With Roe v. Wade under attack, a new survey reveals Democrats think the government should do more to defend abortion rights.
A December survey by the Associated Press-NORC Institute for Public Affairs Research found 13% of Democrats would like the national government to handle abortion or reproductive freedom in 2022.
This is an increase from the 1% of Democrats who felt it was a concern for 2021 and 3% who saw it as a concern for 2020.
More Democrats Prioritizing Abortion Rights In 2022, Poll Finds As States Already Trying To Restrict—And Expand—Access https://t.co/mBuA45t823 pic.twitter.com/K1MDbs1nHB
— Forbes (@Forbes) January 13, 2022
Reasons for Concern
The current climate, COVID-19, healthcare, and gun control were among the top five problems for Democrats in the poll.
The fact that reproductive rights are now a top priority for Democrats implies the topic is ringing as the Supreme Court examines cases that may severely restrict abortion access.
According to deputy director Jennifer Benz, the public has several concerns. When asked about this subject amid a time of economic hardship, a pandemic, and other issues, one may not expect abortion to come up.
Conservatives on the Supreme Court view this as their highest probability in years of reversing Roe v. Wade, the 1973 ruling that legalized abortion nationwide.
During arguments, the Supreme Court also hinted it would maintain a Mississippi statute that bars abortions beyond 15 weeks of pregnancy. It will be announced in June.
With Roe v. Wade facing its strongest threat in decades, a new poll finds Democrats increasingly view protecting abortion rights as a high priority for the government.
— Newsmax (@newsmax) January 13, 2022
Benz said the abortion polling results are “stark.” Abortion is a driving issue for Republicans, but not for Democrats.
Benz noted in the 1980s and 1990s, anti-abortion activists had stronger sentiments and valued the subject more deeply than pro-choice activists.
This may change. The Planned Parenthood Action Fund’s Sam Lau says more Americans are noticing the problem of abortion availability.
He believes they have witnessed an increased awareness, intensity, and the need to strike back. However, he thinks large sections of this group still don’t feel abortion access and the 50-year precedent of Roe v. Wade are genuinely in jeopardy.
It permits states to restrict, but not outlaw, abortion up to fetal viability, which is around 24 weeks.
According to the Guttmacher Institute, a pro-choice research group, if Roe and Casey were reversed in June, abortion would soon be prohibited or highly limited in about half of the states.
That’s only months before Democrats face difficult midterm elections.
Basic Healthcare
Lau says citizens are coming to realize they can’t rely on the judiciary to preserve their rights and access to primary healthcare.
They are urging elected politicians who support reproductive healthcare to be bold and proactive in protecting abortion access, Lau added. He believes voters will go to the polls to support politicians who will defend their healthcare and reproductive rights.
According to polls, few Americans want Roe reversed. In the 2020 presidential election, 69% of voters believed the Supreme Court should uphold the Roe v. Wade decision, while only 29% said it should be overturned.
Abortion is lawful in most or all circumstances, according to AP-NORC polls. Many people believe women should not receive a legal abortion after the first trimester for any reason.
For Rachelle Dunn, 41, who knew ladies in high school, college, and adulthood who wanted abortions, it’s simply healthcare.
