-
Allynn McInerney
amcinerney@kivvit.com
Phone: 765-586-3902
A recent survey that found Oregonians in the 5th congressional district overwhelmingly support the Build Back Better Act. Voters in the district, represented by Rep. Kurt Schrader, D-Ore., specifically showed strong support for bold, federal investment on issues related to climate change.
“This poll shows bipartisan support for strong action to address climate change, and voters in the area supported Build Back Better legislation by a 13-point margin,” said Jim Desmond, state director of The Nature Conservancy in Oregon. “The poll revealed that voters across political, demographic, and ethnic spectrums in the Willamette Valley and beyond want to see their representatives support climate action. They view a number of climate-related policies, ranging from forest restoration to preparing communities for natural disasters to transitioning to a clean energy economy as ‘very important.’ These are all policies that will touch down in Oregon’s 5th District, reinforcing why it is critical that Congress passes this Act.”
Key findings from the survey include:
- More than six-in-ten respondents want to see bold action on climate change, even if it requires federal spending in the short term, with 56% fully agreeing with the statement “we cannot afford to continue to delay on policies that will help address climate change.”
- Three-in-five respondents (60%) say that transitioning to more clean energy and reducing carbon pollution is a “good” investment of taxpayers’ money, with 45% classifying this as a “very good” investment.
- Potential provisions in the bill related to climate change that voters ranked as important include forest management (75%) and forest restoration (66%), repairing rural water systems (63%), upgrading disaster preparedness (58%), and generating clean technology jobs (57%).
- Respondents view a number of different ways to fund this legislation to be acceptable, ranging from increasing the federal income tax rate on individuals earning $400,000 or more a year (65%), to making industries including oil, natural gas, and energy companies pay a fee based on the amount of carbon pollution they produce (64%), to increasing the federal corporate tax rate to 26.5% (58%).
- Four-in-five respondents (83%) believe climate change is happening, including 84% of Independents and 69% of Republicans.
The poll, conducted by the bipartisan research team of New Bridge Strategy and FM3 Research, surveyed 350 registered voters throughout Oregon’s 5th congressional district in mid-October on behalf of The Nature Conservancy. The poll covered a range of topics including climate change, health care, the economy, and education. The margin of error is +/-5.2% for the overall sample.
The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at an unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably and helping make cities more sustainable. Working in 76 countries and territories—37 by direct conservation impact and 39 through partners—we use a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. To learn more, visit www.nature.org or follow @nature_press on Twitter.