Research Briefing

Voters Clearly Wants Obama To Scrap His Government Takeover Of Health Care And Start Over, But Americans’ Pleas Are Falling On Deaf Ears

Yesterday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) Said Americans Opposed To Dems’ Government-Run Health Care Plan “Should Stop Crying About Reconciliation …” (Michael O’Brien, “Reid: GOP Should ‘Stop Crying’ About Majority-Vote Move On Healthcare,” The Hill, 2/23/10)

AMERICANS OPPOSE OBAMA’S HEALTH CARE EXPERIMENT, WANT TO START FROM SCRATCH

60 Percent Of Americans Don’t Approve Of Obama’s Handling Of Health Care. (Frank Newport, “Obama Approval On Economy Down, On Foreign Affairs Up,” Gallup, 2/8/10)

• 56 Percent Of Americans Oppose Obama’s Government-Run Health Care Bill. (“Health Care Reform,” Rasmussen Reports, 2/23/10)

57 Percent Of Americans Want Obama, Dems To Start Over On Health Care. “In a brutal assessment of the Democratically authored healthcare reform bills pending in Congress and the party's approach to healthcare, more than half of the respondents to a new Zogby International-University of Texas Health Science Center poll said that lawmakers should start from scratch. Of the more than 2,500 people surveyed from Jan. 29 to Feb. 1, 57 percent agreed with a statement that Congress should start over — which is exactly what Republicans are demanding and what President Barack Obama insists he will not do.” (Jeffrey Young, “Poll: Most Americans Think Congress Should Start Over On Healthcare,” The Hill’s “Briefing Room” Blog, 2/16/10)

• 56.4 Percent Of Americans Prefer An Incremental Approach. “Moreover, 56.4 percent of people indicated they would prefer Congress to tackle healthcare reform on a step-by-step basis, not take the comprehensive approach as embodied in the legislation that passed the House and Senate last year but has stalled for the past month.” (Jeffrey Young, “Poll: Most Americans Think Congress Should Start Over On Healthcare,” The Hill’s “Briefing Room” Blog, 2/16/10)

46 Percent Of Americans Think “Obama’s Health Care Plan” Is A “Bad Idea,” And If It Becomes Law, 49% Think It Would Be A “Step Backward.” (NBC/WSJ Pre-SOTU Survey, 1/26/10)

• “33 Percent Of Respondents Said They Believed Their Access To Care Would Be Worse If A Health Care Overhaul Occurred, A Jump From 25 Percent In The Poll Released Last Month.” (Erica Werner, “Poll Shows Growing Fears On Health Care Overhaul,” The Associated Press, 1/25/10)
  
  
• “30.5 Percent Said Their Personal Finances Would Be Worse Under A Health Care Overhaul, Compared To 24.5 Percent Last Month.” (Erica Werner, “Poll Shows Growing Fears On Health Care Overhaul,” The Associated Press, 1/25/10)

BUT OBAMA REFUSES TO LISTEN TO AMERICANS …

Obama’s Press Secretary Robert Gibbs: “The Notion Of Starting Over … Is Not What The American People Want.” (Robert Gibbs, White House Press Briefing, Washington, DC, 2/22/10)

Obama’s Communications Director, Dan Pfeffier Says “Starting From Scratch” On Health Care “Doesn’t Make Sense.” “White House communications director Dan Pfeiffer said the House and Senate did too much good work last year for it to be simply be discarded. ‘Starting from scratch doesn’t make sense,’ Pfeiffer said.” (David Jackson, “Obama Unveils Health Care Plan; Combines Senate And House Bills,” USA Today’s “The Oval” Blog, 2/22/10)

Obama’s DNC Chairman Tim Kaine: “When I Hear The ‘Start From Scratch,’ It Doesn't Strike Me As Earnest Advice … ‘Start From Scratch’ Isn’t An Idea. ‘Start From Scratch’ Isn’t A Solution.” (Tim Kaine, MSNBC’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports,” 2/23/10)

BECAUSE OBAMA, CONGRESSIONAL DEMS COMMITTED TO USING PARLIAMENTARY TRICK TO RAM THROUGH GOVERNMENT-RUN HEALTH CARE

“RECONCILIATION IS BACK: Why Bother With The Health Care Summit If Democrats Are Going To Use Reconciliation – A Filibuster Busting Simple Majority – In The Senate?” (Martin Kady II, “Republican Surge,” Politico’s “The Huddle,” 2/19/10)

• Senate Filibusters Are Not Permitted Under Reconciliation, So Reid Would Only Need 51 Votes To Ram Through The Latest Version Of A Government-Run Health Care Bill. “Under the procedures for reconciliation bills, debate in both houses is limited to 20 hours, and no Senate filibusters are allowed. … Since filibusters, which take 60 votes to stop, are banned under the reconciliation procedures, Democrats could pass health reform legislation with a simple 51-vote majority. That would allow the Democrats to pass a bill without Republican support and even with a few Democratic defections.” (Eric Pianin, “How The Budget Reconciliation Process Works,” Kaiser Health News, 1/21/10)

Obama, Pelosi, And Reid Are “Committed To Reconciliation.” “‘They are coming out of the summit guns-a-blazing and they're committed to reconciliation,’ said one Democratic insider. All three are dedicated to comprehensive reform, but Reid and White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel are cautioning that ‘it's going to be a heavier lift than a lot of people expect it to be,’ said a senior Democratic official. ‘It's going to cause political problems.’” (Chris Frates, “Obama, Reid, Pelosi 'Committed To Reconciliation' -- Tanden Leaving Administration -- Medicaid Enrollment Hits Record 46.8M -- W.H. Could Push For Public Option,” Politico’s “Live Pulse” Blog, 2/19/10)

Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) Praises Obama’s Proposal As Evidence Of A Partisan Way Forward In Reconciliation. “But to be clear, this bill is a 51 vote plan and not a 60 vote plan – that is great news. Democrats wasted a year bowing to the altar of Olympia Snowe, Joe Lieberman and Ben Nelson and it got us nowhere.” (Rep. Anthony Weiner, “Weiner On White House Health Care Plan,” Press Release, 2/22/10)