Poll: More Want to Keep Health Care Law Than Want to Repeal It

CBS News Poll analysis by the CBS News Polling Unit: Sarah Dutton, Jennifer De Pinto, Fred Backus and Anthony Salvanto.

CBS

More Americans want to keep the sweeping health care reform legislation passed last year than want to repeal it, according to a new CBS News/New York Times survey. Forty-eight percent of Americans say they want to keep the law in place, while 40 percent want to see it repealed.

Republicans campaigned on repealing the bill in the run-up to the midterm elections, and one of the first actions of the new GOP-led House was to pass a repeal bill.

Unsurprisingly, Americans are split on the issue along party lines. Seventy-three percent of Republicans favor repeal, compared to just 16 percent of Democrats. Seventy-seven percent of Democrats want to keep the law, compared to just 16 percent of Republicans. Independents favor keeping it by a small margin, 45 percent to 38 percent.

Among those who do favor repeal, 50 percent say they want the law repealed in full. Forty-four percent want only certain parts of it repealed.

Thirty-five percent of those who favor repeal said they would not want to see the law overturned if it meant insurers would not be required to cover people with pre-existing medical conditions. Fifty-two percent said they would still favor repeal even if that is the case.

CBS/AP

Health care is not what many Americans say they want the new Congress to focus on, however. Just 18 percent say it should be the top priority for lawmakers.  A far higher percentage - 43 percent - says the most important issue is job creation. 

Just one in four Americans say the health care law, which is being phased in gradually, has helped the economy. A higher percentage - 40 percent - say it has hurt.

Only 13 percent say they have benefited from the provisions that have already gone into effect, including allowing parents to cover children on their insurance until age 26 and prohibiting insurance companies from denying coverage to children with pre-existing conditions. Eighty-four percent say they have not yet benefited.

Only one in ten Americans say the bill's impact has been explained to them very well. A majority - 56 percent - say it has not been explained to them even somewhat well.

MORE FROM THE POLL:

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Poll: Most Say Deal With Deficit Now

Poll: Americans Remain Split on Gun Control

Poll: Many Want Congress to Focus on Jobs, not Health Care

Read the Complete Poll

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This poll was conducted among a random sample of 1,036 adults nationwide, interviewed by telephone January 15 - 19, 2010. Phone numbers were dialed from RDD samples of both standard land-lines and cell phones. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus three percentage points. The error for subgroups is higher.

This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

Watch Washington Unplugged's political roundtable Friday with CBS News Director of Surveys Sarah Dutton and CBS Evening News Senior Producer Ward Sloane here.

[MyTwoCents2011]

But I thought the Republicans had a mandate to repeal it?

[sjc_1]

No they made a promise that they knew they could not keep and should not have made it in the first place.

[levelheadedtoo]

Congress can afford to pay for their own health care insurance.
Speaker of the House - $223,500 (annual salary)
Majority Leader - $193,400
Minority Leader - $193,400
Member - $174,000 plus daily per diem ( living allowance )
25% of congress are living in their office at tax payer expense and pocketing the per diem.

Average member of congress made $911,000 in 2010.

U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa, a Republican from California, reported a net worth of between $451.1 million in 2010, according to financial disclosures. He has submitted his committee agenda that call for 42 weeks of congressional hearings. Not many hours left here to work for the people.

Regardless of age congress can retire with 80% of their highest salary after 25 years. They 100% health coverage for them and spouse for life.

Do you see any conflict when congress votes for tax breaks for the wealthy, against social security and against health care?

None of the members of congress has complained that their health insurance covers abortion and Viagra. Nor have they ask to have those options removed.

This information would even make a bagger take notice. A few new congress members complained that their Government Option Health Insurance didn't kick in for 30 days. Oh Ya! Congress member families are exempt from pre-existing conditions and have no lifetime maximum.

[mountainstates1]

Americans will remember, come voting time, which Republicans thought it was "OK" to deny them health coverage while they keep their governement-run Cadillac health care plans. Hypocrites!

[myopinionpal]

The republican healthcare plan reminds me of the movie John Q. His insurance didn't want to cover the $250K heart transplant for his son. The hospital just told the parents to take their child home and give him a good quality of life for the little time he has left. The ones wanting this bill repealed this could happen to you think about it!!!!

[Mortarman429]

No one is entitled to have someone forced to pay for their healthcare or for anything else for that matter.

[jimbom121]

Mort

We pay now for the unisured.

[Cattzen]

Repeal of Healthcare Reform is a LOSER for the GOP.

[Mortarman429]

Good luck with that!

[Cattzen]

LOSERS

[THELIAR]

THIS POLL WAS TAKEN IN THE RESTROOM.

