More Than Half of Americans Disagree With Texas Abortion Bill Going Into Effect: Poll

More than half of Americans disagree with the Supreme Court's decision to allow the Texas abortion bill to go into effect, according to a new poll.

The poll, which was conducted by Monmouth University, found 54 percent of Americans disagreeing with the bill going into effect, while 39 percent of respondents said they agreed with the Supreme Court's decision.

Across different political party affiliations, the poll found 73 percent of Democrats disagreeing with the decision while 62 percent of Republicans say they agree.

The bill, also known as the Heartbeat Act, went into effect earlier this month, and prohibits abortions in the state after the sixth week of pregnancy. The bill also makes it illegal for residents to help others get an abortion and allows private citizens to file lawsuits against anyone that helps with the process.

The poll found that 70 percent of Americans oppose the bill's provision that allows private citizens to file lawsuits against those who "aid or abet," an abortion.

The Monmouth University poll surveyed 802 Americans from September 9 to 13 and reported a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

"The American public is largely pro-choice, although many would accept some limitations on abortion access. This Texas law goes way too far for most people. The 'bounty' aspect in particular seems objectionable," said Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute.

While signing the bill in May, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said, "Our creator endowed us with the right to life and yet millions of children lose their right to life every year because of abortion."

Shortly after the bill went into effect in September, it was met with backlash and criticism by Americans in favor of pro-abortion rights.

In a Washington Post op-ed published on September 18, Dr. Alan Braid, a San Antonio physician who provides abortion care, wrote that he performed an abortion on September 6 for a woman that was past the state's limit under the new bill.

"I fully understood that there could be legal consequences — but I wanted to make sure that Texas didn't get away with its bid to prevent this blatantly unconstitutional law from being tested," he wrote in the op-ed.

Shortly after the bill was signed into effect by the Supreme Court, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said that the bill was "clearly unconstitutional" and announced a lawsuit against the state.

Abbott spokesperson Renae Eze said in response to the lawsuit: "Texas passed a law that ensures that the life of every child with a heartbeat will be spared from the ravages of abortion," according to the Associated Press.

Newsweek reached out to Abbott's office for comment on the poll's findings but did not receive a response in time for publication.