The extremism that Republicans have embraced regarding abortion is incredibly unpopular. And their latest attempts to use the courts to ban medication abortion are getting further and further out of step with the general public.
New polling from Ipsos shows that only 29 percent of Americans are in favor of banning medication abortion. A whopping two-thirds of Americans believe that medication abortion should remain legal, including 67 percent of Independents and 49 percent of Republicans. Polling also showed that 56 percent of Americans did not support last year’s Supreme Court Dobbs decision, which overturned Roe v. Wade.
The Signal spoke with Mallory Newall, the Vice President of Public Affairs at Ipsos, about the poll, and the legal fight over medication abortion instigated by a lawsuit in Texas from a far-right legal organization. “This ruling overturning access to the abortion pill is poised to be just as, if not more unpopular, than the Dobbs decision,” said Newall.
For Newall, the results of the poll were not surprising, even from self-identified Republicans. “We know from this data that Republican women, particularly younger Republican women, support access to the abortion pill.”
According to Newall, she also had two major takeaways from the polling. The first, is that it’s possible a ban on medication abortion could “fuel democratic turnout.” And secondly, the polling shows “just how out of step Republican lawmakers and Republican-appointed judged are with their party base.”
While the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has blocked Judge Kacsmaryk’s ruling that invalidated the FDA’s approval of mifepristone, they have implemented several burdensome regulations on the medication. Mifepristone is now only available until seven weeks in a pregnancy (previously it had been ten) and must be picked up in-person, eliminating a key way many patients obtain the medication. The Biden Administration will appeal the Fifth Circuit’s decision to the Supreme Court.
A longtime writer and journalist, Jessica was thrilled to join the Texas Signal where she could utilize her unique perspective on politics and culture. As the Features and Opinion Editor, she is responsible for coordinating editorials and segments from diverse authors. She is also the host of the podcast the Tex Mix, as well as the co-host for the weekly SignalCast. Jessica attended Harvard College, is a onetime fitness blogger, and has now transitioned to recreational runner (for which her joints are thankful).
