic 4: Teacher-led prayer in public schools (-5 points on Social scale)	Mandate less violent and sexual content on television: Favors topic 4 Rated 0% 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
Strongly Favors topic 8: Death Penalty (-5 points on Social scale)	More prisons, more enforcement, effective death penalty: 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
Favors topic 9: Mandatory Three Strikes sentencing laws (-3 points on Social scale)	Impose truth in sentencing; build more prisons: Strongly Favors topic 9 Increase penalties for child sexual slavery: Strongly Favors topic 9 Facilitate recovering crime victim restitution fees: Strongly Favors topic 9 YES on more prosecution and sentencing for juvenile crime: Favors topic 9 YES on funding for alternative sentencing instead of more prisons.: Strongly Opposes topic 9 YES on expanding services for offenders' re-entry into society: Opposes topic 9
Favors topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (+2 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 NO on decreasing gun waiting period from 3 days to 1: Strongly Opposes topic 10
Opposes topic 5: More federal funding for health coverage (+2 points on Economic scale)	Tax credits for those without employee health insurance: Strongly Favors topic 5 $350 billion for prescriptions for poor seniors: Favors topic 5 Repeal the Job-Killing Health Care Law: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Repeal ObamaCare reporting requirements for small business: Opposes topic 5 Expand medical savings accounts for employers & individuals: Opposes topic 5 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 repealing the "Prevention and Public Health" slush fund: Strongly Opposes topic 5 YES on the Ryan Budget: Medicare choice, tax & spending cuts: 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 NO on requiring negotiated Rx prices for Medicare part D: 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 YES on regulating tobacco as a drug: Favors topic 5
Strongly Favors topic 6: Privatize Social Security (+5 points on Economic scale)	Allow investing portion of payroll tax in private accounts: 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
Strongly Favors topic 7: Parents choose schools via vouchers (+5 points on Economic scale)	Constitutionally guarantee parent's right to educate kids: Strongly Favors topic 7 YES on reauthorizing the DC opportunity scholarship program: 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 YES on environmental education grants for outdoor experiences: Opposes 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)	Make EPA into a Cabinet department: Strongly Favors 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 starting implementation of Kyoto Protocol: 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 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 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 -20 by NORML, indicating a "hard-on-drugs" stance: Strongly Favors topic 19 YES on prohibiting needle exchange & medical marijuana in DC: Strongly Favors topic 19 YES on more funding for Mexico to fight drugs: Favors topic 19
Strongly Favors topic 20: Allow churches to provide welfare services (+5 points on Economic scale)	Provide welfare through non-profit & religious organizations: Strongly Favors topic 20 Limit welfare to 2 years & cut welfare spending: Favors topic 20 YES on responsible fatherhood via faith-based organizations: Favors topic 20 NO on instituting National Service as a new social invention: Favors topic 20
Strongly Opposes topic 11: Make taxes more progressive (+5 points on Economic scale)	Repeal the Death Tax: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Replace income tax & employment tax with FairTax: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Taxpayer Protection Pledge: no new taxes: Strongly Opposes topic 11 No European-style VAT (value-added tax): Opposes topic 11 Replace income tax & estate tax with 23% sales tax: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Permanently repeal the estate tax: 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 NO on paying for AMT relief by closing offshore business loopholes: Strongly Opposes topic 11 YES on extending AMT exemptions to avoid hitting middle-income: Opposes topic 11
Opposes topic 12: Illegal immigrants earn citizenship (-3 points on Social scale)	Reimburse states for providing services to illegal aliens: Strongly Favors topic 12 Rated 100% by USBC, indicating a sealed-border stance: Strongly Opposes topic 12 End Birthright Citizenship; no more anchor babies: Strongly Opposes topic 12 Rated A by the ALI, indicating a strongly anti-amnesty stance: Strongly Opposes topic 12 Redefine "birthright citizenship" to exclude illegal aliens: Strongly Opposes topic 12 Declare English as the official language of the US: Opposes 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 building a fence along the Mexican border: Strongly Opposes topic 12
Strongly Favors topic 13: Support & expand free trade (+5 points on Economic scale)	Promote the Andean Free Trade Agreement: Strongly Favors topic 13 Impose tariffs against countries which manipulate currency: Opposes 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 NO on assisting workers who lose jobs due to globalization: Favors topic 13 YES on promoting free trade with Peru: Favors topic 13
Strongly Favors topic 15: Expand the armed forces (-5 points on Social scale)	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 restricting no-bid defense contracts: Strongly Favors topic 15
Favors topic 16: Stricter limits on political campaign funds (-3 points on Economic scale)	Increase individual limits for campaign donations: Strongly Opposes topic 16 Require Internet disclosure of all earmarks: Favors topic 16 Ban stock trading based on Congressional insider knowledge: Strongly Favors topic 16 YES on banning soft money and issue ads: Favors 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)	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 extending the PATRIOT Act's roving wiretaps: 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)	Military action in Iraq only as part of international effort: Favors topic 17 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 NO on investigating Bush impeachment for lying about Iraq: Opposes topic 17