Just 10 percent of Americans describe themselves as knowing a lot of specific things about what’s in President Joe Biden’s massive social spending plan, according to a new CBS/YouGov poll released Sunday.
Additionally, 29 percent say they don’t know what’s in it, 28 percent say they have a general sense, but not any specifics and 33 percent say they have a general sense and some specifics.
Democrats will have to cut at least $1 trillion from Biden’s Build Back Better Act after Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., said they would not vote for the original $3.5 trillion plan. The bill includes expanding the Affordable Care Act and universal paid family and medical leave.
The poll also found:
- When asked what “Build Back Better” items they had heard about, 59 percent said the $3.5 trillion figure, while 58 percent said tax increases for high-income people. Forty percent said lower Medicare drug prices and Medicare coverage for dental/eye/hearing.
- On what they support federal funding for, 88 percent said lowering prescription drug prices, 84 percent said Medicare coverage for dental/eye/hearing, 73 percent said paid family and medical leave and 67 percent said universal Pre-K.
- 67 percent who have heard about Medicare and family leave said they approve of the plan, while 54 percent of all Americans say they approve.
- 68 percent support tax increases for high-income people, 67 percent support tax increases for corporations and 58 percent support more IRS enforcement for taxes owed
- 36 percent said the bill would help them and their family, 33 percent said it would hurt them and their family and 31 percent said it would have no effect; 41 percent said the plan would help the economy, 38 percent said it would hurt and 21 percent said it would have no effect
- 37 percent said Biden and Democrats are focusing on issues they care a lot about, 32 percent say they are focusing on issues they care little about and 31 percent said they are focusing on issues they don’t care about
- 60 percent say the Biden administration is not focused on the issue of inflation enough, compared with 33 percent who said it was the right amount
This CBS News/YouGov survey was conducted among 2,054 adults, Oct. 6-8. The margin of error is +/- 2.6 percentage points.
