An independent national poll released this morning reveals broad public concern and skepticism about the ability of Congress and President Barack Obama to pass meaningful healthcare reform without deficit spending.
The Quinnipiac University poll of 2,409 registered voters nationwide, taken from July 24-Aug. 3, also shows that Obama's handling of healthcare reform has seen significant public opinion slippage in the last month.
"President Barack Obama and Democratic leaders in Congress appear to be losing the public relations war over their plan to revamp the nation's healthcare system," says Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "Americans are more willing to scrap a healthcare overhaul than they are to increase the deficit in order to produce such legislation. That's a bad omen for the White House and Congressional leadership as they try to sell their plan to the country this month before the vote counting gets serious on Capitol Hill in September."
By a canyon-wide 55% to 35% margin, voters told Quinnipiac researchers that they are more worried that Congress will spend too much money and add to the deficit than it will not act to overhaul the healthcare system. By a 57% to 37% margin, voters say healthcare reform should be dropped if it adds "significantly" to the deficit.
By a whopping 72% to 21% margin, voters do not believe that President Obama will keep his promise to overhaul the healthcare system without adding to the deficit. American voters also disapprove (52% to 39%) of the way Obama is handling healthcare, down from 46%-42% approval July 1, with 60%-34% disapproval from independent voters. Voters say 59%-36% that Congress should not pass healthcare reform if only Democratic members support it.
The poll has a margin of error of +/- 2 percentage points.
Voters were split 39%-41% on whether the president's healthcare plan will improve or hurt the quality of healthcare in the nation, with 14% saying it won't make a difference.
Only 21% of voters say the plan will improve the quality of care they receive, while 36% say it will hurt their quality of care and 39% say it will make no difference.
Positives for Democrats
There is some good news for Democrats in the poll, which found continued strong support for critical elements of the Obama/Democratic plan:
- 62%-32% in favor of giving people the option of a government insurance plan
- 61%-36% for higher taxes on high-income earners to pay for healthcare reform
- 60%-32% in favor of insurance subsidies for individuals making up to $43,000 and families of four making up to $88,000
- 54%-38% for requiring businesses to provide insurance or pay the government
- Meanwhile, voters oppose 68%-26% requiring people to have health insurance or pay a fine and oppose 68%-27% taxing employees for healthcare benefits from employers.
Independent voters are concerned
Independent voters are more worried about the deficit rising than Congressional inaction, 54%-37%. These voters say 59%-36% that overhaul should not occur if it would "significantly" increase the deficit. Independents oppose 63%-33% passing a bill with only Democratic votes. Independent voters also don't think Obama can keep his promise to avoid increasing the deficit and pass healthcare by an overwhelming 77%-17%.
"The key to this political battle over healthcare out in the country is independent voters. And that bloc is the key to most elections," Brown says. "These are the voters who broke strongly for the president last November and who were in his corner during the first months of his administration. But on these key healthcare questions they are siding with critics who question whether health care reform is worth the projected cost."
Obama support is down
Support for Obama's handling of healthcare is down among key groups:
- Women disapprove 49%-41%, which is down from a 48%-39% approval July 1
- Voters 18 to 34 years old disapprove 48%-44%, which is down from a 54%-35% approval
- Low-income voters disapprove 47%-43%, down from a 49%-37% approval.
- Since Quinnipiac University's July 1 survey, support for a government-run option has fallen from 69%-26% to 62%-32% and the number who would rather buy insurance from a private rather than public insurer has jumped from 53%-28% to 61%-25%. Brown says this is "another indication that opponents of the president's approach have been making points with the voters."