CNN Poll: 61% Oppose Tax-Funded Abortions, 63% Oppose All or Most Abortions

[kwilliams1130]

http://www.lifenews.com/nat5677.html

by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
November 18, 2009

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- As Congress remains embroiled in a massive debate over whether to force Americans to pay for abortions through the new government-run health care programs, a new CNN poll finds 61 percent oppose government funding abortions with public dollars.

The poll found six in ten Americans favor a ban on using federal funds for abortions, such as the Stupak amendment recently added to the health care bill in the House.

The new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released today shows 61 percent oppose taxpayer funding of abortions while just 37 percent are supportive.

The CNN poll goes further and finds that a majority of Americans, by a 51 to 45 percent margin, believe women should be required to use their own money to pay for abortions even if they have private health insurance and no government money is involved. They did not think health insurance should pay for abortions.

CNN Polling Director Keating Holland said that the poll results show "for most Americans, potential restrictions on abortion may not be a dealbreaker" in supporting the health care bill.

The CNN survey has important implications for Congress as the Senate begins debating a bill that will likely fund abortions and as pro-abortion President Barack Obama threatens to yank the abortion funding ban from the House bill.

The poll also asked a vague question about when Americans support or oppose abortions.

The question, "Do you think abortion should be legal in most circumstances or only a few circumstances?" doesn't lend itself to any constructive analysis because it does not spell out what circumstances constitute "most" or "a few." Other polls breaking down when women have abortions find about 55 percent of Americans oppose 98 percent of all abortions.

In the new CNN survey, 26 percent said abortions should be legal under any circumstances, 23 percent said abortions should be illegal under any circumstances and 50 percent said they should only be legal under certain circumstances.

If those certain circumstances are defined as the very rare cases of rape or incest or when the life of the mother is threatened by the pregnancy, then 73 percent of Americans oppose 98 percent of the 1.2 million abortions that take place every year in the United States.

A second CNN question validates that contention.

It found 63 percent of Americans say abortion should be illegal in all cases or only in a few cases while just 36 percent say abortion should be legal in most cases or in all cases.

The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll was conducted November 13-15, with 1,014 adult Americans questioned by telephone.

Related web sites:
CNN poll results - http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/11/17/rel17f.pdf

[RNsteph]

Nov. 18, 2009 at 12:15 PM

I am fairly liberal, and I am pro choice, however, I personally abhor abortion and don't want any of my tax money to pay for it.

[kwilliams1130]

Nov. 19, 2009 at 9:23 AM

I definitely do not think tax payer money should fund abortion either.

(Original Poster)

[kwilliams1130]

Nov. 20, 2009 at 6:53 AM

http://republicanleader.house.gov/blog/?p=690

Sen. Reid’s Government-Run Health Plan Requires a Monthly Abortion Fee

Posted by GOP Leader Press Office on November 19th, 2009

 

Follow @GOPLeader on Twitter for updates.

Just like the original 2,032-page, government-run health care plan from Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA), Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s (D-NV) massive, 2,074-page bill would levy a new “abortion premium” fee on Americans in the government-run plan. 

Beginning on line 7, p. 118, section 1303 under “Voluntary Choice of Coverage of Abortion Services” the Health and Human Services Secretary is given the authority to determine when abortion is allowed under the government-run health plan.  Leader Reid’s plan also requires that at least one insurance plan offered in the Exchange covers abortions (line 13, p. 120).

What is even more alarming is that a monthly abortion premium will be charged of all enrollees in the government-run health plan.  It’s right there beginning on line 11, page 122, section 1303, under “Actuarial Value of Optional Service Coverage.”  The premium will be paid into a U.S. Treasury account – and these federal funds will be used to pay for the abortion services.

Section 1303(a)(2)(C) describes the process in which the Health Benefits Commissioner is to assess the monthly premiums that will be used to pay for elective abortions under the government-run health plan and for those who are given an affordability credit to purchase insurance coverage that includes abortion through the Exchange.  The Commissioner must charge at a minimum $1 per enrollee per month.

A majority of Americans believe that health care plans should not be mandated to provide elective abortion coverage, and a majority of Americans do not believe government health care plans should include abortion coverage. Currently, federal appropriations bills include language known as the Hyde Amendment that prohibits the use of federal funds to pay for elective abortions under the Medicare and Medicaid programs, while another provision, known as the Smith Amendment, prohibits federal funding of abortion under the federal employees’ health benefits plan.

Leader Reid’s 2,074-page health care monstrosity is an affront to the American people and drastically moves away from current policy.  The National Right to Life Committee has called the Reid abortion language “completely unacceptable.” The American people deserve more from their government than being forced to pay for abortion.  The pro-life Stupak/Pitts amendment passed the House by a vote of 240 to 194, enjoying the overwhelming support of 176 Republicans and 64 Democrats.  The Stupak/Pitts Amendment codifies current law by prohibiting federal funding of elective abortions under any government-run plan or plans available under the Exchange.  The Reid plan ignores the will of a bipartisan majority of the House, and indeed the American people, by rejecting this bipartisan amendment.

Health care reform should not be used as an opportunity to use federal funds to pay for elective abortions. Health reform should be an opportunity to protect human life – not end it – and the American people agree.  House Republicans have offered a common-sense, responsible solution that would reduce health care costs and expand access while protecting the dignity of all human life. The Republican plan, available at HealthCare.GOP.gov, would codify the Hyde Amendment and prohibit all authorized and appropriated federal funds from being used to pay for abortion. And under the Republican plan, any health plan that includes abortion coverage may not receive federal funds.

(Original Poster)