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)	Both pro-life and pro-stem cell research: Neutral on topic 1 Abortions cause a societal insensitivity to life: Opposes topic 1 No litmus tests: no one issue should define appointments: Neutral on topic 1 Appoint conservative judges without litmus tests: Opposes topic 1 Rated 0% by NARAL, indicating a pro-life voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Expand embryonic stem cell research: Favors topic 1 Rated 75% by the NRLC, indicating a mixed record on abortion: Neutral on topic 1 YES on banning partial birth abortions: Strongly Opposes topic 1 YES on maintaining ban on Military Base Abortions: Opposes 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 NO on $100M to reduce teen pregnancy by education & contraceptives: Opposes topic 1 YES on notifying parents of minors who get out-of-state abortions: Opposes topic 1 YES on expanding research to more embryonic stem cell lines: Favors topic 1 YES on barring HHS grants to organizations that perform abortions: Opposes topic 1
Strongly Opposes topic 2: Require hiring more women & minorities (+5 points on Economic scale)	Merit and outreach are the bases for helping minorities: Favors topic 2 Rated 14% by the NAACP, indicating an anti-affirmative-action stance: Strongly Opposes topic 2 YES on banning affirmative action hiring with federal funds: Strongly Opposes topic 2 YES on ending special funding for minority & women-owned business: Strongly Opposes topic 2 YES on prohibiting same-sex basic training: Opposes topic 2 NO on setting aside 10% of highway funds for minorities & women: Opposes topic 2
Strongly Opposes topic 3: Same-sex domestic partnership benefits (-5 points on Social scale)	Gays support Democrats, but no intolerance: Neutral on topic 3 Homosexuality is contrary to the Bible, but no intolerance: Opposes topic 3 Rated 0% by the HRC, indicating an anti-gay-rights stance: Strongly Opposes topic 3 YES on prohibiting same-sex marriage: Strongly Opposes topic 3 NO on prohibiting job discrimination by sexual orientation: Strongly Opposes topic 3 NO on expanding hate crimes to include sexual orientation: Opposes topic 3 NO on adding sexual orientation to definition of hate crimes: Strongly Opposes topic 3 YES on constitutional ban of same-sex marriage: Strongly Opposes topic 3
Strongly Favors topic 4: Teacher-led prayer in public schools (-5 points on Social scale)	Founders avoided “national church,” not Ten Commandments: Favors topic 4 Amendments for school prayer & flag protection: Strongly Favors topic 4 More block grants; more student loans; school prayer OK: Strongly Favors topic 4 Hollywood should do more to change culture for good: Favors topic 4 Media supports moral poverty; Boys & Girls Clubs fight it: Favors topic 4 Supports anti-flag desecration amendment: Favors topic 4 Rated 100% by the Christian Coalition: a pro-family voting record: Strongly Favors topic 4 Rated 0% by the AU, indicating opposition to church-state separation: Strongly Favors topic 4 YES on requiring schools to allow voluntary prayer: Favors topic 4 YES on $75M for abstinence education: Strongly Favors topic 4 YES on killing restrictions on violent videos to minors: Opposes topic 4 YES on recommending Constitutional ban on flag desecration: Favors topic 4
Opposes topic 5: More federal funding for health coverage (+2 points on Economic scale)	Spent most of career solving health-care problems: Favors topic 5 His CHIP program insures 7-10 million kids of working poor: Strongly Favors topic 5 Supported federal Tobacco Settlement based on State deal: Favors topic 5 Supports tax credit for “orphan drugs”: Favors topic 5 Rated 0% by APHA, indicating a anti-public health voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 5 NO on blocking medical savings acounts: Opposes topic 5 YES on Medicare means-testing: Opposes topic 5 YES on limiting self-employment health deduction: Opposes topic 5 NO on including prescription drugs under Medicare: Opposes topic 5 YES on funding GOP version of Medicare prescription drug benefit: Opposes topic 5 YES on $40 billion per year for limited Medicare prescription drug benefit: Favors topic 5 NO on increasing Medicaid rebate for producing generics: Opposes topic 5 NO on negotiating bulk purchases for Medicare prescription drug: Strongly Opposes topic 5 NO on expanding enrollment period for Medicare Part D: Opposes topic 5 YES on limiting medical liability lawsuits to $250,000: Favors topic 5 NO on requiring negotiated Rx prices for Medicare part D: Opposes topic 5 YES on adding 2 to 4 million children to SCHIP eligibility: Favors topic 5
Favors topic 6: Privatize Social Security (+2 points on Economic scale)	Consider raising retirement age: Opposes topic 6 $792B tax cut does not affect Medicare or Social Security: Neutral on topic 6 Simplify tax code on retirement & end savings disincentives: Favors topic 6 Preserve Social Security fund in “Lockbox” until needed: Opposes topic 6 Rated 0% by the ARA, indicating an anti-senior voting record: Strongly Favors topic 6 YES on deducting Social Security payments on income taxes: Favors topic 6 YES on allowing Roth IRAs for retirees: Favors topic 6 YES on allowing personal retirement accounts: Favors topic 6 YES on establishing reserve funds & pre-funding for Social Security: Favors topic 6
Strongly Favors topic 7: Parents choose schools via vouchers (+5 points on Economic scale)	More vouchers; more charter schools: Strongly Favors topic 7 Vouchers will cover costs under most circumstances: Strongly Favors topic 7 Voted for vouchers for violent schools & crime victims: Strongly Favors topic 7 Rated 27% by the NEA, indicating anti-public education votes: Strongly Favors topic 7 YES on school vouchers in DC: Strongly Favors topic 7 YES on education savings accounts: Favors topic 7 YES on allowing more flexibility in federal school rules: Strongly Favors topic 7 YES on Educational Savings Accounts: Favors topic 7 NO on funding smaller classes instead of private tutors: Favors topic 7 NO on funding student testing instead of private tutors: Favors topic 7 NO on $5B for grants to local educational agencies: Favors topic 7
