Voters Continue to Overwhelmingly Support President Biden’s Investment Package
By Lew Blank
In new polling conducted with Invest in America from April 20-24, 2022, we tested support for President Biden’s investment package.
We find that an overwhelming majority of voters — including Republicans — support the package, as well as most of its key provisions. We also find that the bill’s pay-fors are popular and that the bill performs well with both a “lowering costs” framing and a climate change framing.
First, we asked voters whether they support an investment package to lower insurance premiums for people who buy healthcare on their own, invest in clean energy, and bring down the costs of prescription drugs. We find that voters support this package by a +58-point margin, including a +77-point margin of Democrats, +53-point margin of Independents, and a +40-point margin of Republicans.
Next, we asked the same question, but added specific details about the cost of the bill and how it would be paid for. We specified to voters that the bill would cost $1.5 trillion and that it would be financed by raising taxes on multimillionaires and billionaires, ensuring large corporations pay at least 15 percent in taxes, taxing corporations that purchase their own stocks, and funding tax enforcement on the wealthy and corporations. With this description, the bill maintains a strong +44-point margin of support, extending across party lines to a +77-point margin of Democrats, a +42-point margin of Independents, and a +7-point margin of Republicans.
Later in our survey, we tested support for the specific provisions of the package, and find majority support for all. More than 80 percent of voters support investing in long-term care, expanding Medicare to cover hearing, allowing Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices, and capping insulin costs at $35 per month. At least 70 percent of voters support lowering insurance premiums for people who purchase healthcare on their own, improving affordability and access for education beyond high school, and guaranteeing four weeks of paid family and medical leave for all workers. A clear majority of voters also support increasing housing affordability, investing in clean energy, extending the Earned Income Tax Credit, reducing childcare costs, providing universal pre-K, and extending the Child Tax Credit.
Most of these provisions are highly popular with Republicans. The chart below shows Republican support only for most of the key provisions in Biden’s plan. Our polling finds that more than three-quarters of Republicans support the bill’s investments in long-term care, expansion of Medicare to cover hearing, capping of insulin costs, Medicare drug price negotiation, and reduction of health insurance premiums.
We also tested support for the pay-fors in Biden’s package and find more than a +45-point margin of support for each. This includes closing tax loopholes on the Medicare tax, a minimum 15 percent tax on corporations earning more than $1 billion in profit, raising taxes on the wealthiest 0.02 percent of Americans, funding tax enforcement on the wealthy and corporations, and a 1 percent surcharge on corporate stock buybacks. Each of these pay-fors is backed by more than 75 percent of Democrats, more than 60 percent of Independents, and more than 50 percent of Republicans.
Finally, we tested support for Biden’s investment package with two framings: one focused on lowering costs, and one focused on climate change. When voters are told that Biden’s plan will lower the cost of utility bills, prescription drugs, and health insurance, voters support it by a +38-point margin.
Biden’s package is also popular with a climate framing. When voters are told that the bill will create clean energy jobs, help America become energy independent, and address climate change, it’s supported by a +32-point margin.
Overall, these results demonstrate that Biden’s investment package, including its key provisions and pay-fors, is overwhelmingly popular with voters, including Independents and Republicans. Moving forward, legislators should feel confident that pushing for Biden’s bill will improve — not harm — their standing with voters.
Lew Blank (@LewBlank) is a polling analyst at Data for Progress.