A new NBC/Wall Street Journal poll shows the American public has a less than favorable view of the GOP's American Health Care Act, with results showing 48 percent of Americans said the AHCA was a "bad idea," and 43 percent believe that "strongly."
Meanwhile, only 23 percent say the healthcare overhaul is a "good idea," with 18 percent believing it "strongly."
That 2-to-1 margin is a larger gap than what former President Obama's Affordable Care Act garnered during the height of its unpopularity. In December 2013, when the rollout of the HealthCare.gov website was botched due to technical difficulties, 50 percent said the ACA was a bad idea compared to 34 percent who said it was good.
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The ACA has become more popular with time. In February, 43 percent of those polled said the ACA was good, compared to 41 percent who said it was bad.
The latest poll on the AHCA shows the legislation is more popular among Republicans. About 52 percent of republicans said it was a good idea, while 77 percent of Democrats believe it's a bad idea. Among independents, 44 percent say it's a bad idea while 18 percent say it's a good idea.
The House narrowly approved the AHCA on May 4 in a 217-213 split. No Democrats voted for the bill. The legislation has now moved onto the Senate.
Twitter: @JELagasse