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Polling Round Up: President Biden’s Pandemic Response — Including the American Rescue Plan — Broadly Popular Among Americans

By February 23, 2021No Comments

67 Percent of Americans, Including One in Three Republicans, Support Biden’s Handling of the Pandemic

Seven in Ten Americans Support the American Rescue Plan

Despite efforts by Republicans and their wealthy donors to derail the American Rescue Plan, President Biden’s robust, multifaceted package — which includes direct stimulus payments, housing assistance, extended unemployment insurance, and funding to get the pandemic under control —continues to enjoy strong, bipartisan support from the American people.

New polling continues to highlight broad, bipartisan support for President Biden’s pandemic response and American Rescue Plan:

  • New Polling From Gallup Has Found That 67 Percent Of Americans, Including One In Three Republicans, Support President Biden’s Handling Of The Pandemic. “Several weeks into his first term in office, 67% of Americans approve of President Joe Biden’s handling of the coronavirus… Biden’s current approval rating for his handling of the coronavirus includes 95% of Democrats, 66% of independents and 34% of Republicans.” [Gallup, 2/22/21]
  • According To Recent Polling By The New York Times, Seven In 10 Americans Support President Biden’s “American Rescue Plan.” “More than 7 in 10 Americans now back Mr. Biden’s aid package, according to new polling from the online research firm SurveyMonkey for The New York Times. That includes support from three-quarters of independent voters, 2 in 5 Republicans and nearly all Democrats. The overall support for the bill is even larger than the substantial majority of voters who said in January that they favored an end-of-year economic aid bill signed into law by President Donald J. Trump.” [New York Times, 2/19/21]

These new polls join the growing body of evidence that voters strongly support Biden’s response and want Congress to pass the American Rescue Plan:

  • A CBS Poll Found That A Large, Bipartisan Majority Of Americans Support Congressional Passage Of A New Stimulus Bill To Help Those Impacted By The Pandemic. “A very large and bipartisan majority of Americans would support congressional passage of a new stimulus bill to help those impacted by the pandemic… Large majorities of Democrats, Republicans, and independents, as well as Americans of all income levels would approve of a COVID relief package.” [CBS, 2/10/21]

[CBS, 2/10/21]

  • Meanwhile, The CBS Poll Found That “Most Americans” Say Their Family’s Finances Have Been Impacted By The Pandemic — Highlighting The Need For More Relief. “Most Americans say their family’s finances have been impacted by the coronavirus outbreak in some way, including one in four Americans who say it has had a major impact. Lower-income Americans have been disproportionately affected: 35% of those with incomes under $50,000 say the coronavirus outbreak has left a major financial impact.” [CBS, 2/10/21]
  • Polling From Navigator Research Found That More Than Seven In Ten Americans Support Biden’s “American Rescue Plan.” “More than seven in ten support Biden’s ‘American Rescue Plan,’ and each provision of it earns support from at least three in five Americans.” [Navigator, 2/4/21]
  • The Navigator Poll Also Found That Key Provisions In The American Rescue Plan — Like Stimulus Checks — Have Support Across Demographic Groups, Including Republicans. According to the Navigator poll, 78 percent of Americans, including 60 percent of Republicans support new stimulus checks. Meanwhile, Republicans broadly support other key provisions: 57 percent support funding for vaccines and testing, 65 percent support paid family and sick leave, 64 percent support helping with health insurance premiums, 66 percent support small business grants, 53 percent support increasing the child tax credit, and 59 percent support rental assistance.
  • Hart Research Found That, Across Party Lines, Nearly Three Quarters Of Americans Favor Biden’s Rescue Plan And Want Congress To Pass It. “With support across party lines, large majorities favor President Biden’s COVID rescue plan and want Congress to pass it. After seeing the main provisions 74% favor the plan, including 46% who strongly favor it.” [Twitter, Geoff Garin, 1/28/21; polling for Protect Our Care]

