Rutgers-Eagleton finds residents want Congress to start over with new legislation

Support for health care reform remains strong in New Jersey, according to a Rutgers-Eagleton Poll released Thursday that finds 81 percent of residents say the health care system needs to be changed.

Only 17 percent believe the current system works well enough.

At the same time, given a choice between passing the current health care bill and starting over, more than two-thirds of New Jerseyans polled believe Congress should start crafting new legislation.

"Despite the limited progress that health care reform has made in Washington, the desire for change remains very strong in New Jersey," said David Redlawsk, the poll director and a Rutgers professor of political science. "The vast majority sees the need for change, but has soured on the bill under debate in Congress."