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BY RASMUSSEN REPORTS

Nearly half of Likely U.S. Voters (47%) continue to believe that repeal of the health care law passed earlier this year is at least somewhat likely.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 39% think repeal is unlikely while 14% are not sure. The overwhelming majority express some level of uncertainty. The latest figures include only 16% who believe repeal is Very Likely and 9% who say it is Not at All Likely.

Belief in the likelihood of repeal has now edged to its highest level to date. Just after Election Day, 46% said repeal was at least somewhat likely, while 44% viewed it as unlikely.

In early April, shortly after Democrats in Congress passed the measure, 38% said repeal was likely, while 51% disagreed.

Overall, 58% favor repeal and 37% are opposed. From the beginning, those who favor repeal feel more strongly about it. Forty-six percent (46%) Strongly Favor repeal and 29% are Strongly Opposed.

These figures have held steady from the previous two weeks. In weekly tracking since the bill became law, voter support for repeal has ranged from 50% to 63%.

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on November 28, 2010 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Forty-six percent (46%) of voters say repeal of the health care bill would be good for the economy. Twenty-six percent (26%) disagree and think it would hurt the economy. Fifteen percent (15%) say repeal would have no economic impact.

These findings have changed little in eight months of surveys.

Only 29% believe repeal of the law would create new jobs, and an identical number (29%) says it would not result in new jobs. A sizable 42% are undecided.

Most voters (52%) still believe the health care plan will be bad for the country and just 37% say it will be good.

Democrats and those in the Political Class continue to oppose repeal and generally view the health care plan as a good thing. Republicans, unaffiliated voters and those in the Mainstream tend to favor repeal and take a more negative view of the health care law.

Prior to the election in which Republicans regained control of the House of Representatives, voters consistently expressed anger about the policies of the federal government in general and opposition to the health care law. Just 39% of voters believe the federal government currently operates within the limits established by the Constitution of the United States.

Voters overwhelmingly believe the new Republican-controlled House is likely to vote to repeal the health care law.

But 52% think Congress should review the health care bill piece-by-piece and keep the parts it likes. Thirty-nine percent (39%) disagree and think Congress should scrap the whole bill and start all over again.

-RASMUSSEN REPORTS-

Voters are ambivalent about House Republican plans to investigate the Obama administration – unless the subject of the probe is the unpopular national health care bill.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 55% of Likely U.S. Voters favor having House Republicans investigate the projected costs and implications of the health care law passed by Congress earlier in the year.

Thirty-two percent (32%) oppose such an investigation. Fourteen percent (14%) more are not sure about the idea. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

Eighty-one percent (81%) of Republicans and nearly two-thirds (65%) of voters not affiliated with either major party support an investigation of the costs and implications of the health care bill. Most Democrats (56%) are opposed.

Voters have mixed feelings about House Republican plans to investigate other aspects of the Obama administration’s performance to date.  GOP voters like the idea; Democrats don’t; unaffiliateds are almost evenly divided.

“Voters want Congress to focus on substance, not distractions,” observed Scott Rasmussen. “Congressional questioning about policy issues are okay for most voters, petty partisanship is not.”

Still, just a week after national elections that shifted control of the House to Republicans, the number of voters expecting more partisanship in Washington, D.C. has dropped to its lowest level since March of last year.

(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it’s in the news, it’s in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.

The survey of 1,000 Likely U.S. Voters was conducted on November 7-8, 2010 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Rasmussen Reports is an electronic media company specializing in the collection, publication and distribution of public opinion polling information. We poll on a variety of topics in the fields of politics, business and lifestyle, updating our site’s content on a news cycle throughout the day, everyday.

Scott Rasmussen, president of Rasmussen Reports, has been an independent pollster for more than a decade. To learn more about our methodology, click here.