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)
Favors topic 1: Abortion is a woman's right (+2 points on Social scale)	No public funding for abortion; it imposes a view: Opposes topic 1 Supports partial-birth abortion ban, but not undoing Roe: Opposes topic 1 Accepts Catholic church view that life begins at conception: Opposes topic 1 Rated 36% by NARAL, indicating a mixed voting record on abortion: Neutral on topic 1 Expand embryonic stem cell research: Favors topic 1 Rated 0% by the NRLC, indicating a pro-choice stance: Strongly Favors topic 1 Ensure access to and funding for contraception: Favors topic 1 NO on prohibiting minors crossing state lines for abortion: Strongly Favors topic 1 NO on defining unborn child as eligible for SCHIP: Favors topic 1 YES on banning partial birth abortions: Strongly Opposes topic 1 NO on maintaining ban on Military Base Abortions: Favors topic 1 NO on criminal penalty for harming unborn fetus during other crime: Favors topic 1 YES on $100M to reduce teen pregnancy by education & contraceptives: Favors topic 1 NO on notifying parents of minors who get out-of-state abortions: 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)	1978: opposed busing except for gov't-intended segregation: Opposes topic 2 Issue a commemorative postage stamp of Rosa Parks: Favors topic 2 Rated 100% by the NAACP, indicating a pro-affirmative-action stance: Strongly Favors topic 2 Re-introduce the Equal Rights Amendment: Strongly Favors topic 2 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
Strongly Favors topic 3: Same-sex domestic partnership benefits (+5 points on Social scale)	Nobody asks if you're gay in a foxhole: Strongly Favors topic 3 More funding and stricter sentencing for hate crimes: Strongly Favors topic 3 Rated 78% by the HRC, indicating a pro-gay-rights stance: 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 YES on adding sexual orientation to definition of hate crimes: Strongly Favors topic 3 NO on constitutional ban of same-sex marriage: Strongly Favors topic 3
Opposes topic 4: Teacher-led prayer in public schools (+2 points on Social scale)	Rated 16% by the Christian Coalition: an anti-family voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 4 Rated 100% by the AU, indicating support of church-state separation: Strongly Opposes topic 4 NO on requiring schools to allow voluntary prayer: Opposes topic 4 YES on $75M for abstinence education: Strongly Favors topic 4 NO on killing restrictions on violent videos to minors: Favors topic 4 NO on recommending Constitutional ban on flag desecration: Opposes topic 4
No opinion on topic 8: Death Penalty (0 points on Social scale)	Biden Law of 1994 created several new capital offenses: Strongly Favors topic 8 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)	Supports sentencing guidelines to put away violent criminals: Strongly Favors topic 9 Rated 71% by CURE, indicating pro-rehabilitation crime votes: Strongly Opposes topic 9 Rated 75% by the NCJA, indicating a mixed record on criminal justice: 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 YES on reinstating $1.15 billion funding for the COPS Program: Opposes topic 9
Strongly Opposes topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (-5 points on Economic scale)	Keep assault weapons ban; close gun show loophole: Strongly Opposes topic 10 Rated F by the NRA, indicating a pro-gun control voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 10 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 NO on banning lawsuits against gun manufacturers for gun violence: Strongly Opposes topic 10 NO on prohibiting lawsuits against gun manufacturers: Strongly Opposes topic 10
Strongly Favors topic 5: More federal funding for health coverage (-5 points on Economic scale)	Start paying for universal coverage with $100B in redundancy: Strongly Favors topic 5 Start with catastrophic insurance and insuring all kids: Favors topic 5 Rated 100% by APHA, indicating a pro-public health record: Strongly 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 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 YES on increasing Medicaid rebate for producing generics: Favors topic 5 YES on negotiating bulk purchases for Medicare prescription drug: Strongly Favors topic 5 YES on expanding enrollment period for Medicare Part D: 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
Opposes topic 6: Privatize Social Security (-3 points on Economic scale)	Rated 89% by the ARA, indicating a pro-senior voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 6 YES on deducting Social Security payments on income taxes: Favors topic 6 YES on allowing Roth IRAs for retirees: Favors topic 6 NO on allowing personal retirement accounts: Opposes topic 6
Opposes topic 7: Parents choose schools via vouchers (-3 points on Economic scale)	Voting for No Child Left Behind was a mistake: Opposes topic 7 Rated 91% by the NEA, indicating pro-public education votes: Strongly Opposes topic 7 NO on school vouchers in DC: Strongly Opposes topic 7 YES on education savings accounts: Favors topic 7 YES on Educational Savings Accounts: Favors 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 YES on $5B for grants to local educational agencies: Opposes topic 7
Strongly Favors topic 18: Replace coal & oil with alternatives (-5 points on Economic scale)	Make every automobile sold be a flex-fuel automobile: Strongly Favors topic 18 Rated 95% by the LCV, indicating pro-environment votes: Strongly Favors topic 18 Keep efficient air conditioner rule to conserve energy: Strongly Favors topic 18 Establish greenhouse gas tradeable allowances: Strongly Favors topic 18 Sponsored bill raising CAFE by a 4% per year until 2018: Strongly Favors topic 18 Rated 83% by the CAF, indicating support for energy independence: Favors topic 18 Designate sensitive ANWR area as protected wilderness: Favors topic 18 NO on do not require ethanol in gasoline: Favors topic 18 YES on reducing funds for road-building in National Forests: Favors topic 18 NO on defunding renewable and solar energy: Strongly Favors topic 18 NO on ending discussion of CAFE fuel efficiency standards: Favors 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 YES on reducing oil usage by 40% by 2025 (instead of 5%): Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on disallowing an oil leasing program in Alaska's ANWR: Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on banning drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: 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
Favors topic 19: Drug use is immoral: enforce laws against it (-3 points on Social scale)	Took lead on drug policy & narcotics control: Favors topic 19 Increase penalties for dealing drugs near schools: Favors topic 19 Divert drug offenders out of prison system: Strongly Opposes topic 19 Created nation's Drug Czar Office & drug courts: Strongly Favors topic 19 YES on spending international development funds on drug control: Strongly Favors 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)	No faith-based initiative; it ain't broke, so don't fix it: Strongly Opposes topic 20 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 YES on welfare block grants: Favors topic 20
Strongly Favors topic 11: Make taxes more progressive (-5 points on Economic scale)	Take away $85B in annual tax cuts for 1% of top