A new poll conducted by the Polling Company and WomanTrend reveals a majority of Americans, 54 percent, oppose giving tax dollars for family planning services to organizations that perform abortions.
The poll also shows the intensity of this position, with 43 percent “strongly” oppose any federal funds going to abortion providers such as Planned Parenthood, while just 20 percent “strongly” support federal funds going to abortion businesses.
“President Obama and congressional Democrats who fought to preserve funding for their political ally, Planned Parenthood, have snubbed the majority of Americans, both pro-life and pro-choice, who don’t want their money going to America’s largest abortion provider,” said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List, in response. “Planned Parenthood has raked in more than $300 million in profits over the past four years and 54 percent of Americans shouldn’t be coerced into contributing to an organization they don’t believe in, just by paying their taxes. The arrogance of forcing them to do so is dumbfounding.”
Kellyanne Conway, the president of the Polling Company firm said the support for de-funding Planned Parenthood crosses lines on the abortion debate.
“Even 26 percent of pro-choice adherents rejected diverting taxpayer dollars for family planning organizations that provide abortions,” Conway said. “Some Americans may have positive attitudes toward Planned Parenthood, but may also reject the underlying premise that federal funding for family planning organizations should be fungible for abortions.”
Breaking down the results further, the poll found 82 percent of those who say they are pro-life responded yes when asked, “Do you support or oppose tax dollars for family planning services going to organizations that perform abortions?” Another 26 percent of people who say they are “pro-choice” on abortion agreed. Some 12 percent of pro-life people support funding Planned Parenthood while 70 percent of those “pro-choice” do.
The poll also found women opposed funding Planned Parenthood on a 51-40 percent margin, Hispanics opposed funding 47-45 percent, blacks opposed funding 62-26 percent, independents opposed funding 52-36, while 18-34 year-old respondents opposed Planned Parenthood funding on a 54-38 percent margin.
People living in the South opposed funding the most while those in the northeast and Midwest also opposed funding while people living in the West were supportive. Republicans opposed funding 77-20 percent while Democrats backed it on a 55-38 percent margin.
Those in the 35-44 age range were the only age category to support Planned Parenthood funding.
This nationwide survey of 1,000 Americans aged 18+ was conducted April 7-10, 2011 at a Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) phone facility using live callers. The margin of error is calculated at +/- 3.1% at the 95% confidence level.
