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A pair of new polls spell tough news for Republican lawmakers attempting to repeal and replace Obamacare, as their own base is becoming increasingly disillusioned with their attempt to overhaul the healthcare system.Just a day before Senate GOP leadership is set to debut a revised version of the the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA), a poll from Morning Consult/Politico showed Republican voters want lawmakers to move on from the bill and work on a bipartisan solution for healthcare.
According to the poll, 54% of Republican voters surveyed said members of their party should work with Democrats to pass a healthcare reform bill, while just 39% said only Republicans should work together. Overall, 57% of voters believe that Republicans should work with Democrats, while 34% say the GOP should stay on its current course.
Republicans, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, have floated the idea of working with Democrats on a bill to shore up insurance markets if the BCRA fails to earn consensus among members of the party.
Despite the growing desire to work with Democrats, Republican voters still want Congress to stick with healthcare as the primary issue. Overall, however, 47% of Americans surveyed said the Republicans should move onto other issues, while 40% want them to continue to focus on repealing and replacing Obamacare.
Overall, the current form of the BCRA had a 40% approval and 47% disapproval in the poll.
Another poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation also showed an appetite for Republicans to move on from their current path of repeal and replace.
While 54% of Republicans surveyed in the poll said they want the GOP to stick with the repeal and replace of Obamacare, while 41% want them to work with Democrats to "improve the Affordable Care Act."
Among people who say they support Trump, there's even more of an appetite for tweaking Obamacare, according to the Kaiser poll. Forty-seven percent of Trump supporters want repeal and replace, while 46% want the GOP to work closer with Democrats on a healthcare solution.
Overall, the Kaiser found that 23% of voters want Republicans to simply repeal and replace the law, while 71% want a bipartisan solution.