Majority of Voters Continue to Support the Build Back Better Act
By David Guirgis, Anika Dandekar, and Ethan Winter
On January 11, 2022, Data for Progress and Invest in America conducted a survey of 1,326 likely voters to retest attitudes on the Build Back Better Act, which continues to stall in the Senate. As we have previously found, time and time again, the package and each of its provisions are very popular, even after voters are told how they are paid for.
The Build Back Better Act Has Remained Popular Over Time
We find the bill remains popular with voters. Since November 2021, it has consistently received majority support among voters; presently, it is supported by 65 percent of likely voters, with a +36-point margin.
The Build Back Better Act Still Receives Majority Support When Pay-fors Are Described
This trend holds when the pay-fors for the bill are introduced. These pay-fors include raising taxes on corporations and the super-wealthy, and strengthening the IRS to crack down on tax fraud. Support for the bill after the bill’s pay-fors are described has never dropped below 60 percent. Presently, it is supported by 65 percent of likely voters, with a +36-point margin.
The Build Back Better Act Still Receives Majority Support, Even When Voters Are Presented With Arguments Against Its Passage
In our survey, we also provided voters with arguments in favor of and against the Build Back Better Act. We find that even after being exposed to oppositional messaging, a clear +23-point majority of voters support the bill. This includes a +81-point margin of Democrats and a +27-point margin of Independents.
Each Provision of Build Back Better Is Popular With Voters
Meanwhile, every provision in Build Back Better remains popular with voters; this has been a consistent trend of the bill over the course of its time in Congress. Once again, investments in long-term care and the expansion of Medicaid continue to be the most popular provisions of Build Back Better, attracting the support of 76 and 73 percent of voters, respectively. Investments in paid family leave, clean energy, and affordable housing attract margins of support of over +30 points, while universal pre-K holds +26 points of support. Meanwhile, the expansion of the Child Tax Credit has a +12-point margin of support.
Voters Believe Congress Should Still Try to Pass Build Back Better Amid Rising Coronavirus Cases
We also find that voters do not believe that the current surge of coronavirus cases is an adequate reason for stalling passage of Build Back Better. Instead, 57 percent of voters overall believe that lawmakers should still pass Build Back Better and provide critical support for Americans suffering because of the pandemic. This includes 81 percent of Democrats, 60 percent of Independents, and almost a third of Republicans.
Pandemic Preparedness Provisions of Build Back Better Are Popular With Voters
Voters largely want pandemic preparedness funding included as part of the Build Back Better Act. Seventy-three percent of voters overall, including 94 percent of Democrats, 73 percent of Independents, and 52 percent of Republicans, agree that investments in pandemic preparedness, including strengthening supply chains and expanding early detection capacity, should be a part of the bill.
By a +23-point margin, voters also believe that if pandemic preparedness funding was included in the Build Back Better Act, that would be a good reason to pass the stalled bill. This includes 80 percent of Democrats and 54 percent of Independents. Almost a third of Republicans also agree.
Finally, we polled voters on the usefulness of pandemic preparedness investments. By a +19-point margin, voters found pandemic preparedness investments to be a useful investment and not an example of wasteful government spending. This includes 82 percent of Democrats, 58 percent of Independents, and over a quarter of Republicans.
Ultimately, Data for Progress finds that the Build Back Better Act and its provisions remain consistently popular with voters. Voters want to see this bill passed because of the pandemic’s effects on the economy, and they agree that the pandemic preparedness provisions included are necessary components of the act.
Toplines for this polling can be found here.
David Guirgis is a writing fellow at Data for Progress.
Anika Dandekar (@AnikaDandekar) is a polling analyst at Data for Progress.
Ethan Winter (@EthanBWinter) is a senior analyst at Data for Progress.