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CBS News PollFor release Tuesday, February 15, 20116:30 pm ESTPresident Obama, Congress Square Off on IssuesFebruary 11-14, 2011
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The President and the new Congress have begun to address the deficit and last year’shealth care legislation, among other issues. Americans trust President Barack Obama(42%) and the Republicans in Congress (42%) equally to lower the deficit.
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A majority of the public would disapprove of Congress cutting off funding for health carereform – although most also disapprove of the health care law and many aren’t sure ofits impact on the health care system.
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The percentage of Americans that thinks government regulates business too heavily hasrisen since fall 2008, during the financial crisis.
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The President’s overall approval rating is 48%, similar to last month.
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Congress’ approval rating is up since last fall, but still low. 24% now approve.
The Budget Deficit
As Congress and the President take up discussions of the federal budget and deficit, equalpercentages trust the President (42%) and the Republicans in Congress (42%) to make the rightdecisions about it.
Trust More to Make Right Decisions about Reducing the Deficit
Barack Obama 42%Republicans in Congress 42Neither 9Both 2Some Americans – but not a majority – expect they will have to feel some personal pain in orderto reduce the deficit. 49% expect that the government will have to cut programs that benefitthem in order to lower the deficit, while nearly as many, 41%, think that won’t be necessary.
To Lower Deficit, Necessary to Cut Programs that Benefit You?
Yes 49%No 41Both Republicans and independents expect this will be needed, while most Democrats do not.However fewer, just 37%, expect it will be necessary to increase taxes on people likethemselves. Those expectations rise along with income; a majority of Americans with incomes
 
of $100,000 or more expect it will be necessary for them to pay higher taxes in order to lowerthe deficit.
To Lower Deficit, Necessary to Increase Taxes for People Like You?
Less thanAll $50k $50k-$100k $100k+Yes 37% 30% 40% 62%No 59 66 55 36Americans continue to rate the federal budget deficit as a serious problem, although it rankssecond – far below the economy and jobs - on the list of important issues facing the country.Seven in 10 call it very serious, and another 25% say it is somewhat serious. Those numbershave remained steady over the past few months.
Health Care Reform
Another issue Congress may grapple with in the coming weeks is health care reform: somemembers of Congress who are opposed to the health care reform legislation passed last yearhave talked about defunding the new health care laws. That is not a tactic most Americanswould support; just over half of Americans disapprove of cutting off funding to the new law, and just 35% approve. But among Republicans, approval rises to 57%.
Cut Off Funding for Health Care Law
All Reps Dems IndsApprove 35% 57% 12% 38%Disapprove 55 34 82 49Overall, Americans are wary of the new health care reform law: they are uncertain what theimpact on the health care system will be, and most still disapprove of the legislation.21% think the new law will make the system better, but about as many, 23%, think the law willmake the system worse – and 44% say they don’t know enough to say what the law’s impactwill be. Uncertainty has increased since the law was first passed last year.And while there are partisan differences – 43% of Republicans think it will make the systemworse, but 40% of Democrats see it as an improvement – large segments of Republicans,Democrats and independents don’t know what effect the law will have on the health caresystem.
Effect of New Law on Health Care System
All Reps Dems IndsMake it better 21% 10% 40% 14%Make it worse 23 43 5 23No change 9 7 11 9Don’t know enough to say 44 39 40 50As has been the case since the law was passed nearly a year ago, more Americans disapprovethan approve of last year’s health care reform legislation. Now, 33% approve, while 51%disapprove, including 34% who disapprove strongly.
 
Views on Health Care Reform Law
Now 10/2010 7/2010 3/2010Strongly approve 14% 16% 17% 16%Somewhat approve 19 23 19 16Somewhat disapprove 17 16 16 14Strongly disapprove 34 27 33 39Views of the law divide along partisan lines, but Republicans feel more strongly about the issuethan Democrats: 58% of Republicans strongly disapprove of the legislation; 30% of Democratsstrongly approve.
Regulating Business
Some members of Congress have also talked about reducing regulations on business. In theaftermath of the serious problems faced by the U.S. financial system in late 2008, moreAmericans felt the government was regulating business too little. Now, that has changed. Just27% think there is too little regulation of business, while far more, 45%, think there is too much.17% think there are the right amount of regulations.
Federal Government Regulates Business…
Now 2/2009 9/2008 2/2002 1/1986Too much 45% 28% 28% 35% 41%Too little 27 40 43 26 22Right amount 17 18 16 25 22
Congress’ Job Approval
CBS News measured the job approval rating of the new Congress for the first time in this poll.While most Americans continue to disapprove of the job Congress is doing, the percentage thatapproves has risen since last fall. 24% now approve of Congress’ job, up from 17% inNovember and the highest since the fall of 2009. Still, majorities of all partisan stripesdisapprove.
Congress Job Rating
Now 11/2010 10/2010 11/2009Approve 24% 17% 14% 26%Disapprove 62 72 76 60
The President
President Barack Obama’s overall job approval rating is now 48%, similar to what it was lastmonth. 41% disapprove of the way he is handling his job as president.
President Obama’s Overall Job Rating
Now 1/2011 2/2010Approve 48% 49% 46%Disapprove 41 39 45The President remains popular among those in his own party, while most Republicans disapprove ofthe job he is doing. Among independents, 42% approve while 39% disapprove – similar to last month.
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