Report: Likely Voters Want Health Care Law Repealed
May 24, 2010 – Rather than becoming more receptive of recently enacted national health care law, those favoring scrapping the recent legislation are gaining strength, according to recent polling.
A large majority of likely voters polled – some 63 percent – favor repealing the legislation signed into law by President Barack Obama after receiving strictly partisan support and bipartisan opposition in Congress, according to the most recent national telephone survey conducted by Rasmussen Reports. Only slightly less than a third of those polled – 32 percent – oppose repealing the health care law. Of those favoring repeal, some 46 percent indicated the “strongly favor” overturning the health care law. Some 25 percent of those indicating support for keeping the health care law intact said they “strongly oppose” repealing it. In general, men were more skeptical than women of the health care measure.
Polling data suggests the perceived cost of implementing the national health care overhaul slated to take full effect in 2014 likely is driving a trend toward more voters favoring repeal at a time when Americans are becoming anxious over the growing national debt. An equal amount – 63 percent – of likely voters indicated the health care likely would increase the federal government’s deficit, and 55 percent indicated the law won’t be good for the country. Only 33 percent of those polled said the law will have a positive impact on the nation, and only 12 percent said they thought the health care law would lower the federal deficit.
Previous studies indicated between 54 percent and 58 percent of likely voters polled favor repealing the health care law but topped the 60 percent mark for the first time during the most recent polling cycle. Likewise, the percentage of people who say the health care law will be good for the nation has declined 6 percentage points from last week’s poll, according to Rasmussen Reports.
The outlook for the quality of health care provided likewise is gloomy. Some 55 percent of those polled said the new law will harm rather than help the nation’s health-care delivery system. Another 20 percent said it will improve the health care system, and 18 percent indicated there likely would be no significant impact. Attitudes toward the cost of health care were nearly identical with 55 percent saying the health care overhaul will drive up costs versus 18 percent saying costs will go down and 16 percent saying there will be no significant impact.
Researchers from the Pulse Opinion Research firm conducted the national telephone survey on May 22 and May 23 and queried 1,000 “likely voters” regarding their attitudes toward the health care law on behalf of Rasmussen Reports.
Health Care Reform Support Plummets; U.S. Senate Votes to Debate
Nov. 23, 2009 – Even as public support for proposed health care reform efforts hits a new low, debate is slated to begin Nov. 30 on the U.S. Senate’s proposed revamping of the $2.5 trillion-a-year national health care system after the chamber on Saturday night voted 60-39 to take up the measure after Thanksgiving.
The vote went strictly along party lines with 39 Senate Republicans voting against debating the Senate’s proposed health care reform measure. Democrat Mary Landrieu of Louisiana consented to the floor debate only after securing a provision that, if approved, would provide at least $100 million for special Medicaid funding not available to states other than Louisiana.
Although the Senate is scheduled to take up the issue, results of a recent poll by Rasmussen Reports indicates public support for federal health care reform has hit an all-time low.
Some 56 percent of those polled oppose federal health care reform efforts while only 38 percent indicated support. The support of federal efforts hadn’t dipped below 41 percent in prior polling, according results from the Rasmussen Reports’ latest weekly national telephone survey.
Respondents with strong views against health care reform efforts were more than double those strongly in favor, with 43 percent indicating strong opposition to federal health care reform and only 21 percent indicating strong support for it.
The Rasmussen survey also indicates most people don’t think reform efforts will help. Some 54 percent of those polled said the Senate and House bills would harm and not help health care, and 60 percent said the federal legislation likely would increase costs for everyone. Only 16 percent of those polled believe Congressional reform efforts will lower costs.
The Senate’s proposal requires all American citizens purchase health insurance and creates regional insurance exchanges where individuals can shop for health insurance coverage tailored to more specific needs. People earning too little to afford health insurance would receive federal subsidies to purchase coverage. A majority of those polled
The Senate bill also creates a federal health insurance option in which state legislatures would choose to participate and prevent health insurance companies from refusing coverage to individuals with pre-existing health problems. Some 17 new taxes have been proposed to pay for the estimated $849 billion cost of initiating the Senate plan over a 10-year period.
While Senate Democrats needed 60 votes to advance the measure to a floor debate, independent Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut – who sits with the Democratic Caucus – has said he would oppose the Senate version even though he voted to allow the floor debate.
Lieberman, who was Democrat John Kerry’s running mate during the 2004 presidential election, opposes a public option as provided in the Senate bill and earlier announced he would filibuster the measure unless amended to remove the public plan proposed by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada). Lieberman says a public option would drive up costs for people with health insurance. Reid contends states would have the option of whether or not to participate in the proposed federal health care option.
Because Democrats would need 60 votes to quell a potential filibuster, at least one Republican would have to vote to end any filibuster initiated by Lieberman. But no Republicans have voiced support for the plan proposed by Reid and have been unified in their opposition thus far.