A newly published survey from the Knights of Columbus and Marist has determined the vast majority of Americans — 76% of them — support “significant restrictions” on abortion access.
According to the poll, 77% of respondents said they either “oppose” or “strongly oppose” the use of taxpayer dollars to support abortion internationally — a finding released as President Joe Biden has rescinded the Mexico City Policy, a rule that bars U.S. federal monies from going to non-governmental organizations that provide abortion, grant abortion referrals, or in any way advocate for abortion services, according to CBN News.
March for Life President Jeanne Mancini described Biden’s decision to reverse the Mexico City Policy as “deeply disturbing.” It’s worth noting, of course, that the policy, first implemented by former President Ronald Reagan, is historically invoked by Republican presidents and then summarily undone by their Democratic successors.
As for the poll, which surveyed 1,173 American adults from Jan. 11 to 13, it found that 53% of respondents identified themselves as pro-choice. By contrast, 43% said they are pro-life. Within those two groups, 20% of Democrats said they consider themselves pro-life while 78% of Republicans said the same.
The respondents are, though, mostly aligned (58%) in their opposition to the use of tax dollars to pay for abortion services within the U.S. Furthermore, among those who described themselves as “pro-choice,” 64% said they oppose the use of U.S. federal dollars to prop up abortion services in other countries.
Americans are, according to the survey, also very united over aborting babies diagnosed with Down syndrome. Seventy percent of the poll’s respondents said they are against aborting a baby based solely on such a prenatal diagnosis. Even 56% of those who identify as “pro-choice” said they either “oppose” or “strongly oppose” abortion based on a potential Down syndrome diagnosis.
Earlier this week, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) introduced legislation in her state to ban abortions based solely on Down syndrome diagnoses.
“Amidst the harsh political divides in our country, clear bipartisan majorities support abortion restrictions and do not want their tax dollars paying for abortion abroad,” said Carl Anderson, the supreme knight of the Knights of Columbus. “Our polling has shown consistently over the past decade that policies that promote abortion on demand paid for by taxpayers are divisive and out of step with American public opinion.”
Dr. Barbara Cavalho, director fo The Marist Poll, similarly surmised there is “a strong consensus” among Americans who have a distaste for the use of tax money for abortion services.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases as well as Biden’s chief medical adviser, said earlier this month that the president would rescind the Mexico City Policy as part of his “broader commitment to protect women’s health and advance gender equality at home and around the world.”
In addition, last week, Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris released a statement celebrating the anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1973 decision on Roe v. Wade, which gave legal cover to abortion nationwide.