Environmental Polling Roundup – September 5, 2025
Headlines
USA Today + Ipsos – Americans widely agree that the federal government has a critical role to play in disaster response, and continue to oppose cuts to FEMA [Article, Release, Topline]
ecoAmerica – Majorities of Americans say that climate action would help public health and the economy [Website, Crosstabs]
Navigator – The reconciliation bill remains underwater by double digits, and voters say that they would blame Trump and the GOP if there’s a government shutdown [Topline, Shutdown Deck]
Key Takeaways
Americans remain firmly opposed to cutting FEMA. Whether or not Trump follows through on his original plan to eliminate FEMA altogether, a recent Government Accountability Office report finds that cuts enacted to the agency so far have significantly weakened FEMA’s ability to deal with future disasters. Polls have consistently shown public opposition to the idea of cutting or eliminating FEMA, and newly released polling by USA Today and Ipsos finds this trend continuing.
Their survey finds that Americans across party lines widely agree that the federal government has a major role to play in disaster response and that FEMA in particular provides critical services to communities affected by natural disasters. And as other polls have shown, USA Today and Ipsos find that Americans are far more likely to say that FEMA’s budget should be increased than cut.
The reconciliation bill is shaping up to be a major political liability. Navigator’s latest poll finds that the reconciliation bill now sits at 13 points underwater with voters (37% support / 50% oppose), and there are even more negative signs beneath the surface: independents oppose the bill by a greater than two-to-one margin, and voters are more than twice as likely to say that they “strongly” oppose the bill than to say that they “strongly” support it.
It’s hard to overstate how weak these numbers are for a bill that actually became law. An analysis in G. Elliott Morris’s great Strength in Numbers blog, using data compiled by Georgetown University’s Christopher Warshaw that goes back to 1990, found that the only major piece of proposed legislation that was less popular than the 2025 reconciliation bill is Republicans’ failed health care repeal bill from 2017. While we’re still a long way from the midterms, there’s simply no modern precedent for this level of opposition to the majority party’s signature piece of legislation.
Good Data Points to Highlight
- [Extreme Weather] 76% of Americans agree that the government needs to protect people from the impacts of extreme weather [ecoAmerica]
- [Climate + Health] 69% of Americans say that it would improve people’s health if the United States took steps to deal with climate change [ecoAmerica]
- [Climate + Elections] 67% of Americans say that they will “vote for leaders who will prioritize climate change solutions” [ecoAmerica]
- [Climate + Economy] 55% of Americans say that it would help the economy if the United States took steps to deal with climate change, compared to just 18% who say that it would harm the economy [ecoAmerica]
Full Roundup
USA Today + Ipsos – Americans widely agree that the federal government has a critical role to play in disaster response, and continue to oppose cuts to FEMA [Article, Release, Topline]
Americans say that the federal government should have a “major role” in disaster response, in addition to state and local governments. Large majorities say that each level of government should have a “major role” in helping citizens in the aftermath of natural disasters, while relatively fewer see significant roles for individuals or the private sector:
- State governments – 83% say that they should play a “major” role
- Local governments – 79%
- The federal government – 71%
- Individuals – 49%
- Private sector – 38%
The idea that the federal government should play a major role in handling natural disasters is also relatively non-partisan, with clear majorities of Democrats (87%), Republicans (65%), and independents (65%) all in agreement on this point.
The public recognizes that FEMA in particular plays a necessary role in disaster response. Out of the 89% of survey respondents who said that they had at least some familiarity with FEMA, the overwhelming majority (86%) describe the services that the agency provides after natural disasters as at least “somewhat” necessary. This includes around two-thirds (66%) who define FEMA’s role as “very necessary.”
And while Americans believe that state governments should take the lead role in handling natural disasters, they recognize that eliminating FEMA would leave states more vulnerable. In questions that were asked of the 89% who are familiar with FEMA, majorities agree with each of the following statements:
- FEMA is critical in helping communities prepare for, and recover from, natural disasters (71% agree / 12% disagree)
- Eliminating FEMA would leave states more vulnerable after major disasters (69% agree / 14% disagree)
- State governments should take the lead on preparing for, and recovering from, natural disasters (68% agree / 13% disagree)
Trump’s base recognizes how critical FEMA is. Among Republicans who were asked these questions, USA Today and Ipsos find that majorities agree that FEMA is “critical in helping communities prepare for, and recover from, natural disasters” (64% agree / 16% disagree) and that “eliminating FEMA would leave states more vulnerable after major disasters” (56% agree / 19% disagree).
