Poll: Americans Back Late Abortion Ban, Women More Pro-Life

A new poll show Americans are strongly in favor of banning late abortions and do not like the fact that abortion is legal up to the point of birth in the nation’s capital or that unborn children can be killed after the point at which they can feel pain.

The Polling Company conducted a nationwide survey of Americans for the National Right to Life Committee to focus on legislation Congress is currently considering.

One bill, the District of Columbia Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (H.R. 3803), is scheduled to be voted on by the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, July 18. The measure is important because the District of Columbia has no abortion law — meaning abortions are legal up to birth for any reason.

However, by a 2-to-1 margin (58-27%), American adults, once informed of the current abortion policy in the nation’s capital – legal abortion, for any reason, until birth – would be more likely to vote for lawmakers who support a pending bill that would not permit abortion in the District of Columbia after 22 weeks of pregnancy (20 weeks after fertilization), except to save a mother’s life.

The poll found women were less likely to support members of Congress who favored abortion to the point of birth compared with men.

The polling firm asked:

Currently, within the District of Columbia, the nation’s capital, there is no abortion law at all.  This means that abortion is legal there, for any reason, right up until the moment of birth.  This summer, Congress is considering a bill that would not allow abortion in the District of Columbia after 22 weeks of pregnancy – which means after the beginning of the sixth month of pregnancy – unless the mother’s life is in danger.  Would you be more or less likely to vote for a Member of Congress who votes in favor of this bill? And would you be (ROTATED) more or less likely to vote for a Member of Congress who votes in favor of this bill? (PROBED: And would that be MUCH or SOMEWHAT MORE/LESS LIKELY?)

58% TOTAL MORE LIKELY (NET) [women: 62%; men: 53%]
38% MUCH MORE LIKELY
20% SOMEWHAT MORE LIKELY

27% TOTAL LESS LIKELY (NET) [women: 27%; men, 27%]
8% SOMEWHAT LESS LIKELY
19% MUCH LESS LIKELY

12% MAKES NO DIFFERENCE/DEPENDS (VOLUNTEERED)
2% DO NOT KNOW (VOLUNTEERED)
1% REFUSED (VOLUNTEERED) ...