---
title: "Partisan Gap Over Providing Health Insurance to the Uninsured"
description: "While 65% of Democrats rate universal health insurance a top priority, only 27% of Republicans agree -- the largest partisan difference recorded for any issue in a recent Pew poll. "
date: "2008-01-28"
authors:
  - name: "Russell Heimlich"
    job_title: "Former web developer"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/russell-heimlich/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2008/01/28/partisan-gap-over-providing-health-insurance-to-the-uninsured/"
---

# Partisan Gap Over Providing Health Insurance to the Uninsured

A late January Pew poll finds a widening partisan divide on top priorities for the president and Congress; the largest gap is recorded on the issue of extending health insurance to the currently uninsured with 65% of Democrats and 27% of Republicans saying it should be a top priority. Compared with Republicans, Democrats place much greater emphasis on jobs, health care, education, the environment, and the poor. On jobs, for instance, 76% of Democrats but just 43% of Republicans say it should be a top priority for the president and Congress.[Read More](https://www.pewresearch.org/pubs/704/election-year-economic-ratings-lowest-since-92)