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 (10 points on Social scale)	Rated 100% by NARAL, indicating a pro-choice voting record: Strongly Favors topic 1 NO on barring transporting minors to get an abortion: Strongly Favors topic 1 NO on banning partial-birth abortions: Favors topic 1 NO on banning Family Planning funding in US aid abroad: Favors topic 1 NO on federal crime to harm fetus while committing other crimes: Favors topic 1 NO on funding for health providers who don't provide abortion info: Favors topic 1 NO on banning partial-birth abortion except to save mother’s life: Strongly Favors topic 1 NO on making it a crime to harm a fetus during another crime: Favors topic 1 NO on restricting interstate transport of minors to get abortions: Strongly Favors topic 1 YES on allowing human embryonic stem cell research: Favors topic 1
Strongly Favors topic 2: Require companies to hire more women & minorities (0 points on Economic scale)	Constitutional Amendment for equal rights by gender: Strongly Favors topic 2 NO on ending preferential treatment by race in college admissions: Favors topic 2 YES on $84 million in grants for Black and Hispanic colleges: Strongly Favors topic 2
Strongly Favors topic 3: Sexual orientation protected by civil rights laws (10 points on Social scale)	More funding and stricter sentencing for hate crimes: Strongly Favors topic 3 NO on banning gay adoptions in DC.: Favors topic 3 NO on Constitutional Amendment banning same-sex marriage: Strongly Favors topic 3
Strongly Opposes topic 4: Teach family values in public schools (10 points on Social scale)	Rated 7% by the Christian Coalition: an anti-family voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 4 NO on giving federal aid only to schools allowing voluntary prayer: Strongly Opposes topic 4 NO on allowing school prayer during the War on Terror: Strongly Opposes topic 4 NO on constitutional amendment prohibiting flag desecration: Opposes topic 4 NO on protecting the Pledge of Allegiance: Opposes topic 4
Strongly Favors topic 5: More federal funding for health coverage (0 points on Economic scale)	MEDS Plan: Cover senior Rx under Medicare: Favors topic 5 Rated 100% by APHA, indicating a pro-public health record: Strongly Favors topic 5 Make health care a right, not a privilege: Strongly Favors topic 5 NO on establishing tax-exempt Medical Savings Accounts: Favors topic 5 NO on subsidize privat insurance for Medicare Rx drug coverage: Favors topic 5 YES on allowing reimportation of prescription drugs: Favors topic 5 NO on capping damages & setting time limits in medical lawsuits: Favors topic 5 NO on limited prescription drug benefit for Medicare recipients: Favors topic 5 NO on denying non-emergency treatment for lack of Medicare co-pay: Strongly Favors topic 5
Strongly Opposes topic 6: Privatize Social Security (0 points on Economic scale)	Despite GOP rhetoric, Social Security is NOT going bankrupt: Opposes topic 6 Rated 100% by the ARA, indicating a pro-senior voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 6 YES on strengthening the Social Security Lockbox: Opposes topic 6 NO on reducing tax payments on Social Security benefits: Opposes topic 6 NO on raising 401(k) limits & making pension plans more portable: Opposes topic 6
Strongly Opposes topic 7: Parents choose schools via vouchers (0 points on Social scale)	Reduce class size to 18 children in grades 1 to 3: Strongly Opposes topic 7 Rated 83% by the NEA, indicating pro-public education votes: Strongly Opposes topic 7 NO on vouchers for private & parochial schools: Strongly Opposes topic 7 NO on allowing vouchers in DC schools: Opposes topic 7
Strongly Opposes topic 8: Death Penalty (10 points on Social scale)	Require DNA testing for all federal executions: Strongly Opposes topic 8 YES on replacing death penalty with life imprisonment: Strongly Opposes topic 8 NO on making federal death penalty appeals harder: Strongly Opposes topic 8 YES on maintaining right of habeus corpus in Death Penalty Appeals: Opposes topic 8
Strongly Opposes topic 9: Mandatory Three Strikes sentencing laws (10 points on Social scale)	Rated 78% by CURE, indicating pro-rehabilitation crime votes: Strongly Opposes topic 9 NO on more prosecution and sentencing for juvenile crime: Opposes topic 9 YES on funding for alternative sentencing instead of more prisons.: Strongly Opposes topic 9
Neutral on topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (5 points on Social scale)	Rated F by the NRA, indicating a pro-gun control voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 10 NO on decreasing gun waiting period from 3 days to 1: Strongly Opposes topic 10 YES on prohibiting suing gunmakers & sellers for gun misuse: Strongly Favors topic 10 YES on prohibiting product misuse lawsuits on gun manufacturers: Strongly Favors topic 10
