GOP Congressman Posts Absurdly False ‘Post Birth Abortion’ Poll on Taxpayer-Funded Website

Arizona Republican Congressman Paul Gosar posted a poll filled with absurd falsehoods about abortion on his taxpayer-funded House of Representatives website, including multiple references to something he calls “post birth abortion.”

Gosar’s official congressional website, which is paid for using federal taxpayers’ money, now features a poll that is chock-full of outright falsehoods. Under the heading “POLL: PRO-LIFE OR PRO-CHOICE?”, the introduction reads:

In 1973, the Supreme Court overturned several state laws and ruled that a woman could have an abortion within the first three months of her pregnancy. The court ruled a state did not have the ability to restrict abortions prior to that time period as there was no life to protect. This year, at least four states have passed “heartbeat” bills into law. Most of these bills require doctors to determine whether the fetus of a woman seeking an abortion has a heartbeat or not. Under the “heartbeat” bills, if a fetal heartbeat is detected, the doctor is prohibited from performing an abortion. A heartbeat can now be detected as early as six weeks.

Gosar misstates the ruling in Roe V. Wade, which permits abortion at every stage of pregnancy — not just the first three months — but allows states to restrict abortion after the first trimester. The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology has said that what Gosar describes as a “heartbeat” is actually not a heartbeat, but is “electrically induced flickering of a portion of the fetal tissue that will become the heart as the embryo develops.”

The poll responses contain some common anti-abortion characterizations, such as referring to reproductive rights as “the right to kill her unborn baby,” but also contains dangerous falsehoods.

In addition to repeated references to the nonexistent “heartbeat,” Gosar repeatedly references something called “post birth abortion,” and asks respondents when it would be appropriate to charge a woman with “murder” for having an abortion:

At what point should a doctor or mother be charged with murder of a baby?

• Post birth abortion only.
• Any abortion after 6 months including post-birth.
• Never. A mother and her doctor should always be legally free to kill a baby.

The references to “Post birth abortion” appear to be a new wrinkle on the escalating false claims that Democrats support the killing of newborn infants after they have been delivered.

Gosar’s poll requires respondents to include an email address, and appears to allow repeat voting.

Gosar is a dentist.