More Americans than not want the Supreme Court to clear the way for states to place restrictions on abortion as the justices consider overruling the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling.
The annual Knights of Columbus/Marist Poll released Thursday found that 44% of U.S. adults surveyed supported the court allowing “certain restrictions on abortions as determined by each state,” while 17% said they wanted the justices to “make abortion illegal.”
Another 36% said they wanted abortion to be “legal without restriction at any time,” while 3% were unsure.
The findings come with the high court weighing whether pre-viability restrictions on abortion are legal in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, a case that has become a rallying cry for advocates on both sides of the debate.
“As we await a decision in the Supreme Court case Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, our polling continues to show that over 60% of Americans reject the central holding of Roe v. Wade, and want to return the decision to the states or make abortion illegal,” said KOC Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly.
The poll question asked: “Which comes closest to your view of what the Supreme Court should do when it reconsiders Roe vs Wade, the 1973 ruling making abortion legal in the United States?”
The survey also found that 54% oppose taxpayer funding for abortion; 73% oppose funding abortions abroad; 71% support legal limits on abortion, and 63% oppose allowing abortion pills to be sent through the mail, which the Food and Drug Administration authorized last month, instead of being prescribed in person.
Those results were consistent with the pro-life position, even though 55% of those surveyed said they considered themselves pro-choice and 40% said they were pro-life.
“When it comes to the direction of government policy, there has been consistency and consensus in American public opinion on the issue of abortion over the decades,” said Barbara Carvalho, director of the Marist Poll.
A new Knights of Columbus/Marist Poll shows that a majority of Americans support legal limits on abortion. Learn more: https://t.co/phVpXiHX8A
— Knights of Columbus (@KofC) January 20, 2022
Indeed, a majority of those polled has long opposed taxpayer funding of abortion even as President Biden and congressional Democrats seek to jettison the 46-year-old Hyde Amendment, which bars using federal dollars to pay for abortion procedures.
“Our polling also shows that Americans oppose policies that divert tax dollars to pay for abortion here and abroad. This is especially relevant as the bipartisan Hyde Amendment prohibiting taxpayer funding of abortion is in danger,” said Mr. Kelly. “As a supermajority of Americans believe laws can protect both women and the unborn, the Knights of Columbus will continue to stand with them in supporting the dignity and worth of every human life.”
The survey of 1,004 adults, including 849 registered voters, was conducted Jan. 4-9 and released ahead of the 49th annual March for Life on Friday, which begins on the National Mall.
