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 50% by NARAL, indicating a mixed voting record on abortion: Neutral on topic 1 Expand embryonic stem cell research: Favors topic 1 YES on banning partial birth abortions: Strongly Opposes topic 1 NO on maintaining ban on Military Base Abortions: Favors 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
Strongly Favors topic 2: Require hiring more women & minorities (-5 points on Economic scale)	NO on banning affirmative action hiring with federal funds: Strongly Favors topic 2 NO on ending special funding for minority & women-owned business: Strongly Favors topic 2 NO on prohibiting same-sex basic training: Favors topic 2 YES on setting aside 10% of highway funds for minorities & women: Favors topic 2
Favors topic 3: Same-sex domestic partnership benefits (+2 points on Social scale)	More funding and stricter sentencing for hate crimes: Strongly Favors topic 3 Increase funding to combat the global HIV/AIDS epidemic: Strongly Favors topic 3 YES on prohibiting same-sex marriage: Strongly Opposes topic 3 YES on prohibiting job discrimination by sexual orientation: Strongly Favors topic 3 YES on expanding hate crimes to include sexual orientation: Favors topic 3 NO on adding sexual orientation to definition of hate crimes: Strongly Opposes topic 3
Strongly Opposes topic 4: Teacher-led prayer in public schools (+5 points on Social scale)	Rated 16% by the Christian Coalition: an anti-family voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 4 NO on requiring schools to allow voluntary prayer: Opposes topic 4 NO on $75M for abstinence education: Strongly Opposes topic 4 YES on killing restrictions on violent videos to minors: Opposes topic 4
Opposes topic 8: Death Penalty (+2 points on Social scale)	NO on rejecting racial statistics in death penalty appeals: Opposes topic 8 NO on limiting death penalty appeals: Opposes topic 8
Opposes topic 9: Mandatory Three Strikes sentencing laws (+2 points on Social scale)	Rated 63% by CURE, indicating mixed votes on rehabilitation: Neutral on topic 9 NO on mandatory prison terms for crimes involving firearms: Strongly Opposes topic 9 NO on more penalties for gun & drug violations: Opposes topic 9 YES on $1.15 billion per year to continue the COPS program: Opposes topic 9
Opposes topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (-3 points on Economic scale)	NO on maintaining current law: guns sold without trigger locks: Strongly Opposes topic 10 NO on loosening license & background checks at gun shows: Opposes topic 10 YES on background checks at gun shows: Strongly Opposes topic 10 YES on banning lawsuits against gun manufacturers for gun violence: Strongly Favors topic 10
Favors topic 5: More federal funding for health coverage (-3 points on Economic scale)	Invest funds to alleviate the nursing shortage: Favors topic 5 Let states make bulk Rx purchases, and other innovations: Opposes topic 5 Rated 88% by APHA, indicating a pro-public health record: Strongly Favors topic 5 YES on blocking medical savings acounts: Favors topic 5 NO on Medicare means-testing: Favors topic 5 NO on limiting self-employment health deduction: Favors topic 5 YES on including prescription drugs under Medicare: Favors topic 5 NO on funding GOP version of Medicare prescription drug benefit: Favors topic 5 YES on $40 billion per year for limited Medicare prescription drug benefit: Favors topic 5
Strongly Opposes topic 6: Privatize Social Security (-5 points on Economic scale)	Keep retirement promise instead of Endowment for Democracy: Strongly Opposes topic 6 Rated 90% by the ARA, indicating a pro-senior voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 6 NO on deducting Social Security payments on income taxes: Opposes topic 6 NO on allowing Roth IRAs for retirees: Opposes topic 6 NO on allowing personal retirement accounts: Opposes topic 6
Strongly Opposes topic 7: Parents choose schools via vouchers (-5 points on Economic scale)	Rated 91% by the NEA, indicating pro-public education votes: Strongly Opposes topic 7 NO on school vouchers in DC: Strongly Opposes topic 7 NO on education savings accounts: Opposes topic 7 NO on allowing more flexibility in federal school rules: Strongly Opposes topic 7 NO on Educational Savings Accounts: Opposes topic 7 YES on funding smaller classes instead of private tutors: Opposes topic 7 YES on funding student testing instead of private tutors: Opposes topic 7
