CNN Poll: Americans divided on repealing health care law

[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/03/26/art.angryprotester.gi.jpg caption="Most Americans disapprove of the health care reform law, a new CNN poll says."]
Washington (CNN) - Most Americans disapprove of the health care reform law, but that does not translate into majority support for the "repeal and replace" strategy backed by most GOP leaders, according to a new national poll.

A CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Monday indicates that 56 percent of the public disapproves of the new legislation, with 42 percent approving of the bill that President Obama signed into law last week. Tuesday the president signs into law fixes to the original legislation that were approved by Congress last week.

Full results (pdf)

More than three in 10 questioned say they dislike most of the bill, with one in four saying they oppose all the proposals in the new law. Fifteen percent say they approve of the new law without reservation, with another one in four saying they support the new reforms but feel they didn't go far enough.

When it comes to health care, Republicans have made "repeal and replace" their battle cry, and Obama has said he welcomes the fight. At an event in Iowa City, Iowa, last week, the president scoffed at the GOP strategy, saying, "My attitude is - Go for it."

According to the poll, 47 percent agree with the Republican strategy and want Congress to repeal most of the major provisions in the bill and replace them with completely new proposals. But 50 percent are fine with the current law or want Congress to go back and pass something that would increase the government's involvement in health care even further.

The 47 percent who favor "repeal and replace" is significantly lower than the 56 percent who say they disapprove of the bill's passage last week.

"That's because opposition to the new law comes in many different forms and not all of them benefit the GOP," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "Some Americans continue to say that they disapprove of the bill because they want even more government involvement in health care than the bill created. Only a quarter are against the entire bill; one in three support at least a few proposals in the new law. And a handful of Americans appear to dislike the bill but don't want Congress to spend any more time on health care."

The survey indicates that half of all Republicans questioned say they are angry about the bill's passage, with another 38 percent saying they are displeased. By contrast, 29 percent of Democrats say they are enthusiastic, with another 50 percent saying they are pleased.

"The new law seems to have riled up Republicans without really getting Democrats fired up. Half of Republicans are angry about the new health care law; most Democrats favor the law but only one in three are enthusiastic about it," adds Holland.

According to the poll, the number who say the law would not help anyone in the country has dropped in the past week. Thirty-seven percent of the people questioned in a CNN survey released a week ago said the reforms would not help anyone. That number has dropped to 29 percent in the new poll.

Forty-seven percent say that this is a major victory for Barack Obama with another one in five calling it a minor accomplishment and one in three saying it was not a positive achievement.

The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll was conducted Thursday through Sunday, with 1,009 adult Americans questioned by telephone. The survey's overall sampling error is plus or minus three percentage points.

- CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report