Support for the health care overhaul slipped lower in the latest Washington Post-ABC News poll released yesterday — the same day a federal judge ruled that a key provision of the law was unconstitutional.
Forty-three percent of respondents said they supported the health care legislation, compared to 53% who said they were opposed. Support is down from a high of 48%, recorded in November 2009. Those results are in line with most other polls taken in the last few months.
The poll asked:
Overall, given what you know about them, would you say you
support or oppose the changes to the health care system that have been enacted by
Congress and the Obama administration? Do you feel that way strongly or somewhat?
More respondents were also “strongly” opposed to the law as were strongly supportive by a 37% to 22% margin.
However, among those who opposed the law, there is no consensus over how it should be altered. Twenty-nine percent said the entire bill should be repealed, while 30% said only parts of it should be repealed. An additional 38% responded “wait and see,” and 4% said they had no opinion.
The results of the poll were released shortly after a federal judge in Virginia ruled that the individual mandate provision in the health care bill was unconstitutional. Two other federal judges have previously upheld the health care law.
A Rasmussen poll also out today found support for repealing the health care bill at a three month high of 60%.
The Washington Post-ABC News poll of 1,001 adults nationwide, conducted December 9-12, has a margin of error of 3.5%. Rasmussen surveyed 1,000 likely voters on December 11 and 12. That poll has a margin of error of 3.0%.
