As some Republican lawmakers strive to repeal the Affordable Care Act, a new survey shows it has never been more popular with Americans.
A new Pew study finds that 54 percent of Americans now support the healthcare law; that’s up from 48 percent in December. Eighty-nine percent of Republicans oppose the bill in its current form, while 85 percent of Democrats support it, the study finds.
Only 17 percent of adults actually want to see the law, better known as Obamacare, fully repealed. Most want GOP congressional leaders to improve it by modifying it rather than trashing it entirely.
Approximately as many Republicans want to see the law fully repealed as want to see it merely improved: As much as 42 percent say Congress should improve the bill, while 44 percent want it gone.
The study also found increasing support for the law with independents. Among left-leaning independents, 78 percent say they support law—up 14 points since October. Among right-leaning independents, only 22 percent support the law, which reveals little change among those voters.
What’s more, Pew finds that 65 percent of adults under 30 approve of Obamacare, a significant change since October when only 51 percent of young people expressed approval. The study found similar growth in approval among the prior generation: Among those 50 to 64 years of age, support has grown from 40 percent in October to 52 percent now.
