Arkansans oppose health care legislation
Arkansans oppose health care reform legislation being considered in Congress and are not pleased that the state’s two U.S. senators voted for it, results of a new poll show.
Fifty-eight percent of respondents said they opposed the congressional proposals, while 26 percent supported the measure and 16 percent said they were undecided in the poll commissioned by the Arkansas News Bureau/Stephens Media.
More than half of those surveyed said they disapproved of U.S. Sens. Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor supporting the measure. Fifty-five percent said they opposed Pryor’s support of the legislation and 27 percent said they support it, while 59 percent said they opposed Lincoln’s vote and 28 percent said they approved.
“It is unfortunate that both of our U.S. senators chose to listen to their party versus their constituents in the state of Arkansas,” said Bob Porto, chairman of the Tea Party chapter in Pulaski County. “It’s clear where citizens of … Arkansas wish to send a message, but our senators, both senators, are not listening.”
Washington, D.C.-based Mason-Dixon Polling & Research Inc. surveyed 625 registered voters statewide by telephone Monday through Wednesday. The poll’s margin of error is plus or minus 4 percentage points.
The poll also found that 60 percent oppose raising taxes to finance health care reform, 54 percent oppose a “public option,” or government-run health insurance program, and nearly 50 percent of those surveyed oppose requiring all Americans to have health insurance.
One piece of health reform that 63 percent of respondents did support was requiring insurance companies to provide coverage to uninsured people with pre-existing conditions.
The poll also asked whether voters thought the health care reform proposal would lead to a rationing of health care and a reduction in Medicare programs.
Forty-five percent said they thought health care would ultimately be rationed, 33 percent said they did not, while 51 percent said they thought Medicare programs would be reduced and 23 percent said they would not.
Asked their position on health care reform, 42 percent said some changes are needed to expand insurance availability and better control costs, and 24 percent said health care needs a major overhaul and all Americans should be guaranteed health insurance coverage.
Fifteen-percent said the current system is basically sound and few changes are needed, while 13 percent said the government should leave the system alone.
Chad Klein, communications director for Change that Works, a grassroots organization in Arkansas and 12 other states that support health care form, said despite the poll results, health care reform is needed.
“We talk to Arkansans every day, hundreds every day, whether it be small business owners, faith leaders, farmers or just everyday hard-working Arkansans, and not only do they want health care reform, but they need it,” Klein said.
“Our goal and our mission is that … this bill has got to happen,” he said. “We’re just going to have to keep being focused on the big picture, which is that health care reform will reduce the burden on Arkansas families and small businesses.”
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