Strongly Opposes topic 11: Decrease overall taxation of the wealthy (0 points on Economic scale)	Capital gains & dividend tax cuts are giveaways to the rich: Strongly Opposes topic 11 American People's Dividend: Give $300 to every person: Opposes topic 11 Rated 28% by NTU, indicating a "Big Spender" on tax votes: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Reduce the concentration of wealth & wage inequality: Opposes topic 11 NO on eliminating the "marriage penalty": Opposes topic 11 NO on $46 billion in tax cuts for small business: Opposes topic 11 NO on Tax cut package of $958 B over 10 years: Opposes topic 11 NO on reducing Marriage Tax by $399B over 10 years: Opposes topic 11 NO on eliminating the Estate Tax ("death tax"): Opposes topic 11 NO on making the Bush tax cuts permanent: Strongly Opposes topic 11 YES on providing tax relief and simplification: Strongly Favors topic 11 NO on retaining reduced taxes on capital gains & dividends: Strongly Opposes topic 11
Favors topic 12: Illegal immigrants earn citizenship (7 points on Economic scale)	Rated 0% by FAIR, indicating a voting record loosening immigration: Strongly Favors topic 12 NO on more immigrant visas for skilled workers: Opposes topic 12 NO on reporting illegal aliens who receive hospital treatment: Strongly Favors topic 12 YES on preventing tipping off Mexicans about Minuteman Project: Strongly Opposes topic 12
Strongly Opposes topic 13: Support & expand free trade (0 points on Economic scale)	Rated 33% by CATO, indicating a mixed record on trade issues: Neutral on topic 13 No MFN for China; condition trade on human rights: Neutral on 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 YES on withdrawing from the WTO: Strongly Opposes topic 13 NO on implementing US-Singapore free trade agreement: Strongly Opposes topic 13 NO on implementing free trade agreement with Chile: Strongly Opposes topic 13 NO on implementing US-Australia Free Trade Agreement: Opposes topic 13 NO on end offshore tax havens and promote small business: Favors topic 13 NO on implementing CAFTA, Central America Free Trade: Strongly Opposes topic 13
Strongly Favors topic 14: The Patriot Act harms civil liberties (0 points on Social scale)	Bush's tracking citizens' phone call patterns is illegal: Strongly Favors topic 14 NO on making the PATRIOT Act permanent: Strongly Favors topic 14 NO on continuing intelligence gathering without civil oversight: Strongly Favors topic 14
Strongly Opposes topic 15: More spending on armed forces (10 points on Economic scale)	Rated 100% by SANE, indicating a pro-peace voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 15 NO on $266 billion Defense Appropriations bill: Opposes topic 15 NO on deploying SDI: Opposes topic 15 NO on emergency $78B for war in Iraq & Afghanistan: Strongly Opposes topic 15 NO on continuing military recruitment on college campuses: Opposes topic 15
Favors topic 16: Stricter limits on political campaign funds (2 points on Economic scale)	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 NO on restricting independent grassroots political committees: Favors topic 16
Strongly Favors topic 17: Replace US troops with UN in Iraq (0 points on Economic scale)	Multi-year commitment to Africa for food & medicine: Strongly Favors topic 17 YES on disallowing the invasion of Kosovo: Opposes topic 17 YES on $15.2 billion for foreign operations: Favors topic 17 YES on $156M to IMF for 3rd-world debt reduction: Favors topic 17 NO on withholding $244M in UN Back Payments until US seat restored: Favors topic 17 NO on authorizing military force in Iraq: Strongly Favors topic 17 NO on reforming the UN by restricting US funding: Strongly Favors topic 17 NO on declaring Iraq part of War on Terror with no exit date: Strongly Favors topic 17
Strongly Favors topic 18: Replace coal & oil with alternatives (0 points on Economic scale)	Preserve Alaska's ANWR instead of drilling it: Favors topic 18 Rated 90% by the LCV, indicating pro-environment votes: Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on starting implementation of Kyoto Protocol: Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on raising CAFE standards; incentives for alternative fuels: Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on prohibiting oil drilling & development in ANWR: Strongly Favors topic 18 NO on authorizing construction of new oil refineries: Strongly Favors topic 18 NO on scheduling permitting for new oil refinieries: Strongly Favors topic 18
Strongly Opposes topic 19: Drug use is immoral: enforce laws against it (10 points on Social scale)	Legalize medical marijuana: Strongly Opposes topic 19 NO on subjecting federal employees to random drug tests: Strongly Opposes topic 19 NO on military border patrols to battle drugs & terrorism: Strongly Opposes topic 19
Strongly Opposes topic 20: Allow churches to provide welfare services (10 points on Social scale)	NO on responsible fatherhood via faith-based organizations: Opposes topic 20 NO on treating religious organizations equally for tax breaks: Strongly Opposes topic 20