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 Favors topic 1: Abortion is a woman's right (+5 points on Social scale)	Abortions always legal, except some partial birth abortions: Strongly Favors topic 1 Ensure access to and funding for contraception: Favors topic 1 Focus on preventing pregnancy, plus emergency contraception: Favors topic 1 YES on expanding research to more embryonic stem cell lines: Favors topic 1
Strongly Favors topic 2: Require hiring more women & minorities (-5 points on Economic scale)	Continue affirmative action: Strongly Favors topic 2 Recognize Juneteenth as historical end of slavery: Strongly Favors topic 2 Re-introduce the Equal Rights Amendment: 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 Honor the 100th anniversary of the NAACP: Favors topic 2
Strongly Favors topic 3: Same-sex domestic partnership benefits (+5 points on Social scale)	No constitutional definition of marriage: Strongly Favors topic 3 Provide benefits to domestic partners of Federal employees: Strongly Favors topic 3 YES on prohibiting job discrimination based on sexual orientation: Strongly Favors topic 3 YES on enforcing against anti-gay hate crimes: Favors topic 3
Neutral on topic 4: Teacher-led prayer in public schools (0 points on Social scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Strongly Favors topic 8: Death Penalty (-5 points on Social scale)	Support the use of the death penalty: Strongly Favors topic 8
Opposes topic 9: Mandatory Three Strikes sentencing laws (+2 points on Social scale)	More community police; more prison rehabilitation: Opposes topic 9 Increase funding for "COPS ON THE BEAT" program: Opposes topic 9 YES on expanding services for offendors' re-entry into society: Opposes topic 9
Strongly Opposes topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (-5 points on Economic scale)	No armor piercing ammunition; yes child safety locks: Strongly Opposes topic 10
Strongly Favors topic 5: More federal funding for health coverage (-5 points on Economic scale)	Health Care should be a right and not a privilege: Strongly Favors topic 5 MEDS Plan: Cover senior Rx under Medicare: Favors topic 5 Expand the National Health Service Corps: Strongly Favors topic 5 Make health care a right, not a privilege: 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 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)	Total opposition to any type of privatizing: Strongly Opposes topic 6
Strongly Opposes topic 7: Parents choose schools via vouchers (-5 points on Economic scale)	More school funding; more teacher mentoring: 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
Strongly Favors topic 18: Replace coal & oil with alternatives (-5 points on Economic scale)	Farm Bill helps farmers AND weans us off Mideast oil: Favors topic 18 Set goal of 25% renewable energy by 2025: Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on tax incentives for renewable energy: Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on removing oil & gas exploration subsidies: Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on investing in homegrown biofuel: Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on criminalizing oil cartels like OPEC: Favors 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 YES on enforcing limits on CO2 global warming pollution: Favors topic 18 YES on $2 billion more for Cash for Clunkers program: Favors topic 18
Opposes topic 19: Drug use is immoral: enforce laws against it (+2 points on Social scale)	Medical marijuana ok; but more penalties for distributors: Opposes topic 19 Allow rehabilitated drug convicts get student loans: Strongly Opposes topic 19 Distribute sterile syringes to reduce AIDS and hepatitis: Opposes topic 19 YES on more funding for Mexico to fight drugs: Favors topic 19
Favors topic 20: Allow churches to provide welfare services (+2 points on Economic scale)	Sponsored bill for public jobs on community-based projects: Favors topic 20
Favors topic 11: Make taxes more progressive (-3 points on Economic scale)	Eliminate Bush tax cuts for earners over $200,000: Strongly Favors topic 11 American People's Dividend: Give $300 to every person: Favors topic 11 Reduce the concentration of wealth & wage inequality: Favors topic 11 YES on paying for AMT relief by closing offshore business loopholes: Strongly Favors 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)	Decrease legal immigration; enforce against illegals: Opposes topic 12
Opposes topic 13: Support & expand free trade (-3 points on Economic scale)	Race to the bottom must be stopped: Strongly Opposes topic 13 No MFN for China; condition trade on human rights: Neutral on topic 13 YES on assisting workers who lose jobs due to globalization: Opposes topic 13 NO on promoting free trade with Peru: Opposes topic 13
Strongly Opposes topic 15: Expand the armed forces (+5 points on Social scale)	YES on restricting no-bid defense contracts: Strongly Opposes topic 15
Strongly Favors topic 16: Stricter limits on political campaign funds (-5 points on Economic scale)	Supports public funding of campaigns: Strongly Favors topic 16 YES on requiring lobbyist disclosure of bundled donations: Strongly Favors topic 16
Strongly Favors topic 14: The Patriot Act harms civil liberties (+5 points on Social scale)	No phone-tapping; no random searches; no pre-emptive strikes: Strongly Favors topic 14 Restore habeas corpus for detainees in the War on Terror: Favors topic 14 YES on Veto override: Congressional oversight of CIA interrogations: Strongly Favors topic 14 YES on requiring FISA warrants for wiretaps in US, but not abroad: Strongly Favors topic 14 NO on removing need for FISA warrant for wiretapping abroad: Strongly Favors topic 14 NO on retroactive immunity for telecoms' warrantless surveillance: Favors topic 14
Favors topic 17: US out of Iraq (+2 points on Social scale)	Iraq war needs an exit strategy: Favors topic 17 Member of the Out-of-Iraq Congressional Caucus: Strongly Favors topic 17 Sanctions on Iran to end nuclear program: Opposes topic 17 YES on redeploying US troops out of Iraq starting in 90 days: Strongly Favors topic 17 YES on investigating Bush impeachment for lying about Iraq: Favors topic 17