Partisan Politics, Public Distrust Thwart Efforts To Carry Out Health Law

The New York Times reports that partisan gridlock will likely prevent Congress from making even small adjustments. Meanwhile, a CNN poll finds that a majority of Americans continue to oppose the measure, which adds to the Obama administration's challenge of selling it to the public.

The New York Times: Partisan Gridlock Thwarts Effort To Alter Health Law
Republicans simply want to see the entire law go away and will not take part in adjusting it. Democrats are petrified of reopening a politically charged law that threatens to derail careers as the Republicans once again seize on it before an election year. As a result, a landmark law that almost everyone agrees has flaws is likely to take effect unchanged (Weisman and Pear, 5/26).

NPR: Obama's Next Big Campaign: Selling Health Care To The Public
President Obama often tells audiences that he has waged his last campaign. But that's not exactly true. The White House is gearing up for a massive campaign this summer that will cover all 50 states, plus Washington, D.C. And the president's legacy may hinge on whether it succeeds or fails (Shapiro, 5/28).

CNN: Poll: Do You Support Or Oppose The Health Care Law?
A majority of Americans still oppose the nation's new health care measure, three years after it became law, according to a new survey. But a CNN/ORC International poll released Monday also indicates that more than a quarter of those who oppose the law, known by many as Obamacare, say they don't support the measure because it doesn't go far enough (5/27).

Politico: Poll: 54 Percent Against Obamacare
Fifty-four percent of Americans oppose President Barack Obama's signature domestic policy achievement, according to a CNN poll released Monday, while 43 percent support the law.
Majorities have consistently opposed the law, which subsidizes and expands coverage while making it mandatory for Americans to buy health insurance, since its passage in 2010 (Robillard, 5/27).

The Hill: Poll: Fifty-Four Percent Oppose ObamaCare
A majority of Americans oppose ObamaCare as the administration begins to roll out the landmark healthcare law, according to a poll released Monday. The CNN/ORC International poll found that 54 percent opposed the healthcare reforms, with 43 percent supporting the law. That figure is mostly unchanged since polling from 2010, when the Affordable Care Act was passed signed into law (Mali, 5/27).