The health care reform legislation working its way through Congress faces many obstacles primarily because it touches so many aspects of life. The abortion issue is one more with the potential to create a lose-lose situation for advocates of the plan.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 48% believe any government-subsidized health care plan should be prohibited from covering abortion procedures. Thirteen percent (13%) believe such plans should be required to cover abortions, and 32% favor a more neutral approach with no requirements in either direction.

Among those who currently support passage of the legislation, 22% want a prohibition banning abortion coverage and 22% want a mandate requiring such coverage. Forty-seven percent (47%) of the plan’s supporters prefer the neutral approach, and nine percent (9%) are not sure.

Among those who oppose the plan, 72% favor a prohibition against coverage of abortions while five percent (5%) hold the opposite view.

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It is not clear how many people on either side would switch their position on the overall plan specifically because of a change in abortion policy.

Overall, support for the health care reform plan proposed by the president and congressional Democrats has remained steady over the past few months. Among all voters, a slight majority has been consistently opposed to passage of the plan. Republicans overwhelmingly oppose the proposal while Democrats overwhelmingly support it. Most unaffiliated voters are opposed to the current plan.

A similar divide is found on the abortion issue. Seventy-two percent (72%) of Republicans favor an abortion ban while 43% of Democrats prefer a neutral approach. Among those not affiliated with either major party, a plurality (48%) would like to see a prohibition.

Polls taken over many years by many organizations have found that Americans are uncomfortable with taking away a woman’s choice on the issue of abortion, but most are opposed to having public funds pay for abortions.

Still, most Americans (52%) also think it is too easy to get an abortion in America.

Fifty-eight percent (58%) say abortion is morally wrong most of the time.

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