Growls

Two weeks ago, Speaker Nancy Pelosi got her health care bill -- H.R. 3962 -- passed late Saturday evening, November 7, 2009 by a vote of 220-215, as we growled November 8, 2009. Now, the U.S. Senate’s Majority Leader, Harry Reid (D-Nevada) has scheduled a cloture vote on Saturday, according to Connie Hair, blogging  at the Human Events blog.

What is Congress trying to pass? According to a Gallup poll released last Friday:

“More Americans now say it is not the federal government's responsibility to make sure all Americans have healthcare coverage (50%) than say it is (47%). This is a first since Gallup began tracking this question, and a significant shift from as recently as three years ago, when two-thirds said ensuring healthcare coverage was the government's responsibility.” (Emphasis added)

Note the shift since 2001 as shown in the following graph. In 2001, Gallup polling showed more Americans (59%) thought the federal government was responsible for making sure all Americans had health insurance coverage than those who did not (38%). Compare how the polling on this question has changed as well as the partisan positions on health care legislation.

Gallup’s bottom line on this poll is:

“The current poll results indicate that, with the renewed healthcare debate since President Obama took office, Americans have become less convinced that it is an appropriate goal for the federal government to take on the responsibility of ensuring that all Americans have healthcare coverage. It is possible that the current debate has increased the average American's awareness as to the nuances of the various roles the government could play in the healthcare system, helping make the generic "make sure all Americans have healthcare coverage" sound less appealing. Plus, the current debate may have produced more skepticism among Americans that the government's role in healthcare could or should be this broad.”