eCatholicHub - candidate comparison senate

disclaimer* Many political candidates have nuanced (and often too veiled) positions. We highly recomend that you...
I) see footnotes below the table to read the candidates statements or votes.
II) see true explanation of table's color classifications below the table.

RED : Candidate politically opposes
(in this instance) Catholic teaching
on one of the Five Non-Negotiables.

YELLOW: Candidate neither fully
opposes nor fully promotes (in this
instance) Catholic teaching on one
of the Five Non-Negotiables.
(Please click to view more.)

GREEN : Candidate politically promotes
(in this instance) Catholic teaching on
one of the Five Non-Negotiables.

On the issue of
ABORTION
the candidate...

Opposes Catholic
Teaching ^1a

Promotes
Catholic
Teaching ^1b

On the issue of
EUTHANASIA
the candidate..

Opposes Catholic
Teaching ^2a

Promotes
Catholic
Teaching ^2b

On the issue of
EMBRYONIC STEM
CELL RESEARCH
the candidate...

Opposes Catholic
Teaching ^3a

Promotes
Catholic
Teaching ^3b

On the issue of
HUMAN CLONING
the candidate...

Opposes Catholic
Teaching ^4a

Promotes
Catholic
Teaching ^4b

On the issue of
HOMOSEXUAL
"MARRIAGE"
the candidate...

Opposes Catholic
Teaching ^5a

Promotes
Catholic
Teaching ^5b

MEANING OF COLOR CLASSIFICATIONS

I.
If a candidate receives a classification...

RED , this does not necessarily mean that the candidate is 100% in favor of the non-negotiable issue, only that the candidate's views find (some) serious and clear departure from that of the Catholic Church.

YELLOW, this does not mean that the candidate is 50% in favor of the non-negotiable issue, only that there are details of the candidate's views that require the voter's compitant understanding. Please click on the yellow boxes.

GREEN , does not mean that the Church supports or endorses a specific candidate, only that the candidate agrees with the teaching of the Catholic Church on the specific non-negotiable.

II.
Therefore if both candidates receive the same classification on a specific non-negotiable this does not necessarily mean that the candidates' positions are similar, nor that they carry the same degree of similarity or difference from the teaching of the Catholic Church.

FOOTNOTES ON THE ISSUES

ABORTION
Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2000
Amends the Federal criminal code to prohibit any physician from knowingly performing a partial-birth abortion in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, unless it is necessary to save the mother's life that is endangered by a physical disorder, illness, or injury. Prescribes penalties. (THOMAS, Library of Congress - link)

1a - Rep. Udall voted: "nay".
1b - Former Rep. Schaffer voted: "yea".

(For more information about Schaffer's voting record concerning abortion - see THOMAS, Library of Congress H.R. 1218 - 6/30/99)
(For more information about Udall's voting record concerning abortion - see THOMAS, Library of Congress H.R. 1218 - 6/30/99)

EUTHANASIA
Pain Relief Promotion Act of 1999 - Title I: Use of Controlled Substances Consistent With the Controlled Substances Act
Amends the Controlled Substances Act to provide that for purposes of such Act, alleviating pain or discomfort in the usual course of professional practice is a legitimate medical purpose for the dispensing, distributing, or administering of a controlled substance consistent with public health and safety even if the use of such a substance may increase the risk of death. Declares that nothing in this Act authorizes intentionally dispensing or administering a controlled substance for purposes of causing death or assisting another person in causing death. (THOMAS, Library of Congress - link)

2a - Rep. Udall voted "nay".
2b - Former Rep. Schaffer voted "yea".

EMBRYONIC STEM CELL RESEARCH
Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007
Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct and support research that utilizes human embryonic stem cells, regardless of the date on which the stem cells were derived from a human embryo, provided such embryos:
(1) have been donated from in vitro fertilization clinics;
(2) were created for the purposes of fertility treatment;
(3) were in excess of the needs of the individuals seeking such treatment and would never be implanted in a woman and would otherwise be discarded (as determined in consultation with the individuals seeking fertility treatment); and
(4) were donated by such individuals with written informed consent and without any financial or other inducements.

3a - Rep. Udall voted "yea"

3b - Former Rep. Schaffer is for protecting the life of embryos.

Colorado Springs Gazette Article

WASHINGTON - To Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo., research using human stem cells from discarded embryos represents a great hope for curing her young daughter's diabetes. To Rep. Bob Schaffer, R-Colo., that same medical research is akin to abortion because it results in the destruction of living embryos. Gazette, The (Colorado Springs), Jul 16, 2001 by Mary Boyle

*see also Rep. Udall comments (here) on a later bill that attempted to overide the Presidents veto. It should be noted that the original bill (H.R. 810 also referred to as the Castle-Degtte Stem Cell Research bill) was vetoed by the President due to the bills call for the allocation of Federal funds to be used for Embryonic Stem Cell Research and not merely a general Stem Cell Research as the title of the bill and Rep. Mark Udall's comments suggest.
Obviously there is a critical distinction between research involving adult stem cells and that of embryonic stem cells.

HUMAN CLONING
Human Cloning Prohibition Act of 2001
   Prohibits any person or entity, in or affecting interstate commerce, from knowingly:
(1) performing or attempting to perform human cloning;
(2) participating in such an attempt;
(3) shipping or receiving an embryo produced by human cloning or any product derived from such embryo; or
(4) importing such an embryo or product.
                        (THOMAS, Library of Congress - link)

(As opposed to other bills who veil the true/full definintion of human cloning - see Senate Bill 1520 - the term "HUMAN CLONING" in this bill is correctly defined - "`human cloning' means human asexual reproduction, accomplished by introducing nuclear material from one or more human somatic cells into a fertilized or unfertilized oocyte whose nuclear material has been removed or inactivated so as to produce a living organism (at any stage of development) that is genetically virtually identical to an existing or previously exisiting human organism."
                        (THOMAS, Library of Congress - link)

4a - Rep. Udall voted: "nay".
4b - Former Rep. Schaffer voted: "yea".

HOMOSEXUAL MARRIAGE

5a - Statement from Mark Udall's website

"I have consistently opposed efforts to amend the U.S. Constitution to ban same-sex marriage."

"it's plainly not right to prevent a child from being adopted by loving, nurturing parents simply because of their sexual orientation"

Info found at http://www.markudall.com/content/page/equality_for_the_glbt_community

5b - Schaffer Voted YES on banning gay adoptions in DC.

Vote on an amendment banning adoptions in District of Columbia by gays or other individuals who are not related by blood or marriage.

Reference: Amendment introduced by Largent, R-OK; Bill HR 2587 ; vote number 1999-346 on Jul 29, 1999