Majority of Americans Want Congress to Halt Pro-Abortion Health Care Reform
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
January 22, 2010
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — Now that the election of Scott Brown has rocked the political world and change the dynamics of the voting on health care in Congress, a new Gallup poll shows a majority of Americans believe Washington should pull back on trying to pass a pro-abortion, government-run health care bill.
Gallup found 55 percent of Americans favor Congress’ putting the brakes on its current healthcare reform efforts and considering alternatives that can obtain more Republican support.
Four in 10 Americans (39%) would rather have House and Senate Democrats continue to try to pass the current pro-abortion health care bill.
According to the poll, most self-identified Democrats (67%) want Congress to continue working toward passage of the bill. However, an even larger majority of Republicans (87%) call for suspension of Congress’ current work on the bill.
The majority of political independents, whose support has been crucial to recent Republican election victories in Massachusetts, Virginia, and New Jersey, would also prefer to see the reform efforts put on hold rather than moved forward. The support halting the bill on a 56-37 percent margin.
The poll also found that the election of Brown, which saw voters in Massachusetts send a Republican to the Senate for the first time since 1972 reflects many Americans’ frustrations with the attempt by Congress and the Obama administration to push the pro-abortion health care bill.
Some 72 percent agreed with that sentiment while 18% believe it is merely a reflection of political conditions in Massachusetts.
The public’s desire to slow down the Democrats’ healthcare reform efforts also appears to reflect doubts about whether the issue deserves the attention political leaders in Washington have given it over the past several months. A minority of 32% of Americans say President Obama and the Democratic leadership in Congress are right to make healthcare reform their top priority at this time.
Gallup noted about its poll: "Brown’s election shook up the political world in both Massachusetts and Washington. President Obama has indicated he would like Congress to hold off on healthcare reform until Brown is seated, which is consistent with the public’s wishes to suspend work on the bill."
"But the public is also not convinced that healthcare should be the top priority for the government at this time and endorses finding alternatives that can gain Republican support, which the bill under consideration has not received. Americans may therefore prefer a longer pause on the issue — one that stretches well beyond the time Brown is seated," it said.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has announced that Democrats do not have the voted to get the pro-abortion Senate health care bill approved in her chamber.
However, they are meeting this weekend to determine if they want to use a controversial process known as reconciliation to railroad the bill through Congress without respecting the rights of the minority in the Senate.
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