PUP

Abortion

o According to National Abortion Rights Action League, he 72 out of 74 of his Senate votes affecting abortion are "pro-choice." The exceptions were: an amendment to the 1996 Welfare Reform Act that increased funding to states that reduced out-of-wedlock births without increasing the number of abortions; and, a vote in support of the Feinstein substitute to the "partial birth abortion" ban that prohibited abortion of a post-viability fetus unless the woman's life is at stake.
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o Lieberman has said, "When I was in the state senate I would agonize and agonize over this. And I did occasionally consult rabbinical sources over the generations. Ultimately I decided that, after all my struggling with this question, we really had to respect the right of women to choose."
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o Supported Clinton's "partial birth abortion" ban veto and agrees that partial birth abortion should be used only when a woman's life is at stake.
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o Supports parental notification legislation if it contains strong judicial bypass language (a minor could get approval from a court instead of a parent). Has voted against two pieces of parental notification legislation that did not have adequate judicial bypass language. This differs from Gore, who currently opposes any barrier to abortion.
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Budget

o Supports a balanced budget but voted against the Balanced Budget Amendment.

Campaign Finance

o Supports a campaign finance overhaul.
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o Voted to ban unregulated gifts (soft money) to political parties.
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Civil Rights and Liberties

o Opposes affirmative action. This differs from Gore, who supports maintaining affirmative action.
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o Favors a moment of silence in schools.
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o Voted to make it easier to sue employers for discrimination.
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o Voted to expand hate crimes to include those based on the victim's sex, sexual orientation, or disability.
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o Helped pass the International Religious Freedom Act, which promotes the right to worship freely around the world.
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o Opposes federal legislation to recognize same sex marriages.
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o Sponsored legislation to outlaw job discrimination against gays and lesbians.
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o Backed a 1994 bill to deny federal money to schools presenting material "supportive of homosexuality."
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o Opposed a Constitutional amendment prohibiting flag desecration.
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Crime

o Favors the death penalty.
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o Voted to limit death penalty appeals.
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o Supported Clinton's 1994 crime bill.
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Defense

o Co-authored the Gulf War resolution backing the U.S.-led war to expel Iraq from Kuwait in 1991. Lieberman and Gore supported the Persian Gulf War. (SJ Res 2, 1991)
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o Lieberman broke with the Clinton-Gore administration to co-sponsor legislation requiring Clinton to break the UN embargo on sending arms to Bosnia.
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o Since 1992, has supported development of an anti-missile defense shield.
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o Supported te Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.
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o Pushed for "final victory" over Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.
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o Favored F-15 sales to Saudi Arabia in 1992.
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o Favored sending ground troops to Bosnia after the war ended in 1995.
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o Favored action against Bosnian Serb war criminals.
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o Favored NATO's expansion in Eastern Europe.
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o Favored maintaining funding for the Seawolf submarine.
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o Favored maintaining funding for the submarine base in Groton, Connecticut.
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o Backed the U.S. invasion of Panama in 1989.
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o Spoke against an American ultimatum to Israel in spring of 1998.
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o Led a fight supporting sanctions to stop Russia from exporting missile technology to Iran in 1998.
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o Urged the Armed Services Chairman, Senator John Warner, to increase emphasis on terrorism and other "non-conventional" threats.
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o Voiced support the 1983 invasion of Grenada in 1988.
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o Supported selling military aircraft to Egypt.
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Drugs

o In 1988, supported military involvement in drug interdiction.

Education

o In 1992, 1994,and 1996, sponsored and voted for experimental tuition voucher programs, allowing low-income parents to send their children to private or religious schools. This differs from Gore, who opposes tuition vouchers.
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o Supports expanding funding for charter schools.
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o Supports creating tax-free education savings accounts to help families with the cost of public, private, or religious school.
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o Authored reform legislation that would increase funding for disadvantaged students, give states and localities greater flexibility, and create new accountability standards.
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o Lieberman's children have attended private elementary and secondary schools.
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Environment

