(Reuters) -Public support remains strong for extending the Obamacare tax credits, which have been central to the U.S. government shutdown due to disagreements over their inclusion in funding packages, according to a new poll from research firm KFF.
The poll found that about three-quarters or 74% of U.S. adults are in favor of extending the tax credits, which are set to expire at the end of the year, marginally down from 78% in September.
These subsidies, introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic, have helped people afford their health insurance through marketplaces created by the Affordable Care Act or Obamacare.
The subsidies have enabled enrollment to double to 24 million since they were put in place in 2021.
Without the extension of the subsidies, enrollees on average will see premiums rise about 114%, with the impact varying among the 22 million people who receive subsidies, according to a previous KFF report.
The poll, conducted among 1,350 U.S. adults in English and Spanish, finds little change in the public’s views on extending the tax credits since before the shutdown began, though Republicans’ support dipped to 50% from 59% in September.
This compares to 94% of Democrats and 76% of independents who continue to say Congress should extend the expiring tax credits.
Large swaths of the U.S. government have been shut since October 1, leaving hundreds of thousands of federal workers without pay and disrupting a wide range of services, from financial oversight to medical research.
Democrats say any package that would reopen the government must also extend ACA subsidies. Republicans say they are open to addressing that issue, but insist Congress must first vote to restore government funding.
Among those who identify as supporters of President Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement, support for the extension of subsidies fell to 44% from 57% in September, according to the poll.
Enrollment opens on Saturday for the plans created by President Barack Obama’s signature 2010 Affordable Care Act.
(Reporting by Sneha S K in Bengaluru; Editing by Vijay Kishore)
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