After the Midterms, Voters Continue to Support Bold Climate Action
By Danielle Deiseroth
Key Findings
Three months after being signed into law, voters support the Inflation Reduction Act by a +36-point margin.
A majority of voters (60 percent) think Congress should take additional actions to address climate change.
Voters think Democrats in Congress care more about protecting consumers from high gas and energy prices, while they think Republicans in Congress care more about protecting the interests of the fossil fuel industry.
Wide majorities of voters would be upset if Republicans rolled back key provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act and other environmental protections.
Looking ahead to 2024, Republican primary voters — especially young ones — want the GOP presidential candidate to have a climate plan.
Since taking office, President Biden and Democrats in Congress have enacted landmark actions to address climate change, reduce pollution, and ramp up clean energy production in America. Throughout 2021 and 2022, polling from Data for Progress and Climate Power has found that voters widely back these actions and want lawmakers to hold oil and gas companies accountable for the sky-high gas and home energy prices that have deeply impacted families’ pocketbooks over the past year.
In a new national survey of likely voters conducted in the days following the midterm elections, Data for Progress and Climate Power assessed voters’ attitudes toward the Inflation Reduction Act and how the 118th Congress should address climate change. We find that a majority of voters continue to support the Inflation Reduction Act and do not want Republicans to roll back key legislation on climate change, clean energy, and pollution. Additionally, on the heels of Donald Trump’s official entry into the 2024 Republican presidential primary race, we find that a majority of Republican primary voters want their party’s presidential candidate to have a climate plan.
Voters Still Overwhelmingly Support the Inflation Reduction Act
Three months after Biden signed it into law, the Inflation Reduction Act enjoys support from roughly 2 in 3 voters (65 percent support, 29 percent oppose). The law is especially popular among Democrats, who back the bill by a +81-point margin, and Independents, who support it by a +32-point margin. Even 43 percent of Republicans say they support the Inflation Reduction Act. The bill also enjoys widespread support from voters under 45 (70 percent support), Black voters (69 percent support), and Latino voters (74 percent support).
Voters also remain enthusiastic about the individual climate and clean energy provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act. Majorities of voters support every climate and clean energy component of the bill that we tested, from investments in sustainable agriculture (79 percent support) to consumer tax credits for electric vehicles (57 percent support).
Voters Want Lawmakers in Congress to Continue Addressing Climate Change
While the Inflation Reduction Act marked a historic investment to expand clean energy production in America, voters do not want Congress to cease taking action on climate change. By a +26-point margin, voters agree that Congress should not view the Inflation Reduction Act as an ending point in U.S. climate action, but rather should continue addressing the climate crisis. Democrats (88 percent), young voters (68 percent), Black voters (75 percent), and Latina/o voters (73 percent) are especially in agreement that Congress should continue taking action to address climate change.
Despite this widespread support, Republicans will control the House of Representatives and may thwart efforts to pass additional climate legislation. That said, over half of voters (55 percent) would support President Biden issuing executive actions to address climate change.
Voters Don’t Trust Republicans to Hold Oil and Gas Companies Accountable and Will Be Upset if They Fail to Do So
Over the past year, as gas and home energy costs have skyrocketed for American families, oil and gas companies have made record profits. This issue dominated many critical races in the midterm elections, with fossil fuel industry allies like Adam Laxalt losing their elections. Voters recognize that Biden and Democrats in Congress care more about protecting consumers, while Trump and Republicans in Congress care more about the interests of fossil fuel companies.
Looking ahead to the next Congress, voters indicate they would be displeased if Republicans attempt to roll back key provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act and other actions that Congress and Biden have taken to address climate change. Voters say they would be especially upset if Republicans make it more expensive for families to improve the energy efficiency of their homes — one of the key provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act.
In addition to not trusting Republicans to look out for consumers, over two-thirds of voters (71 percent) say they would be upset if Republicans fail to hold oil and gas companies accountable for unfairly raising energy prices. Majorities of voters also say they would be upset if Republicans reduce the size of protected national monuments and public lands, weaken safeguards on harmful pollution, direct less federal funding to clean energy research and development, get rid of the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, and roll back tax credits for clean energy production.
Finally, now that the midterms have concluded, Republicans will begin their process of deciding who will challenge Biden in the 2024 presidential election. While Trump included numerous egregious lies about climate change in his announcement speech, a majority of voters who say they typically vote in Republican primaries (53 percent) say they want the GOP presidential candidate to have a climate plan. This charge is driven by young Republican primary voters, of whom nearly two-thirds (63 percent) say they want a Republican presidential candidate with a climate plan.
With the Inflation Reduction Act as a popular victory under their belts, lawmakers in Congress should feel empowered to continue taking action to address climate change. Though Republicans in the House of Representatives may stall additional climate action, voters support Biden using his executive authority to ensure that U.S. climate action does not backslide over the next two years. Finally, though many Republicans on the campaign trail criticized the climate policies passed by Biden and Democrats in Congress, voters widely support these measures and would be deeply upset if Republicans rolled them back. Now more than ever, it is clear that climate change is a top priority for voters — and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle should recognize it as such.
Danielle Deiseroth (@danielledeis) is the Lead Climate Strategist at Data for Progress.