[Mortarman429]

Hey, by the way. The House is now starting to come out with its cuts in the budget. They have a proposal right now that cuts $2.5 Trillion over 10 years. Here are the cuts...a good start.
--------------------------------

Corporation for Public Broadcasting Subsidy. $445 million annual savings.
Save America's Treasures Program. $25 million annual savings.
International Fund for Ireland. $17 million annual savings.
Legal Services Corporation. $420 million annual savings.
National Endowment for the Arts. $167.5 million annual savings.
National Endowment for the Humanities. $167.5 million annual savings.
Hope VI Program. $250 million annual savings.
Amtrak Subsidies. $1.565 billion annual savings.
Eliminate duplicative education programs. H.R. 2274 (in last Congress), authored by Rep. McKeon, eliminates 68 at a savings of $1.3 billion annually.
U.S. Trade Development Agency. $55 million annual savings.
Woodrow Wilson Center Subsidy. $20 million annual savings.
Cut in half funding for congressional printing and binding. $47 million annual savings.
John C. Stennis Center Subsidy. $430,000 annual savings.
Community Development Fund. $4.5 billion annual savings.
Heritage Area Grants and Statutory Aid. $24 million annual savings.
Cut Federal Travel Budget in Half. $7.5 billion annual savings.
Trim Federal Vehicle Budget by 20%. $600 million annual savings.
Essential Air Service. $150 million annual savings.
Technology Innovation Program. $70 million annual savings.
Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Program. $125 million annual savings.
Department of Energy Grants to States for Weatherization. $530 million annual savings.
Beach Replenishment. $95 million annual savings.
New Starts Transit. $2 billion annual savings.
Exchange Programs for Alaska, Natives Native Hawaiians, and Their Historical Trading Partners in Massachusetts. $9 million annual savings.
Intercity and High Speed Rail Grants. $2.5 billion annual savings.
Title X Family Planning. $318 million annual savings.
Appalachian Regional Commission. $76 million annual savings.
Economic Development Administration. $293 million annual savings.
Programs under the National and Community Services Act. $1.15 billion annual savings.
Applied Research at Department of Energy. $1.27 billion annual savings.
FreedomCAR and Fuel Partnership. $200 million annual savings.
Energy Star Program. $52 million annual savings.
Economic Assistance to Egypt. $250 million annually.
U.S. Agency for International Development. $1.39 billion annual savings.
General Assistance to District of Columbia. $210 million annual savings.
Subsidy for Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. $150 million annual savings.
Presidential Campaign Fund. $775 million savings over ten years.
No funding for federal office space acquisition. $864 million annual savings.
End prohibitions on competitive sourcing of government services.
Repeal the Davis-Bacon Act. More than $1 billion annually.
IRS Direct Deposit: Require the IRS to deposit fees for some services it offers (such as processing payment plans for taxpayers) to the Treasury, instead of allowing it to remain as part of its budget. $1.8 billion savings over ten years.
Require collection of unpaid taxes by federal employees. $1 billion total savings.
Prohibit taxpayer funded union activities by federal employees. $1.2 billion savings over ten years.
Sell excess federal properties the government does not make use of. $15 billion total savings.
Eliminate death gratuity for Members of Congress.
Eliminate Mohair Subsidies. $1 million annual savings.
Eliminate taxpayer subsidies to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. $12.5 million annual savings.
Eliminate Market Access Program. $200 million annual savings.
USDA Sugar Program. $14 million annual savings.
Subsidy to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). $93 million annual savings.
Eliminate the National Organic Certification Cost-Share Program. $56.2 million annual savings.
Eliminate fund for Obamacare administrative costs. $900 million savings.
Ready to Learn TV Program. $27 million savings.
HUD Ph.D. Program.
Deficit Reduction Check-Off Act.

[Mortarman429]

Variable...you threw a lot into two sentences. Try taking a breath between sentences. There is no charge for additional use of periods.

Now, I started off my post with this is a proposal. Then you reiterate that it is a proposal. Was there a point to that?

Then you ask about jobs. Well, the Federal government doesnt create jobs. If you are looking to Washington to create jobs and expand the economy, then you are a fool. Now, what they can do is get a bloated, rogue government off our backs so the American people can create jobs and expand the economy. This proposal is a good START towards doing that. But even more, much more will need to be done.

I dont care about Boehner. Boehner understands that the right is pushing the train. He understands that for him to not do what the conservatives want, he will lose his speakership.

Conservatives, just as we did with McCain, will abandon him. He even eluded to that when he said a few weeks ago that conservatives need to not push so hard, that we will need to soften our demands. Screw him! We will not.

He will push the conservative agenda OR we will go after and defeat the GOPers that didnt get with the program.

As I siad two years ago, and have been 100% right about so far...the issue is the GOP, not the Dems. I am not even worrying myself about what they will do. They are predictable.

But the GOP will get with the program, or they will be defeated. By conservatives.

We are done being nice to them.

[not_fooled_by_Righties]

It is an asinine proposal.

[levelheadedtoo]

People only listen to polls that support their agenda. The people disputing this poll are more on the faith side than fact. The president was once asked about a poll that showed that 1 out of 2 people didn't support one of his objectives. He answered that 1 out of 2 did support him.

Majority maters only when it is in your favor. Remember South Africa, 5% minority made the rules for 95% of the population for along time. Keeping the masses poor, ignorant and malnourished works for a while. Why do you think the GOP fights against, NPR, medicare, social security, headstart, libraries, and public education. Because they represent the richest 5%, not because of any concern over budget, deficit or taxes. The GOP doesn't mind a deficit, just look back on the Bush 1 and Bush 2 years.

[noloyalisti]

So what iof we have to raise taxes. Taxes are what we need to pay too live in a civilized country. It is what the government needs to provide the necessities of life for all its citizens (clean air, water, food, good jobs and educations and health care). It is just that we should Tax The Rich, Too.

[Mortarman429]

Government is not here to provide for you. That means yo uare saying other Americans are here to provide for you.

That is evil and immoral.

[jimbom121]

Actually

The government does provide for the population:

Article 1, Section 8
The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

[SandmanUSMC]

I only believe the polls on Fox news. They are the only legitimate news source (yeah right).