o Voted for the Byrd/Hagel Resolution calling on the Clinton Administration to not to sign the Kyoto Protocol because it failed to require the involvement of developing countries and might hurt the U.S. economy. This differs from Gore, who supports the Kyoto protocol, even without developing counties' participation.
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o Said, "As a committed Jew, fundamental to our religious tradition is the notion that there is a God who created the world and everything on it. That really has contributed to the priority I've given to environmental protection as a matter related to our stewardship, our trusteeship over the Earth."
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o Co-sponsored the Clean Air Act of 1990.
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o Supported an EPA project which allows companies greater flexibility in achieving specific pollution control goals.
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o Opposed oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
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Foreign Affairs

o Supported allowing a vote to give the president fast-track trade negotiating authority.
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o Supports the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
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o Supports Most Favored Nation (MFN) status for China.
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o Voted for the U.S. to pay arrears to the United Nations without conditions. o
o Opposed a cut in U.S. aid to Vietnam.
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Gun Control

o Supports gun control measures.
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o Backed legislation requiring a five-day waiting period for handgun purchases.
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o Supported a ban on semiautomatic assault-type weapons.
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Health Care

o Opposed the Clinton/Gore universal health care plan in favor of a more limited plan proposed by insurance companies.Gore supports moving incrementally toward universal health insurance.
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o Supported gradually raising the eligibility age for Medicare benefits to correspond to Social Security benefits. The 1996 vote called for adjusting the eligibility age to 70 by the year 2030 in two-month increments. This differs from Gore, who opposes raising the eligibility age.
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o Supported the Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare which the Clinton Administration opposed.
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Labor

o Voted in favor of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
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o Supports Most Favored Nation (MFN) status for China.
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o Opposed allowing a vote that would have permitted companies to offer comp time instead of overtime pay.
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o Has supported increases in the minimum wage.
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o Has supported stronger health and safety enforcement.
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o Supports workers' right to unionize.
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o Opposes "company unions."
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o Opposes national right to work legislation.
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o Opposes striker replacement.
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Law

o Is a tort reform advocate. This differs from Gore, who has opposed efforts to change tort law.
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o Was a sponsor of Auto Choice reform, which allows car owners to opt out of pain and suffering damages in order to get cheaper insurance premiums.
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o Teamed up with Senator John McCain to support legal protections for suppliers of raw materials used to produce medical devises.
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o Voted to make it easier to sue employers for discrimination.
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o Voted against Clarence Thomas's Supreme Court confirmation.
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o Voted to limit death penalty appeals.
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Morality

o Critical of daytime television shows that focus on sex and violence. Has called on advertisers to cancel their television buys during such programming.
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o Co-authored legislation which requires all new televisions eventually be equipped with "v-chips," electronic devices that enable parents to block out programs.
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o With former Education Secretary William Bennett, criticized "gangsta rap" music and shamed Time Warner into selling their Interscope label in 1995.
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o In 1998, Lieberman and former Education Secretary William Bennett began handing out "Silver Sewer Awards" to single out producers of sexually explicit and violent films, music, television programs and video games. However, in his most recent financial disclosure forms, Lieberman listed holdings of Fox and CBS stocks - two companies slapped with "Silver Sewer" status.
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o Helped pass a voluntary video games rating system. Along with the National Institute n Media and the Family, he periodically issues "report cards," assessing the video game industry's voluntary rating system. Manufacturers developed the system after Lieberman and Senator Herb Kohl threatened to push legislation requiring mandatory ratings.
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Social Security

o Supports the partial privatization of Social Security. This differs fromGgore's current position of opposition to privatization of Social Security.
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Taxes

o Supports across-the-board capital gains tax cuts. This differs from Gore, who supports only targeted capital gains tax cuts.
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o Voted to raise the limit on income exempt from the estate tax but not to eliminate the tax.
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o Supported Clinton's 1993 tax increase.
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o Supported a vote to raise tobacco taxes.
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o Supported raising gas taxes in 1993.
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Technology

o Supported new funding for research and development in science and technology.
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o Supports a moratorium on Internet taxes.
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Welfare

o Supported the 1996 Welfare Reform Act.
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o Supports allowing low-income families to use Individual Development Accounts.