Senate GOP rejects Reid poll data on healthcare reform

Senate Republicans Wednesday morning rejected arguments from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and others that four out of five Americans are opposed to Republican plans to repeal last year's healthcare law.

Reid has cited New York Times/CBS poll data from mid-January that said only 40 percent support repeal, and 48 percent want to keep the law. Of the 40 percent wanting repeal, half of that group, or 20 percent of everyone polled, wanted full repeal, which Republicans are pursuing this week. According to that poll, 80 percent want to either let the bill stand or repeal just part of it.

In a "fact check" e-mail sent out this morning, Senate Republicans challenged that assertion by citing other poll numbers. The GOP cited a CNN poll from mid-January that found 50 percent of those polled want to repeal the entire law, and just 42 percent want to keep all provisions in place.

Republicans cited other polls that had similar results. A Quinnipiac National Poll found that 48 percent favored repeal, and 43 percent wanted to keep the law. A Gallup poll found that 46 percent favored repeal and 40 percent favored keeping the law.

Debate on healthcare reform is heating up today in anticipation of a vote on an amendment to the FAA authorization bill that would repeal last year's law.

Updated at 2:28 p.m.