Despite the seeming popularity of the Pro-Choice movement in recent media, including President Obama's own support in last night's State of the Union address, a new poll shows that 84% of Americans want "significant restrictions on abortion" and strongly support legislation that would ban late-term abortions.
The Marist University survey found that the call for more legislation came from both sides of the fence as those who identified as pro-life and pro-choice both agreed that restrictions are needed.
The majority of those surveyed in the poll agreed that abortions should be limited to the first three month of pregnancy if done at all. This solution was chosen by 69% of those who identified themselves as pro-choice in the poll. This backs up the findings of other national surveys that show Americans strongly supporting the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act that bans abortions for those over 20 weeks along in their pregnancy. Only 30% said that they would appose such a law.
"Four decades after Roe v. Wade, the American people remain unhappy with its legacy," said Knights of Columbus CEO Carl Anderson, head of the group that commissioned Marist University to conduct the poll.
In an interview with LifeNews.com, Anderson commented on the survey's findings. "The survey makes clear that the American people understand that abortion is far too common, and causes great harm," he said. "And even those who consider themselves 'pro-choice' want it reduced significantly. It is time that our lawmakers respond to this public consensus with appropriate legislation."
But regardless of the results of this poll and others like it conducted in recent years, President Obama has already threatened to veto the PCUCP bill that would ban late-term abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
According to a statement from White House officials, "The Administration strongly opposes H.R. 36, which would unacceptably restrict women's health and reproductive rights and is an assault on a woman's right to choose. Women should be able to make their own choices about their bodies and their health care, and Government should not inject itself into decisions best made between a woman and her doctor. If the President were presented with this legislation, his senior advisors would recommend that he veto this bill."
When asked about the enactment of laws protecting both the woman and the baby, another 84% of those polled agreed that those would be an important addition. But overall, 60% agreed that abortion is morally wrong.
Other important results of the poll, according to a report at LifeNews.com, include:
- 64 percent say the nation's abortion rate is higher than it should be. Only 7 percent thinks it is too low.
- 78 percent support parental notification before a minor can obtain an abortion.
- 68 percent oppose taxpayer funding of abortion, while only 28 percent support it.
- By nearly three to one, Americans see abortion as doing a woman more harm than good in the long run (59 percent to 22 percent).
- By 20 points (57 percent to 37 percent), Americans support proposed legislation that would permit medical professionals and organizations to refuse to provide abortions or refer patients for abortions.
The survey was conducted with 2,079 adults from January 7 through January 13, 2015. All participants were 18 years of age or older and lived in the continental United States.
