Seven in ten Americans support President Biden’s Build Back Better plan. 70 percent of Americans are in favor of “new legislation to provide paid family and medical leave, establish a universal Pre-K program, expand Medicare coverage for seniors to include dental, vision, and hearing coverage, lower health care costs by allowing Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices, provide tax breaks for clean energy, and expand the Child Tax Credit for most families with children.”
Significant shares of more conservative-leaning constituencies are also supportive of the plan, including majorities of white evangelical Christians (52 percent support – 37 percent oppose) and Republicans making less than $50,000 a year (52 percent support – 38 percent oppose), as well as a plurality of 2020 Trump voters (47 percent support – 42 percent oppose).
When introducing both the total $3.5 trillion cost of the plan and that it would be paid for by taxing the wealthy and corporations, support remains robust. When putting in context that the plan would be “paid for by increasing taxes on the top 2% of income earners, raising taxes on those earning over $1 million a year from selling stocks and bonds, known as capital gains, raising the corporate tax rate from 21% to 28%, and cracking down on tax evasion,” more than three in five Americans support the plan (62 percent) while just a quarter are opposed (25 percent). While the decline from initial support comes mostly from Republicans by 10 points, more than one-third of Republicans still remain supportive (37 percent), as do Independents by a 30-point margin (56 percent support – 26 percent oppose).
Every element of the Build Back Better proposal earns strong levels of support, ranging from net +31 to net +78.
Not only do seven in ten Americans support the Build Back Better plan, but a similar share view it as urgent that the House and Senate pass the legislation. 71 percent say that it is urgent the economic plan be passed, including seven in ten Independents (70 percent) and half of Republicans (50 percent). Among the group that disapprove of President Biden on handling the economy but support the plan, an even greater share view it as urgent that it be passed (78 percent).
Congress will begin moving forward on the Build Back Better reconciliation package, with the House Ways & Means Committee markup scheduled for tomorrow.
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