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)	Litmus test on Roe, but as part of a culture of life: Favors topic 1 Women's right-to-choose is essential to gender equality: Strongly Favors topic 1 Abortions should always be legal: Strongly Favors topic 1 All men & women have right to make difficult moral decisions: Favors topic 1 Supreme Court nominees must agree to uphold Roe v. Wade: Strongly Favors topic 1 Women can't be free unless they have the right to choose: Strongly Favors topic 1 Prevention, education, & health care, to minimize abortions: Opposes topic 1 Life begins at conception: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Journey in 2002 from pro-life to pro-choice: Favors topic 1 Rated 100% by NARAL, indicating a pro-choice voting record: Strongly 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 YES on barring transporting minors to get an abortion: Strongly Opposes topic 1 YES on banning partial-birth abortions: Opposes topic 1 YES on banning Family Planning funding in US aid abroad: Opposes topic 1 YES on federal crime to harm fetus while committing other crimes: Opposes topic 1 NO on banning partial-birth abortion except to save mother’s life: Strongly 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 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)	Supports reparations for slavery, to "repair the breach": Strongly Favors topic 2 Constitutional Amendment for equal rights by gender: Strongly Favors topic 2 Rated 94% 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 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: Same-sex domestic partnership benefits (+5 points on Social scale)	Not any issue on which he disagrees with GLBT community: Strongly Favors topic 3 Real GLBT equality includes the right to marry: Strongly Favors topic 3 Gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender right to marry: Strongly Favors topic 3 Allow gays and lesbians to marry: Strongly Favors topic 3 Same sex couples deserve equal domestic benefits: Strongly Favors topic 3 Affirmative action is necessary & right & must be preserved: Strongly Favors topic 3 End the ban on gays in military: Strongly Favors topic 3 Focus on jobs instead of pitting people against each other: Favors topic 3 More funding and stricter sentencing for hate crimes: Strongly Favors topic 3 Rated 100% by the HRC, indicating a pro-gay-rights stance: Strongly Favors topic 3 Provide benefits to domestic partners of Federal employees: 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 NO on Constitutionally defining marriage as one-man-one-woman: Strongly Favors topic 3 YES on prohibiting job discrimination based on sexual orientation: Strongly Favors topic 3
Opposes topic 4: Teacher-led prayer in public schools (+2 points on Social scale)	Opposes requiring schools to allow school prayer: Opposes topic 4 Rated 25% by the Christian Coalition: an anti-family voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 4 Rated 92% by the AU, indicating support of church-state separation: Strongly Opposes topic 4 NO on allowing school prayer during the War on Terror: Strongly Opposes topic 4 YES on constitutional amendment prohibiting flag desecration: Favors topic 4 NO on protecting the Pledge of Allegiance: Opposes topic 4 NO on allowing Courts to decide on "God" in Pledge of Allegiance: Favors topic 4
Strongly Opposes topic 8: Death Penalty (+5 points on Social scale)	Ban the death penalty-98% of those convicted are poor: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Terminate the federal death penalty, even if unpopular: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Moratorium on death penalty; more DNA testing: Opposes topic 8 Require DNA testing for all federal executions: Opposes topic 8
Strongly Opposes topic 9: Mandatory Three Strikes sentencing laws (+5 points on Social scale)	End mandatory minimums: Strongly Opposes topic 9 Focus on prevention, not punishment: Strongly Opposes topic 9 Rated 80% by CURE, indicating pro-rehabilitation crime votes: Strongly Opposes topic 9 Rated 50% by the NCJA, indicating a "soft-on-crime" stance: 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 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)	We have babies dying in the streets; ban handguns: Strongly Opposes topic 10 Require background checks, licensing, and fingerprinting: Strongly Opposes topic 10 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 NO on prohibiting suing gunmakers & sellers for gun misuse: Strongly Opposes topic 10 NO on prohibiting product misuse lawsuits on gun manufacturers: Strongly Opposes topic 10
Strongly Favors topic 5: More federal funding for health coverage (-5 points on Economic scale)	Medicare For All: all long-term care totally covered: Strongly Favors topic 5 Universal not-for-profit health care: Strongly Favors topic 5 Streamlined national health insurance as Enhanced Medicare: Strongly Favors topic 5 I'm not selling insurance-switch to not-for-profit system: Strongly Favors topic 5 Regulate prescription drug prices like utility rates: Strongly Favors topic 5 Medicare for All: universal single-payer national system: Strongly Favors topic 5 Private companies charge 18% admin & Medicare charges 3%: Favors topic 5 Raise taxes for guaranteed, single payer, universal care: Strongly Favors topic 5 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 subsidizing private 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 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