    • Hart Research Found That Half Of Republicans Support The Relief Package. “There is broad, bipartisan support in the country for the Biden COVID package: 98% among Democrats; 72% among Independents; 50% among Republicans; 46% of Trump voters support it, even though it is explicitly identified with Biden.” [Twitter, Geoff Garin, 1/28/21; polling for Protect Our Care]
  • Quinnipiac University Polling Found That Nearly 8 In 10 Americans Support Sending $1,400 Stimulus Checks Directly To Americans. “Nearly 8 in 10 Americans are in favor of $1,400 stimulus payments to Americans with 78 percent supporting and 18 percent opposing.” [Quinnipiac University Poll, 2/3/21]
  • Quinnipiac Also Found That Most Americans — 61 Percent — Support Raising The Minimum Wage To $15 Per Hour.  “Respondents also favor Biden’s call for a $15 per hour federal minimum wage by a 61% to 36% margin, according to the [Quinnipiac] survey. [CNBC, 2/3/21]
  • According To Data For Progress, Nearly 70 Percent Of Americans, Including 80 Percent Of Democrats, 70 Percent Of Independents, And 55 Percent Of Republicans, Want To Pass More Relief As Soon As Possible.  “The majority of voters (69 percent) prefer to pass more relief as soon as possible to support small businesses, schools and Americans who are struggling, rather than wait and see what aid may be needed. Notably, we find bipartisan support: 80 percent of self-identified Democratic voters, 70 percent of Independents and 55 percent of Republicans want relief as soon as possible.” [Data for Progress/Invest in America, 2/21]
  • 68 Percent Of Americans — Including 67 Percent Of Independents And 55 Percent Of Republicans — Are Prioritizing Support For The Economic Recovery, Rather Than Being Concerned WIth The National Debt. “We find that the majority of voters (68 percent) support prioritizing as much support as possible for our future economic recovery, rather than being concerned with the national debt. Again, we find bipartisan support: 80 percent of Democrats, 67 percent of Independents, and 55 percent of Republicans want as much recovery as possible now instead of prioritizing a bill that is less costly.” [Data for Progress/Invest in America, 2/21]
  • Voters Overwhelmingly Support The Key Provisions In The American Rescue Plan. “We tested voter support on the different areas of economic relief that President Biden’s plan proposes. This includes: additional $1400 stimulus checks, extending and expanding unemployment benefits, grants and loans for small businesses, extending moratoriums on evictions and foreclosures and providing utility aid to struggling families, expanding Child Income Tax Credits and Earned Income Tax Credits, increasing the minimum wage to $15, and a range of funding for vaccine distribution, to schools, and to state, local and territorial governments. Overwhelmingly voters support all of these key provisions, with extraordinarily high levels of support for immediate steps to increase our coronavirus response such as support for small businesses and funding to state, local and territorial governments to prevent layoffs of frontline essential workers and distribute the vaccine.“  [Data for Progress/Invest in America, 2/21]

[Data for Progress/Invest in America, 2/21]

  • More Than Twice As Many Americans Support Key Elements Of Biden’s Agenda Than Oppose Them — The Most Popular Policies Being Those At The Center Of Biden’s Pandemic Proposal.  “When asked about the 20 policies that define President Biden’s agenda, more Americans support than oppose all 20 of them, according to a new Yahoo News/YouGov poll. The margins are decisive. The majority of Biden’s proposals garner at least twice as much support as opposition. Nearly half are favored by more than 60 percent of Americans… Of all 20 policies covered by the poll, the two most popular were the ones at the center of Biden’s current COVID proposal: $2,000 relief checks (74 percent favor vs. 13 percent oppose) and increased federal funding for vaccination (69 percent favor vs. 17 percent oppose). A full 58 percent of Americans also support raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour, another key element of Biden’s COVID-19 rescue package.” [Yahoo News/YouGov, 2/1/21]
  • Meanwhile, Eight In Ten Americans Cite Strengthening The Economy And Fighting The Pandemic As Top Priorities For The President To Address. “Currently, about eight-in-ten Americans say strengthening the nation’s economy (80%) and dealing with the coronavirus outbreak (78%) should be top priorities for the president and Congress to address this year. Two-thirds (67%) rate improving the job situation as a top priority.” [Pew Research, 1/28/21]