Favors topic 18: Replace coal & oil with alternatives (-3 points on Economic scale)	Rated 63% by the LCV, indicating a mixed record on environment: Neutral on topic 18 Keep efficient air conditioner rule to conserve energy: Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on do not require ethanol in gasoline: Opposes topic 18 YES on reducing funds for road-building in National Forests: Favors topic 18 YES on defunding renewable and solar energy: Strongly Opposes topic 18 NO on preserving budget for ANWR oil drilling: Favors topic 18 NO on terminating CAFE standards within 15 months: Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on targeting 100,000 hydrogen-powered vehicles by 2010: Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on removing consideration of drilling ANWR from budget bill: Favors topic 18
Strongly Opposes topic 19: Drug use is immoral: enforce laws against it (+5 points on Social scale)	NO on spending international development funds on drug control: Strongly Opposes topic 19 NO on more penalties for gun & drug violations: Opposes topic 19 NO on increasing penalties for drug offenses: Opposes topic 19
Opposes topic 20: Allow churches to provide welfare services (-3 points on Economic scale)	YES on welfare overhaul: Favors topic 20 NO on allowing state welfare waivers: Opposes topic 20 YES on eliminating block grants for food stamps: Opposes topic 20 NO on welfare block grants: Opposes topic 20
Favors topic 11: Make taxes more progressive (-3 points on Economic scale)	Bush’s tax plan is like Reagan’s, which caused national debt: Favors topic 11 Rated 15% by NTU, indicating a "Big Spender" on tax votes: Strongly Favors topic 11 YES on Internet sales tax moratorium: Opposes topic 11 NO on requiring super-majority for raising taxes: Favors topic 11 NO on eliminating the 'marriage penalty': Favors topic 11 NO on prioritizing national debt reduction below tax cuts: Favors topic 11 YES on reducing marriage penalty instead of cutting top tax rates: Favors topic 11 YES on spending $448B of tax cut on education & debt reduction: Favors topic 11 NO on $350 billion in tax breaks over 11 years: Strongly Favors topic 11
Favors topic 12: Illegal immigrants earn citizenship (+2 points on Social scale)	NO on limit welfare for immigrants: Strongly Favors topic 12 YES on visas for skilled workers: Favors topic 12 NO on allowing more foreign workers into the US for farm work: Opposes topic 12
Strongly Favors topic 13: Support & expand free trade (+5 points on Economic scale)	Rated 33% by CATO, indicating a mixed record on trade issues: Neutral on topic 13 YES on renewing 'fast track' presidential trade authority: Favors topic 13 YES on permanent normal trade relations with China: Strongly Favors topic 13 YES on expanding trade to the third world: Favors topic 13 YES on removing common goods from national security export rules: Favors topic 13 YES on granting normal trade relations status to Vietnam: Favors topic 13 YES on extending free trade to Andean nations: Strongly Favors topic 13 YES on establishing free trade between US & Singapore: Favors topic 13 YES on establishing free trade between the US and Chile: Favors topic 13
Opposes topic 15: Expand the armed forces (+2 points on Social scale)	Rated 100% by SANE, indicating a pro-peace voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 15 NO on 1996 Defense Appropriations: Opposes topic 15 NO on considering deploying NMD, and amending ABM Treaty: Opposes topic 15 NO on favoring 36 vetoed military projects: Strongly Opposes topic 15 NO on allowing another round of military base closures: Favors topic 15 YES on military pay raise of 4.8%: Strongly Favors topic 15 YES on deploying National Missile Defense ASAP: Strongly Favors topic 15
Favors topic 16: Stricter limits on political campaign funds (-3 points on Economic scale)	YES on favoring 1997 McCain-Feingold overhaul of campaign finance: Favors topic 16 YES on banning campaign donations from unions & corporations: Favors topic 16 YES on banning "soft money" contributions and restricting issue ads: Favors topic 16
No opinion on topic 14: The Patriot Act harms civil liberties (0 points on Social scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Strongly Favors topic 17: US out of Iraq (+5 points on Social scale)	Multi-year commitment to Africa for food & medicine: Strongly Favors topic 17