Strongly Opposes topic 6: Privatize Social Security (-5 points on Economic scale)	Restore retirement age to 65: Strongly Opposes topic 6 Stop privatization and return retirement age to 65: Strongly 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 YES on reducing tax payments on Social Security benefits: Favors 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 (-5 points on Economic scale)	Quality education is a core American right: Strongly Opposes topic 7 Vouchers divert public money away from public schools: Opposes topic 7 Keep public education separate from private education: Strongly Opposes topic 7 Reduce class size to 18 children in grades 1 to 3: Strongly Opposes topic 7 Teacher development grants to improve math & science classes: Opposes topic 7 Rated 90% 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 Favors topic 18: Replace coal & oil with alternatives (-5 points on Economic scale)	Double our energy from renewable sources by 2010: Strongly Favors topic 18 Global Green Deal for renewable energy: Strongly Favors topic 18 Journey to planet Earth: renewable energy by 2010: Strongly Favors topic 18 Would sign Kyoto climate change treaty: Strongly Favors topic 18 Preserve Alaska's ANWR instead of drilling it: Favors topic 18 Rated 85% by the LCV, indicating pro-environment votes: Strongly Favors topic 18 Rated 100% by the CAF, indicating support for energy independence: 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 YES on keeping moratorium on drilling for oil offshore: Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on removing oil & gas exploration subsidies: Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on criminalizing oil cartels like OPEC: Favors topic 18
Strongly Opposes topic 19: Drug use is immoral: enforce laws against it (+5 points on Social scale)	Reduce sentencing disparity for crack cocaine retroactively: Favors topic 19 Medical marijuana should be decided by doctors & patients: Opposes topic 19 Hasn't smoked marijuana, but would decriminalize it: Strongly Opposes topic 19 Emphasizes rehabilitation over incarceration: Strongly Opposes topic 19 War on Drugs benefits only the prison-industrial complex: Strongly Opposes topic 19 Racial bias in drug enforcement is pervasive: Opposes topic 19 Addiction is a medical and moral problem: Strongly Opposes topic 19 Rated A+ by VOTE-HEMP, indicating a pro-hemp voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 19 Rated +10 by NORML, indicating a pro-drug-reform stance: Strongly Opposes topic 19 Allow rehabilitated drug convicts get student loans: Strongly Opposes topic 19 NO on subjecting federal employees to random drug tests: Strongly Opposes topic 19 NO on prohibiting needle exchange & medical marijuana in DC: Strongly Opposes topic 19 NO on military border patrols to battle drugs & terrorism: Strongly Opposes topic 19
Opposes topic 20: Allow churches to provide welfare services (-3 points on Economic scale)	Funding faith-based initiatives with taxes is problematic: Strongly Opposes topic 20 YES on responsible fatherhood via faith-based organizations: Favors topic 20 NO on treating religious organizations equally for tax breaks: Strongly Opposes topic 20
Strongly Favors topic 11: Make taxes more progressive (-5 points on Economic scale)	Cancel tax cuts for the rich: Strongly Favors topic 11 Repeal tax cuts for wealthy to fund public higher ed: Strongly Favors topic 11 Top 272,000 taxpayers got as much benefit as bottom 129M: Strongly Favors topic 11 American People's Dividend: Give $300 to every person: Favors topic 11 Rated 29% by NTU, indicating a "Big Spender" on tax votes: Strongly Favors topic 11 Rated 100% by the CTJ, indicating support of progressive taxation: Strongly Favors topic 11 Reduce the concentration of wealth & wage inequality: Favors topic 11 NO on eliminating the "marriage penalty": Favors topic 11 NO on $46 billion in tax cuts for small business: Favors topic 11 NO on Tax cut package of $958 B over 10 years: Favors topic 11 NO on reducing Marriage Tax by $399B over 10 years: Favors topic 11 NO on eliminating the Estate Tax ("death tax"): Favors topic 11 NO on making the Bush tax cuts permanent: Strongly Favors topic 11 YES on providing tax relief and simplification: Strongly Opposes topic 11 NO on retaining reduced taxes on capital gains & dividends: Strongly Favors topic 11 YES on paying for AMT relief by closing offshore business loopholes: Strongly Favors topic 11
Strongly Favors topic 12: Illegal immigrants earn citizenship (+5 points on Social scale)	There aren't any illegal human beings: Strongly Favors topic 12 Build relationships between nations, not walls: Strongly Favors topic 12 Sanctuary cities follow moral law if not federal law: Strongly Favors topic 12 Stop blaming immigrants for our system of slave labor: Strongly Favors topic 12 Roadmap to citizenship for immigrants: Favors topic 12 Extend our arms to world-immigrant amnesty and more: Strongly Favors topic 12 Rated 0% by FAIR, indicating a voting record loosening immigration: Strongly Favors topic 12 Rated 0% by USBC, indicating an open-border stance: Strongly Favors topic 12 NO on more immigrant visas for skilled workers: Opposes topic 12 YES on extending Immigrant Residency rules: Favors topic 12 NO on reporting illegal aliens who receive hospital treatment: Strongly Favors topic 12 NO on preventing tipping off Mexicans about Minuteman Project: Strongly Favors topic 12 NO on building a fence along the Mexican border: Strongly Favors topic 12
Strongly Opposes topic 13: Support & expand free trade (-5 points on Economic scale)	Base trade on worker rights, human rights & environment: Strongly Opposes topic 13 Withdraw from NAFTA and WTO: Strongly Opposes topic 13 Free trade encourages privatization, so avoid it: Strongly Opposes topic 13 Bilateral trade structure to support American manufacturing: Opposes topic 13 President has authority to cancel NAFTA and WTO-I will: Strongly Opposes topic 13