New Poll Reveals Public's Views On “Big Beautiful Bill”

On June 17, KFF released the findings of a recent poll showing that nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of the public hold unfavorable views of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” passed by the House last month. Moreover, the popularity of Medicaid and the ACA (Affordable Care Act) has reached a record high.

On May 22, the House of Representatives passed a comprehensive FY2026 federal budget bill, as our editor-in-chief Mark Hagland reported. “The bill, H.R. 119, whose official name is the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” in deference to President Donald Trump, who had personally lobbied for its passage through the House, involves a massive tax cut for the wealthiest Americans, partly offset by hundreds of billions of dollars in cuts to Medicaid, with the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimating that $625 billion in savings would be achieved by effectively removing at least 7.6 million Americans from the program.”

According to recent reports, the Senate Finance Committee’s version of the budget bill is harsher than the bill the House passed last month. Healthcare Innovation’s Mark Hagland explains that Republican senators are set to enact tougher Medicaid provisions than their House counterparts.

The budget bill is viewed unfavorably by large majorities of Democrats (85 percent) and independents (71 percent), but favorably by six in 10 Republicans (61 percent), KFF reporters noted. “When people hear facts and arguments about the bill’s impact on health care, support shrinks and opposition grows, including among MAGA supporters.”

Furthermore, 83 percent of the public now view the Medicaid program favorably, according to KFF poll results. That’s up from 77 percent in January, with the most significant jump occurring among Republicans. Similarly, two-thirds (66 percent) of the public now have favorable views of the ACA.