Poll Highlights GOP’s Efforts to Defund Obamacare With Fed Shutdown Risky

A vocal contingent of GOP members in Congress that tout Tea Party values have stated openly that they will do all they can to stop the Affordable Care Act from going into effect – even at the risk of the federal government shutting down, but a new poll highlights that there are some who would rather see the law go forth as planned without shutdown despite thoughts on both sides of the aisle that Obamacare has its flaws.

A poll conducted by CNBC in conjunction with Hart-McInturff, which surveyed 800 Americans, showed that most were against defunding Obamacare by a 44 percent to 38 percent plurality. And when government shutdown and defaulting is on the table, the numbers spike differently, with Americans opposing defunding Obamacare at 59 percent to 19 percent with 18 percent unsure.

A poll conducted earlier in the month by the Pew Research Center and USA TODAY, though, surveyed more than 1,500 Americans, which found 53 percent to 42 percent oppose the Affordable Care Act despite bipartisan support of the bill in 2010 that led to its passage. The polls and their varying outcomes seem to trend with the nation’s overall feeling over the healthcare law.

Despite wavering support for the law, two Republican senators have voiced similar opinions that efforts made by their party to block Obamacare will falter: Sen. Rand Paul said over the weekend at a gathering of Michigan Republicans that there’s nothing that can be done to stop the healthcare exchanges from opening on October 1.

On CBS’ Face The Nation program, Sen. Tom Coburnessentially conceded that his party’s fight to defund Obamacare and block the passing of a stopgap funding bill ahead of the Sept. 30 fiscal year end date is fruitless.

“I think it’s a great attempt to raise the issue of some of the weaknesses and the problems with Obamacare, but it’s not a tactic that we can actually carry out and be successful,” Sen. Coburn said.

Interestingly enough, Republicans who do not support the extreme views of the Tea Party side with Democrats over the defunding of Obamacare.

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