Americans would much rather see FEMA’s budget increased than cut. Among the 89% of respondents who are familiar with FEMA, most (57%) agree that the agency’s budget should be increased due to more frequent severe weather events. By contrast, just 15% agree that FEMA’s budget should be cut to reduce government spending–including only around one-quarter of Republicans (26%).
Americans currently have low confidence in the federal government to handle a major natural disaster. Only three in ten Americans (30%) say that they are at least “somewhat” confident in the ability of the federal government to handle a major natural disaster in the future, compared to around half who are at least “somewhat” confident in their local government (49%) and state government (48%).
This finding reflects deep distrust of the Trump administration’s capabilities among Democrats and independents, as just 14% of Democrats and only 31% of independents are at least “somewhat” confident in the federal government to handle a major natural disaster.
ecoAmerica – Majorities of Americans say that climate action would help public health and the economy [Website, Crosstabs]
The country wants stronger leadership on climate change. Around three-quarters of Americans (76% agree / 18% disagree) agree with the statement that “leaders should act quickly and boldly on climate to ensure healthy communities for young people and future generations.”
This desire for stronger climate leadership is notably cross-partisan, with nine in ten Democrats (90%) and around seven in ten independents (70%) and Republicans (68%) agreeing on this point.
Americans prefer political leaders who support climate action. Around two-thirds (67% agree / 23% disagree) agree that they “will vote for leaders who will prioritize climate change solutions,” including the large majority of Democrats (85%) as well as majorities of independents (63%) and Republicans (55%).
While this finding might seem incongruent with the results of the 2024 presidential election, the Fox News Voter Analysis of the 2024 election found that around two-thirds of voters (65%)–including a significant subset of Trump voters–said that they were concerned about the effects of climate change.
Americans see a variety of benefits to climate action, including to public health and the economy. Around three-quarters of Americans (76% agree / 16% disagree) agree that “investing in solutions to climate change will benefit American communities and make our country stronger.”
And when specifically asked about the impacts on different dimensions, majorities say that dealing with climate change would improve public health (69% improve / 4% harm) and help the economy (55% help / 18% harm).
While polls have long shown that Americans believe in the public health benefits of climate action, public polling about the economic impacts is more ambiguous. A Pew survey last year, for example, found that equal shares of the country said that pro-climate policies help and hurt the U.S. economy.
Americans widely agree that it’s a government responsibility to protect people from extreme weather. Consistent with the recent USA Today/Ipsos polling about the government’s role in disaster response, ecoAmerica finds that three-quarters of Americans (76% agree / 18% disagree) agree that “the government needs to protect people from the impacts of extreme weather.”
This belief also spans partisan lines, with 89% of Democrats, 77% of independents, and 64% of Republicans in agreement.
Navigator – The reconciliation bill remains underwater by double digits, and voters say that they would blame Trump and the GOP if there’s a government shutdown [Topline]
Voters continue to oppose the Republican reconciliation bill by a double-digit margin, with particularly deep opposition from independents. Voters are 13 points more likely to say that they oppose than support the budget plan that was recently passed by Trump and Republicans in Congress (37% support / 50% oppose).
Intensity is also on the side of the bill’s opponents, with 38% saying that they “strongly” oppose the bill compared to just 15% who “strongly” support it.
In another sign of how unpopular and potentially politically damaging the bill is, Navigator finds that independent voters oppose it by a greater than two-to-one margin (23% support / 52% oppose).
Voters are much more inclined to blame Trump and Republicans for a potential government shutdown than Democrats. While the idea of a government shutdown is not really on voters’ radar yet (just 7% say that they’ve heard “a lot” about a potential shutdown), Trump and Republicans in Congress clearly have the most to lose if it comes to pass.
Around half of voters (48%) say that they would mostly blame Trump and Republicans in Congress if the government were to shut down in the coming months, compared to only around one-quarter who would mostly blame Democrats in Congress (26%). An additional 18% say that they would blame both sides equally.
Related Resources
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