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 (+5 points on Social scale)	Keep abortion safe, rare and legal; with 24-week viability: Strongly Favors topic 1 Supports abortion rights within his faith, not despite it: Strongly Favors topic 1 Parental consent with judicial override; Gore agrees: Opposes topic 1 Supported parental notification for minors; but pro-choice: Neutral on topic 1 Rated 100% by NARAL, indicating a pro-choice voting record: Strongly Favors topic 1 Expand embryonic stem cell research: Favors topic 1 Rated 0% by the NRLC, indicating a pro-choice stance: Strongly Favors topic 1 Provide emergency contraception at military facilities: Favors topic 1 Protect the reproductive rights of women: Strongly 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 NO on banning partial birth abortions: Strongly Favors topic 1 NO on maintaining ban on Military Base Abortions: Favors topic 1 NO on banning partial birth abortions except for maternal life: Strongly 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 NO on barring HHS grants to organizations that perform abortions: Favors topic 1
Strongly Favors topic 2: Require hiring more women & minorities (-5 points on Economic scale)	Support reparation legislations: Strongly Favors topic 2 Marched with Martin Luther King in 1963; keep dream alive: Favors topic 2 Better economy helps blacks: Rising tide raises all boats: Opposes topic 2 I do support, and will support affirmative action: Favors topic 2 Supports affirmative action now; but phase it out by 2010: Favors topic 2 Affirmative action is “patently unfair”, in 1995: Strongly Opposes topic 2 Shift from group preferences to economic empowerment of all: Neutral on topic 2 Increase subsidies for women-owned non-profit business: Strongly Favors topic 2 Issue a commemorative postage stamp of Rosa Parks: Favors topic 2 Rated 86% by the NAACP, indicating a pro-affirmative-action stance: Strongly Favors topic 2 Recognize Juneteenth as historical end of slavery: 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)	Opposes laws against gay sex & sodomy; focus on real crime: Strongly Favors topic 3 For gay equal employment; against gay marriage: Favors topic 3 Expand “Hate Crimes” to include women, gays, and disabled: Strongly Favors topic 3 More funding and stricter sentencing for hate crimes: Strongly Favors topic 3 Rated 89% 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 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)	Non-sectarian moment of silence OK in public schools: Favors topic 4 Express religious faith in schools, within Constitution: Opposes topic 4 Christian right leaders call Lieberman an ally: Neutral on topic 4 Voted against school prayer; for condom distribution: Strongly Opposes topic 4 Rated 0% by the Christian Coalition: an anti-family voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 4 Rated 67% by the AU, a mixed record on church-state separation: Neutral on topic 4 NO on requiring schools to allow voluntary prayer: Opposes topic 4 NO on $75M for abstinence education: Strongly Opposes topic 4 NO on killing restrictions on violent videos to minors: Favors topic 4 YES on declaring memorial prayers and religious symbols OK at schools: Favors topic 4 NO on recommending Constitutional ban on flag desecration: Opposes topic 4
Favors topic 8: Death Penalty (-3 points on Social scale)	Favors death penalty, even for minors: Strongly Favors topic 8 Moratorium on death penalty; more DNA testing: Opposes topic 8 Require DNA testing for all federal executions: Opposes topic 8 YES on rejecting racial statistics in death penalty appeals: Favors topic 8 YES on limiting death penalty appeals: Favors topic 8
Opposes topic 9: Mandatory Three Strikes sentencing laws (+2 points on Social scale)	Invest in rehabilitation, not prisons: Opposes topic 9 Build more jails to keep violent offendors for full sentence: Strongly Favors topic 9 Rated 50% by CURE, indicating mixed votes on rehabilitation: Neutral on topic 9 Increase funding for "COPS ON THE BEAT" program: Opposes topic 9 Reduce recidivism by giving offenders a Second Chance: Strongly Opposes topic 9 Life imprisonment for repeat sexual predators: Strongly Favors topic 9 YES on mandatory prison terms for crimes involving firearms: Strongly Favors 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
Opposes topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (-3 points on Economic scale)	Licensing & registration violate fundamental right to guns: Strongly Favors topic 10 Safe havens: Ban guns in schools and churches: Opposes topic 10 Safety locks, background checks, & bans on sale to kids: Strongly Opposes topic 10 Prevent unauthorized firearm use with "smart gun" technology: 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 YES on banning lawsuits against gun manufacturers for gun violence: Strongly Favors topic 10 NO on prohibiting lawsuits against gun manufacturers: Strongly Opposes topic 10 YES on prohibiting foreign & UN aid that restricts US gun ownership: Favors topic 10
Favors topic 5: More federal funding for health coverage (-3 points on Economic scale)	National health insurance pool-free for poor and children: Strongly Favors topic 5 Return taxes to Clinton-era rates to improve health care: Favors topic 5 No more big-spending health plans: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Supports health insurance industry (based in Hartford CT): Strongly Favors topic 5 Limited lawsuits against HMOs and automakers: Favors topic 5 Establish "report cards" on HMO quality of care: Favors topic 5 Invest funds to alleviate the nursing shortage: Favors topic 5 Rated 100% by APHA, indicating a pro-public health record: Strongly Favors topic 5 Preserve access to Medicaid & SCHIP during economic downturn: 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<