A new Change Research poll on behalf of Protect Our Care released today shows voters in states with competitive Senate races, including Iowa, overwhelmingly disapprove of the Trump-Republican lawsuit to overturn the Affordable Care Act — which would rip coverage from more than 20 million Americans, including 227,000 Iowans, and remove protections for more than 135 million people with a pre-existing condition, including 1,288,400 Iowans.
Despite this, Republican senators like Senator Joni Ernst continue to rush through President Trump’s anti-ACA nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett, expecting she will be the deciding vote to eliminate the entire ACA in the middle of a pandemic. Voters in Iowa identify health care as a top issue in November, especially seniors. Overall, voters in Iowa trust the Democratic candidates for Senate on health care over the Republican incumbents who have been supporting President Trump’s war on the Affordable Care Act.
“Voters overwhelmingly reject the Trump-Republican lawsuit to completely eliminate the ACA in the middle of a pandemic. Republican Senators are putting themselves at grave risk by rushing through the nomination of anti-ACA Judge Amy Coney Barrett. COVID-19 is in the White House, in the Senate and in the Pentagon, yet Republican Senators are irresponsibly supporting taking away health care from millions of Americans. Voters know President Trump and his Republican allies in the Senate will stop at nothing to rip away their health care and end protections for pre-existing conditions — even during this crisis,” said Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach.
See the full Change Research memo and toplines.
Key Findings:
- Health care is a top factor in determining the outcome of the 2020 race. Voters choose health care as the number two issue in all three states behind the economy and ahead of crime, taxes, and immigration. Independents are in the middle ranking COVID as a top issue along with many others. Seniors in Arizona and Iowa rank health care at the top (46% economy in AZ, 45% health care in AZ, – 50% health care, 47% economy in IA) and second in Colorado (44% economy, 39% health care, 39% Supreme Court vacancy). The voters who select health care as a top issue are overwhelmingly supporting the Democratic senate candidate – 71% for 25% Mark Kelly in Arizona, 81% to 14% for John Hickenlooper in Colorado, and 69% to 23% for Theresa Greenfield in Iowa.
- Majorities of voters in these key swing states disapprove of the Trump Administration lawsuit at the Supreme Court that seeks to overturn the Affordable Care Act. In Arizona, 53% disapprove of this lawsuit while just 41% approve of it. Voters in Colorado (55% disapprove, 40% approve) and Iowa (52% disapprove, 43% approve) feel similarly. Most of those who disapprove of this lawsuit strongly disapprove of it (49% in AZ, 52% in CO, and 47% in Iowa). Women, in particular, hate this lawsuit as 60% in Arizona, 64% in Colorado, and 63% in Iowa disapprove of it. Independents in Arizona (20% approve-71% disapprove) and Iowa (32% approve-51% disapprove) oppose this lawsuit.
- Republicans, Independents, and Democrats all strongly support a variety of proposals on health care, proposals that the Trump Administration’s upcoming lawsuit in front of the Supreme Court puts at risk. This includes giving Medicare the power to negotiate for lower drug prices, guaranteeing insurance companies cannot charge women more than men, guaranteeing insurance companies cannot charge higher premiums to those with pre-existing conditions, prohibiting insurance companies from charging older Americans up to five times more than younger Americans, and prohibiting insurance companies from putting a lifetime cap on benefits. Not only do voters support these proposals overall, more than 70% strongly support them. President Trump is out of step even with his own party — three-quarters or more of Republicans in all three states support these proposals.
- Voters trust the Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate over their Republican opponents on health care policies most important to voters. Voters trust Democrats the most on protecting Medicare, protecting those with pre-existing conditions, and making health care more affordable and accessible. Voters also place their faith in Mark Kelly, John Hickenlooper, and Theresa Greenfield more than Martha McSally, Cory Gardner, and Joni Ernst to safely reopen schools and the economy, underscoring how poorly these sitting Republican senators have responded to the challenges of our time.
