Great Lakes Wire

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) federal abortion ban proposal after 15 weeks has the backing of the majority of Americans, according to a recent poll.  

Graham's abortion ban proposal would “bring U.S. abortion policy in line with other nations,” according to a press release from his website. The bill would restrict abortions after the 15-week gestation period, except in the cases of rape, incest or the life of the mother. According to the release, it “puts the United States in line with other modern societies – 47 out of 50 European nations limit elective abortion prior to 15 weeks gestation.”

“We will introduce legislation, along with a lot of my colleagues, to basically get America in a position at the federal level. I think that is fairly consistent with the rest of the world…that would say after 15 weeks, no abortion on demand except in cases of rape, incest, to save the life of the mother and that should be where America’s at,” Graham said about his proposed bill.

The Trafalgar Group recently conducted a Federal Abortion Law Nationwide Survey last week of 1,077 respondents who are likely to vote in the general election and found 59.1% of respondents back preventing abortions after 15 weeks and 40.9% back a women’s right to an abortion at any point during pregnancy.

Trafalgar’s polling methodology includes “live callers, integrated voice response, text messages, emails and two other proprietary digital methods we don’t share publicly,” noted on the Trafalgar website.

Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI), a pro-choice Democrat who supported the Women’s Health Protection Act, spoke against Graham’s 15-week abortion ban proposal and said “it’s great that [Republicans are] showing the American people that they’re really focused on taking away a fundamental right,” according to Politico.

The numbers in the Trafalgar Group’s poll are similar to the poll conducted by the Wall Street Journal.

According to a WSJ analysis from April that surveyed 1,500 voters, 48% of voters support a 15-week ban on abortion, except in cases of the mother’s health, and 43% oppose it.

Although this analysis was completed before Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court, state legislators in Arizona and Florida were already pushing for a 15-week ban within their state.

WSJ cites a Center for Disease Control (CDC) poll that found 95% of abortions in 2019 took place during or up to 15 weeks.

“There has to be a valid reason (for an abortion)” after 15 weeks, Joann Belmares, 59 of Pennsylvania said. “Has to be more than ‘I just changed my mind,’” according to the WSJ. 

Others support a ban at six weeks, similar to a law in Texas and Idaho. Molly Murphy, a Democrat who ran the WSJ poll, said the differing opinions “speaks to the conflict in people’s minds on this issue. Most people want abortion to be legal, but where you draw the line varies.”

A Harris poll, conducted by Harvard’s Center for Political Studies (CAPS), asked 1,308 voters their thoughts on abortion from June 28-29, right after Roe was overturned. The poll found “a majority of voters expect a rollback of abortion rights at the state level."