Lauren Boebert incorrectly blames falling US birth rates on abortion

Washington DC - Far-right Representative Lauren Boebert recently blamed falling birth rates in the United States on abortion access.

Congresswoman Lauren Boebert claimed during a recent House Oversight hearing that falling birth rates in the US are linked to abortion access.
Congresswoman Lauren Boebert claimed during a recent House Oversight hearing that falling birth rates in the US are linked to abortion access.  © JASON CONNOLLY / AFP

The Colorado congresswoman made her claim during a recent House Oversight Committee hearing on immigration laws after Democratic committee members argued that immigration could help boost population numbers.

"My colleagues just asked if our birth rate was declining here in America and the answer was 'yes,'" Boebert said.

"Well, of course it is," she continued. "We have nearly 1 million abortions in our country a year, over 60 million have been performed since it was [made] illegal."

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While Boebert – who has been a vocal pro-life advocate – appeared confident in her views, they are not at all supported by data. Research shows that even when abortion is at its lowest, birth rates have continued to fall.

According to the CDC, only 625,978 legally induced abortions were reported in 2021 – not a million.

While a report from the Society of Family Planning found that abortions have increased slightly since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, that increase is nowhere near 60 million.

Boebert, who is well-known for running on a "family values" platform, is currently running for re-election in a separate, more conservative district than the one she spent 2022 representing.

Cover photo: JASON CONNOLLY / AFP

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