Americans are concerned about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on all aspects of the economy. A new survey shows some 90 percent support Congress passing another economic stimulus bill to help distressed small businesses and employees.

The survey of 1,994registered voters was conducted Oct. 7-9 by Morning Consult and commissioned by the American Hotel & Lodging Association. It showed 89 percent agree that Congress should remain in session until reaching an agreement on an economic stimulus package. The survey has a margin of error of plus- or minus-2 percentage points.

“Millions of Americans are out of work, and thousands of small businesses are dying,” said Chip Rogers, president and CEO of AHLA. “It is well past time for our leaders in Washington to pass a stimulus bill to help these employees and businesses in the hardest-hit industries, including and especially, ours.

“It is unacceptable for Congress to adjourn without passing a bill.”

There is widespread concern about the effects of COVID-19 on all elements of the economy, including small businesses (93 percent very/somewhat concerned), unemployment rates (90 percent), and Americans’ own personal/family financial situation (75 percent). As Congress considers how to respond to the ongoing pandemic, voters agree on the importance of helping families (74 percent very important) and small businesses (68 percent) that are struggling.

Key findings of the survey include the following:

Travel and tourism most affected industry: Voters believe the travel and tourism industry was the most affected by the economic downturn caused by COVID-19 (50 percent selected travel and tourism as a top two most affected industry). Other highly affected industries include food and beverage (34 percent selected), education (26 percent), retail (19 percent), and health care (18 percent).
Strong support for a stimulus bill: Nine in 10 voters (90 percent) support Congress passing an economic stimulus bill to provide aid to small businesses and protect jobs that have been impacted by the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Ninety-two percent of Democrats, 87 percent of independents, and 89 percent of Republicans support another economic stimulus bill.
No recess without relief: Nearly nine in 10 voters (89 percent) agree that Congress should remain in session until reaching an agreement on an economic stimulus package. Agreement is high among Republicans (88 percent agree), Democrats (91 percent agree), and independents alike (86 percent agree).
COVID>SCOTUS: 48 percent of voters say the COVID-19 pandemic is the most important issue for Congress to focus on right now, while 23 percent say the economy and jobs should be the priority. Just 5 percent name the Supreme Court vacancy as the top priority.

Survey Methodology

This poll was conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of AHLA. The survey was conducted Oct. 7-9, 2020 among a national sample of 1,994 registered voters. The interviews were conducted online, and the data were weighted to approximate a target sample of registered voters based on age, educational attainment, gender, race, and region. Results have a margin of error of plus- or minus-2 percentage points.