Favors topic 8: Death Penalty (-3 points on Social scale)	Strict penalties; more prisons; status quo on death penalty: Favors topic 8 Victims’ Rights: hearings & notification: Favors topic 8 YES on rejecting racial statistics in death penalty appeals: Favors topic 8 YES on limiting death penalty appeals: Favors topic 8
Favors topic 9: Mandatory Three Strikes sentencing laws (-3 points on Social scale)	10-20-Life plan: harsh penalties for gun use: Strongly Favors topic 9 Punish minor juvenile crimes to prevent later serious crimes: Favors topic 9 Allow 14-year-olds to be tried & punished as adults: Favors topic 9 Prosecute drugs & gun crimes; protect victims’ rights: Favors topic 9 Fund truth-in-sentencing & longer sentences: Favors topic 9 Rated 25% by CURE, indicating anti-rehabilitation crime votes: Strongly Favors topic 9 Rated 62% by the NCJA, indicating a "soft-on-crime" stance: Strongly Opposes topic 9 YES on mandatory prison terms for crimes involving firearms: Strongly Favors topic 9 YES on more penalties for gun & drug violations: Favors topic 9 NO on $1.15 billion per year to continue the COPS program: Favors topic 9 YES on reinstating $1.15 billion funding for the COPS Program: Opposes topic 9
Favors topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (+2 points on Economic scale)	Supports 2nd Amendment, with stricter gun law enforcement: Strongly Favors topic 10 Guns should be sold with safety devices: Opposes topic 10 Enforce existing gun laws & extend them to juveniles: Opposes topic 10 Prosecute gun crimes federally & severely: Neutral on topic 10 YES on maintaining current law: guns sold without trigger locks: Strongly Favors topic 10 YES on loosening license & background checks at gun shows: Favors topic 10 NO on background checks at gun shows: Strongly Favors topic 10 NO on banning lawsuits against gun manufacturers for gun violence: Strongly Opposes topic 10 YES on prohibiting lawsuits against gun manufacturers: Strongly Favors topic 10 YES on prohibiting foreign & UN aid that restricts US gun ownership: Favors topic 10
Strongly Opposes topic 11: Repeal tax cuts on wealthy (+5 points on Economic scale)	Get rid of the entire IRS code and the IRS itself: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Surplus means taxpayers paid too much -- so give it back: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Cutting capital gains helps most Americans, not just rich: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Rated 72% by NTU, indicating "Satisfactory" on tax votes: Neutral on topic 11 Rated 0% by the CTJ, indicating opposition to progressive taxation: Strongly Opposes topic 11 YES on Internet sales tax moratorium: Opposes topic 11 YES on requiring super-majority for raising taxes: Opposes topic 11 YES on eliminating the 'marriage penalty': Opposes topic 11 YES on prioritizing national debt reduction below tax cuts: Opposes topic 11 NO on reducing marriage penalty instead of cutting top tax rates: Opposes topic 11 NO on spending $448B of tax cut on education & debt reduction: Opposes topic 11 YES on $350 billion in tax breaks over 11 years: Strongly Opposes topic 11 YES on extending the tax cuts on capital gains and dividends: Strongly Opposes topic 11 NO on $47B for military by repealing capital gains tax cut: Opposes topic 11 YES on retaining reduced taxes on capital gains & dividends: Strongly Opposes topic 11 YES on permanently repealing the `death tax`: Strongly Opposes topic 11 YES on supporting permanence of estate tax cuts: Strongly Opposes topic 11 YES on raising estate tax exemption to $5 million: Strongly Opposes topic 11 YES on repealing the Alternative Minimum Tax: Strongly Opposes topic 11
Strongly Opposes topic 12: Illegal immigrants earn citizenship (-5 points on Social scale)	Supports more enforcement by INS of immigration laws: Strongly Opposes topic 12 Rated 91% by USBC, indicating a sealed-border stance: Strongly Opposes topic 12 YES on limit welfare for immigrants: Strongly Opposes topic 12 YES on visas for skilled workers: Favors topic 12 YES on allowing more foreign workers into the US for farm work: Favors topic 12 NO on allowing illegal aliens to participate in Social Security: Strongly Opposes topic 12 NO on giving Guest Workers a path to citizenship: Strongly Opposes topic 12 NO on establishing a Guest Worker program: Opposes topic 12 YES on building a fence along the Mexican border: Strongly Opposes topic 12 NO on eliminating the "Y" nonimmigrant guestworker program: Neutral topic 12 YES on declaring English as the official language of the US government: Strongly Opposes topic 12 NO on comprehensive immigration reform: Strongly Opposes topic 12
Strongly Favors topic 13: Support & expand free trade (+5 points on Economic scale)	Supports NAFTA, GATT, WTO, Fast-Track: Favors topic 13 Enforce anti-dumping laws consistently: Opposes topic 13 IMF encourages open markets despite imperfections: Favors topic 13 Rated 83% by CATO, indicating a pro-free trade voting record: Strongly Favors 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 NO on granting normal trade relations status to Vietnam: Opposes 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 YES on implementing CAFTA for Central America free-trade: Strongly Favors topic 13 YES on free trade agreement with Oman: Strongly Favors topic 13 YES on promoting free trade with Peru: Favors topic 13
Strongly Opposes topic 14: The Patriot Act harms civil liberties (-5 points on Social scale)	YES on extending the PATRIOT Act's wiretap provision: Stro