Poll: Majority Of Americans Want Federal Law Making Abortion Legal Across U.S.

A new poll has found that 58% of Americans want a federal law passed that makes abortion legal  in the U.S.

The survey, conducted by CBS News and the polling company YouGov , was taken after a draft opinion  by Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito gutting Roe v. Wade was leaked last week.

The poll also showed that 64% of those surveyed wanted to keep Roe v. Wade intact while 36% wanted to overturn it.

Those supporting the 1973 Supreme Court ruling recognizing a woman’s right to abortion said they were “discouraged” and “angry” about the prospect that it may be overturned. They described that change as “a danger to women” and as a threat to other rights.

If Alito’s draft opinion is finalized, it would be up to states or the federal government to determine the future of reproductive rights that Americans have relied on for half a century.

Nearly half of all states are already poised to ban or sharply restrict abortions. On Saturday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said that it’s possible federal lawmakers could ban abortion across the nation , which would mean American women would have to travel out of the country to terminate a pregnancy.

The poll included 2,088 U.S. adults and was conducted between May 4 and May 6. It had a margin of error of 2.7 percentage points. The entire poll can be seen here .