Heritage’s billboard in New York City’s Times Square. (Credit: Nick Montalvo)
A new poll released today from CNN shows public support for Obamacare plummeting below 40 percent, a significant drop that comes as Congress considers defunding the unfair, unworkable and unaffordable health-care law.
In January 51% said they favored all or most of the provisions in the new law. Now that figure is down to 39%.
Support has dropped in virtually all demographic categories, but it has fallen the farthest among two core Democratic groups – women and Americans who make less than $50,000.
The poll was conducted last week by ORC International. CNN’s Paul Steinhauser noted some of the factors that might have caused the change in public opinion.
The poll’s release comes after a major push the past six weeks by conservative groups to try and defund the health care law. There has also been a huge disparity over the past couple of years in ad spending over the issue, with groups opposed to Obamacare greatly outspending those in favor of the measure. The new poll suggests the negative advertising may be taking a toll. The forces opposed to the health care law have also been much more active on social media than those supportive of the law. And the one year delay in the implementation of the employer mandate, another key component of the law, which was well publicized earlier this year, may have also contributed to the loss of support.
Heritage is among the groups working to convince Americans that now is the time to defund Obamacare. After a nine-city Heritage Action tour in August, Heritage unveiled a Times Square billboard with a clear warning: Obamacare may be hazardous to your health.
>>> Learn more about what defunding Obamacare means for you
Unless Congress defunds Obamacare by the end of September, the government takeover of health care will begin implementation on October 1.
On Capitol Hill, lawmakers delayed consideration of a controversial defunding measure until next week. Some members appeared emboldened by recent developments:
Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Ga., said this is a fight conservatives are ready to have, despite the political stakes for the GOP being seen as forcing a fight over shutting down the government.
“I think that’s a risk you have to take,” he said, “Any path forward, there’s a political downside to it. We didn’t come here to get re-elected and have safe political careers. We came here to get things done.”
Kingston chairs the appropriations subcommittee with oversight over the Department of Health and Human Services, but he said he would vote against the GOP leadership proposal if it comes to the House floor. “I think that what our base wants is us to go ahead and have the fight over ‘Obamacare,’ right here, right now,” he said.