CNN Poll: Half say start anew on health care bill
Washington (CNN) - Only three in ten Americans say they want Congress to pass legislation similar to the health care reform bills that have already been approved by the House and Senate, according to a new national poll.
A CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey also indicates that nearly half the public, 48 percent, would like federal lawmakers to start work on an entirely new bill, and 21 percent feel Congress should stop working an any bills that would change the country's health care system.
The survey's Tuesday release comes one week after Republican Scott Brown's victory in a special senate election in Massachusetts. The GOP win means once Brown is sworn in as a senator, the Democrats will lose their 60-seat supermajority in the chamber, making their chances of passing the current health care reform legislation extremely difficult.
"Opposition to health care legislation is highest among senior citizens," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "Twenty-nine percent of people over 65 want Congress to stop working on health care completely, compared to 20 percent of people under the age of 50."
According to the poll, Americans are equally divided on whether Congress will pass a health care bill by the end of the year.
Fifty-eight percent of people questioned in the survey oppose the bills previously passed by the House and Senate, with 38 percent supporting that legislation.
Would a stripped-down version win more support from the public?
"Yes, but a majority would still oppose a bill that would increase regulations on health insurance companies but not increase the number of Americans with health coverage," says Holland. "Support for a bill that only deals with insurance companies rises to 47 percent, but 51 percent would oppose a bill like that."
The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll was conducted January 22-24, with 1,009 adult Americans questioned by telephone. The survey's overall sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.
- CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report
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51 votes for the "Public Option",period.
Universal healthcare..!!! republicans are idiots
The reason that this bill fails is simple:
Those Idiotic Democrats got involved thinking they knew best. Which shows the general public that there MUST be an equal participation from both sides. Until that happenes, don't expect any progress.
When did 48% become half?? Boy if that where so I could make a lot of money.
52% is also amojority where I come from.
The over-60 crowd has been influenced by the lies and distotions of the gop...again. What has happened to this country? Fear seems to be the loudest and most pronounced motivator-I"l take HOPE- and if the truth be told, the majority of this country feels the same. Grow some America! And put a gag in the mouths of the bigot baggers and blue dogs who think backwards=better!
Pass this bill, wow, you are a genius.
If you like putting into a fund for FOUR YEARS and you GET NOTHING OUT OF IT dring that timeframe, you are simply a sheep being led by wolves.
By the way, we voted FOR Brown and AGAINST OBAMBICARE, while you sat in your mommies basement.
Sit down TOGETHER, find common ground, write it and pass it, real simple.
That is what REAL americans and Scott Brown wants.
The best part about Scott Brown winning is the way it gets under these far left liberal loonies on here... I so enjoy your whining...
Republicans are once again poised to line their pockets with gold.....hooray, we the people are fooled again!!
Medical malpractice Tort Reform needs to be in any health care bill, that in itself would help to reduce medical costs. obama needs to stop protecting his ambulance chasing lawyer friends.
The Republicans and the Teabaggers have won over the undereducated trailer park trash voters to oppose healthcare so pass it by reconciliation and fix it later.
The right wing party of No would burn the bridge they needed to cross if they thought they were spiting Obama simple as that.
The party NO knows no shame what do they care about the rest of the world when these fat cats have Goverment run Insurance Coverage the best in the world and yet they turn around and belittle Goverment RunInsurance Coverage for the rest of the citizens.
Ths is the way they think dumb and dumber.
Why does everyone continue to blame Bush and the Republicans. Only the Democrats have ever had total control of the government and they could not get the bill through, due to a failure of leadership. Health care will cost 15-17% of everyone's pay at the end of the day. Until they consider a bill that cuts costs and eliminates fraud this country can not afford healthcare. The current bills do not address these core concerns.