Majority back more COVID-19 relief from Congress in Florida, Georgia, Louisiana: poll

The majority of registered voters in Florida, Georgia and Louisiana support Congress providing more COVID-19 relief to individuals, families, small businesses and essential public services, according to a poll released this week.

A Tulchin Research poll conducted on behalf of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) found that 81 percent of voters across all three states back more coronavirus relief from Washington. Fifteen percent said they were against additional federal aid and 4 percent were undecided.

Broken down by state, 81 percent of Floridians, 84 percent of Georgians and 77 percent of Louisianans back more coronavirus relief from Congress.

The poll, released on Tuesday, shows broad bipartisan support in each state, including 74 percent of Florida Republicans and 81 percent of GOP voters in Georgia. Louisiana had the least support among Republicans, though still a majority at 63 percent.

Florida is a key battleground state in the 2020 presidential election, and Democrats are eyeing congressional gains in neighboring Georgia.

In terms of individual relief proposals, solid majorities in all three states backed health and safety protections for workers, funding for schools and assistance for state and municipal governments to deliver on health care and public safety.

The Tulchin Research poll surveyed 600 voters in Florida, 500 in Georgia and 400 in Louisiana.

The margin of error among Florida voters is 4 percentage points, 4.38 points in Georgia and 4.9 points in Louisiana.

The House passed the HEROES Act in May providing $3 trillion in coronavirus relief, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said earlier this month that he will not take the bill to the floor in the Senate. 

The White House and Senate Republicans instead reached a “fundamental agreement” on a $1 trillion COVID-19 relief package on Thursday.

SPLC Action Fund President and CEO Margaret Huang this week called on Congress to “act immediately” as coronavirus measures passed in March are set to expire.