As the contraception debate rages on, political and religious leaders are relying on surveys to support claims about where the public is on the issue. PRRI’s February Religion and Politics Tracking Poll continues to be used not only to inform the debate but also to fact-check political leaders. A recent PolitiFact article reviewed claims made by U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ) that most Americans, including himself, agree that the federal mandate for free contraception coverage makes sense.

Holt’s claim that “nearly all American women, including women of faith, have used contraception sometimes, and a clear majority of Americans support removing the cost-sharing requirement for prescription contraceptive coverage,” was determined by PolitiFact’s “Truth-O-Meter” to be “Mostly True.” PRRI data was one of several surveys used to support the decision:

A survey by the Democratic firm Public Policy Polling conducted on behalf of Planned Parenthood and a poll by the Public Religion Research Institute both found majorities in support of employers providing health care plans that would cover the cost of birth control…We found eight polls that recently asked respondents whether they supported or opposed requiring health care plans to cover the cost of birth control. In six of those surveys, there was majority support, only one of which could be impacted by a margin of error. Two others polls showed more opposition than support. Still, Holt’s claim is backed by most of the polls we reviewed. Overall, this claim is Mostly True.

To read the entire PolitiFact piece, click here.