A new Marist/Knights of Columbus poll out this week confirms the Institute for Pro-Life Advancement poll released last month that reveals a majority of Millennials support banning abortion in all or most circumstances. It also confirms that the pro-life label is flawed as 54% of Millennials self-identified as pro-choice and 39% as pro-life.
The IPA’s polling closely mirrors the Marist poll. The IPA data showed that 53% of Millennials think abortion should illegal in all or most circumstances. The Marist poll said 52%. On the question of self-identification, the IPA poll showed 48% claimed they were pro-choice and 36% said pro-life.
Some new information from the Knights of Columbus/Marist poll was encouraging for the current trend of legislation that seeks to protect women from predatory and unsafe abortionists and abortion facilities.
Millennials are the age group that most strongly supports equal medical standards: Nearly 8 in 10 Americans (78 percent) want abortion clinics to be held to the same standards as other outpatient surgery centers. This includes 77 percent of African Americans and 82 percent of Latinos, as well as 77 percent of women, and 84 percent of millennials. About three quarters of those who identify as pro-choice (74 percent) agree, as do strong majorities regardless of party affiliation.
Millennials unequivocally support admitting privileges requirements for abortionists: 70 percent of Americans want doctors who perform abortions to be required to have hospital admitting privileges. This includes 71 percent of women, 77 percent of millennials, and 78 percent of Latinos, Pro-life and pro-choice adherents are also equally likely to support such a requirement at a rate of 7 in 10 for each group (71 percent).
The Democratic National Convention this week approved a platform that calls for the repeal of the Hyde Amendment, which would force taxpayers to directly fund abortion, more funding for Planned Parenthood and the deletion of “rare” from the oft-used tagline of “abortion should be safe, legal and rare” that former president Bill Clinton coined. This platform is wildly extreme and out-of-touch with what voters want.
Taxpayer funding for abortion is opposed by 62 percent of Americans. This includes 65 percent of African Americans, 61 percent of Latinos, and 45 percent of those who say they are pro-choice, as well as 84 percent of Republicans, 61 percent of Independents, 44 percent of Democrats and 58 percent of millennials.
On the important issue of conscience rights – whether or not healthcare professionals should be forced to do abortions against their conscience or lose their jobs – Americans have strong opinions that these rights should be protected. By almost 20 points, a majority of Americans (56 percent to 37 percent) do not believe that healthcare providers should be forced to perform abortions against their conscience or religious beliefs. This includes 6 in 10 Latinos (61 percent) and 4 in 10 who identify as pro-choice (41 percent). Fifty-two percent of millennials believe conscience rights should be protected.
