November 15, 2006

Abstract: - Most adults in the United States believe their legislative branch should focus on making medication more affordable, according to a poll by Princeton Survey Research Associates released by Newsweek. 75 per cent of respondents want the Democratic Congress to allow the government to negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies to lower drug prices for seniors.

- Most adults in the United States believe their legislative branch should focus on making medication more affordable, according to a poll by Princeton Survey Research Associates released by Newsweek. 75 per cent of respondents want the Democratic Congress to allow the government to negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies to lower drug prices for seniors.

Increasing the minimum wage is second on the list with 68 per cent, followed by investigating government contracts in Iraq with 60 per cent, investigating charges of impropriety or wrongdoing by members of Congress with 55 per cent, cutting the interest rate on federal student loans with 53 per cent, and establishing new rules to limit the influence of lobbyists with 52 per cent.

American voters renewed the House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate on Nov. 7. The Democratic Party will take control of the House of Representatives for the first time since 1994, with at least 229 lawmakers. A victory for the Democratic candidates for the Senate in Montana and Virginia also gave the party a majority in the upper house.

On Nov. 9, Democratic California congresswoman Nancy Pelosi—who is expected to become House speaker—met with U.S president George W. Bush at the White House. Pelosi described her approach to her new role, saying, "As speaker, I understand my responsibility: Speaker of the House, of all of the House, not just the Democrats, and the responsibility to work with the administration to make progress for the American people."

Support for Bush's impeachment stands at 25 per cent.

Polling Data

As I read you some things the new Democratic Congress might do over the next two years, please tell me if you think each should be one of their top priorities.

Allowing the government to negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies to lower drug prices for seniors	75%
Increasing the minimum wage	68%
Investigating government contracts in Iraq	60%
Investigating charges of impropriety or wrongdoing by members of Congress	55%
Cutting the interest rate on federal student loans	53%
New rules to limit the influence of lobbyists	52%
Enacting all the recommendations of the 9/11 commission	50%
Broadening the kinds of stem cell research that can receive federal funding	48%
Investigating questions about the decision to go to war with Iraq	49%
Rolling back some of the Bush tax cuts	40%
Impeaching George W. Bush	25%

Source: Princeton Survey Research Associates / Newsweek
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,006 American adults, conducted on Nov. 9 and Nov. 10, 2006. Margin of error is 4 per cent.