Sen. Graham Introduces Popular Limit on Abortion After Five Months

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 5, 2017
Contact: Mallory Quigley, [email protected] 202-223-8073

Post-Election Poll Made Public by SBA List Today Shows Battleground State Voters Support Limiting Abortion After Five Months

Washington, D.C.  – Today U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) introduced the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act in the Senate. Known as “Micah’s Law” in honor of Micah Pickering, who was born prematurely at twenty weeks (22 weeks gestation) in 2012, this legislation would protect unborn children from late-term abortion after five months, more than halfway through pregnancy, a point by which science shows they can feel pain. The bill passed the House of Representatives on Tuesday by a vote of 237 to 189.

Post-election polling data commissioned by the Susan B. Anthony List (SBA List) and made widely available today shows that large majorities of voters in 2018 Senate battleground states support legislation limiting abortion after five months, and a majority or plurality of those voters would be less likely to support a Senator who voted to allow late-term abortion.

the polling company, inc./WomanTrend conducted the survey of 1650 voters November 28-30, 2016, at a Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) facility using live callers. The poll found that:

  • 62% of voters in select Senate battleground states support the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (31% strongly support). 
  • 55% would be less likely to vote for their U.S. Senator if he or she voted to allow abortions after five months (38% “much less likely”)
  • More than twice as many voters said they would be less likely to vote for their U.S. Senator if he or she voted to allow abortions after five months than said they would be more likely.

Support for limiting abortions after five months is high among voters in states carried by President Trump that are represented by vulnerable Democratic Senators facing re-election in 2018:

  • Ohio – 67% support, 56% less likely to support Senator who votes to allow late-term abortion
  • Wisconsin – 64% support, 57% less likely to support Senator who votes to allow late-term abortion
  • Montana – 63% support, 59% less likely to support Senator who votes to allow late-term abortion
  • Missouri – 60% support, 56% less likely to support Senator who votes to allow late-term abortion
  • Florida – 59% support, 46% less likely to support Senator who votes to allow late-term abortion
  • N. Dakota – 56% support, 61% less likely to support Senator who votes to allow late-term abortion

“Voters agree: it’s inexplicable that the United States is one of only seven nations in the world to allow abortion after 20 weeks – five months, more than halfway through pregnancy – putting us in the company of China and North Korea,” said SBA List President Marjorie Dannenfelser. “Our nation does not belong in that disgraceful club. Twenty states have passed their own Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Acts and momentum has long been building for a national limit.” 

“Tuesday’s vote in the House of Representatives was a win for basic human decency. Now it’s time for the pro-life majority in the Senate, led by pro-life champion Lindsey Graham, to force vulnerable pro-abortion Senators up in 2018 to either stand with their pro-life constituents and vote for this bill, or stand with the extreme abortion lobby and vote in favor of late-term abortion on-demand. This is not a vote that Senator Claire McCaskill or any Senator running in a state carried by President Trump wants to have.”

Voter support for the legislation is especially high among millennials (78 percent), African-Americans (70 percent), and Hispanics (57 percent). Several national polls have found that as many as 51 percent of Democrats support limiting abortion after twenty weeks.

President Donald Trump has made four key commitments to the pro-life movement, including signing the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act into law.

Susan B. Anthony List and its partner super PAC, Women Speak Out spent more than $18 million in the 2016 election cycle, knocking on more than 1.1 million doors in battleground states to defeat Hillary Clinton and maintain a pro-life Senate. SBA List is dedicated to pursuing policies and electing candidates who will reduce and ultimately end abortion. To that end, the SBA List emphasizes the education, promotion, mobilization, and election of pro-life women.  The SBA List is a network of more than 600,000 pro-life Americans nationwide.

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