A new poll says the majority of Republican voters back a plan to repeal Obamacare without a replacement.
The poll from Politico and Morning Consult said 58 percent of GOP voters support repealing Obamacare and replacing it later. It also found that 21 percent of Democrats and 29 percent of independents back the two-step strategy.
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It found that 36 percent of all voters polled support dismantling the 2010 healthcare law without a replacement, and 50 percent oppose that plan.
Republicans will vote Tuesday afternoon on a motion to begin debate on a bill repealing and replacing Obamacare that passed the House in May. If the motion passes, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell plans to strip out the House plan and replace it with either a bill repealing parts of Obamacare or a 2015 proposal that only dismantles most of the law without a replacement.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said McConnell will bring the 2015 bill repealing Obamacare and give Republicans two years to replace it before the Senate. Some conservatives, like Paul, have advocated for the repeal first, replace later strategy, and the majority of GOP voters support that plan.
But moderate Republicans and all Democrats in the Senate are opposed to the idea of repealing Obamacare without a replacement, and it’s not expected to pass because it needs 60 votes. That will leave senators with the repeal and replace option.
McConnell has tried to rally Republicans to pass Tuesday’s motion to proceed, and then debate the merits of a healthcare plan overhauling the healthcare system. But it remains unclear if McConnell has the votes to start debate on the bill.
When given the option to either continue efforts to repeal and replace Obamacare, move on to other items, or work to improve the current healthcare system, 41 percent of voters want Congress to improve the healthcare system.
Thirteen percent want Republicans to move on, and 31 percent of voters want GOP lawmakers to continue working to repeal and replace the 2010 healthcare law.
“Only 13 percent of Republican voters support Congress abandoning healthcare and moving on to other issues,” Morning Consult co-founder Kyle Dropp said. “Additionally, a majority of voters support a straight Obamacare repeal bill. If GOP leaders walk away with nothing, a significant portion of the base will be disappointed.”
Politico and Morning Consult polled 3,981 registered voters from July 20 to July 24.
