By Brynne Robbins and Elias Kemp
The Senate is currently reviewing the Republican budget bill that passed in the House of Representatives last month. The proposed legislation would repeal key economic components of the Inflation Reduction Act, including energy and environmental provisions, and experts predict that it may increase the national debt by $2.4 trillion or more.
These cuts to key climate investments could hurt Americans on the issue that matters to them most: the cost of living. First Street, a climate financial risk modeler, predicts a $1.5 trillion reduction in home values in the next 30 years due to climate change, and food prices are projected to rise consistently as a consequence of global warming.
New polling from Data for Progress shows that a majority of voters report that they are paying more for groceries (77%) and electric bills (60%) compared with last year. The change in food costs is particularly pronounced among older voters: 82% of voters over the age of 45 report rising grocery costs, compared with 68% of voters under 45.
Voters nearly universally believe that energy and environmental issues are important to address. This holds across party lines: 95% of Democrats, 94% of Independents, and 88% of Republicans indicate that energy and environmental issues are either important or a top priority to them. However, the degree of importance varies significantly with party affiliation. Nearly half (49%) of Democrats say energy and environmental issues are a top priority, while only a third (33%) of Independents and just under a quarter (23%) of Republicans feel the same.
When asked to evaluate how elected officials are handling the issue of energy and the environment, a plurality of voters (48%) say that their states’ elected officials are doing either very or somewhat well. However, at the federal level, voters are dissatisfied. A slight majority of voters (51% in each case) believe that President Donald Trump, Republicans in Congress, and Democrats in Congress are all handling energy and the environment either somewhat or very poorly.
Next, voters were asked to choose the two most important reasons for U.S. elected officials to address the issue of energy and the environment. Around 2 in 5 voters (38%) rank rising costs, such as higher electric bills and home insurance, as the most important reason to address these issues. Other top reasons voters cite include supporting farmers in creating climate-resilient food systems (28%), preserving public lands and other natural resources for future generations (23%), and improving access to health care resources that address climate-related health impacts (19%). Only 6% of voters don’t think the federal government should address energy and environmental issues.
When asked whether they believe climate change will have a direct financial impact on them and their family, a majority (58%) of likely voters say it will impact them either greatly or somewhat. Democrats most commonly believe this, with 73% saying that they will be either greatly or somewhat impacted, while only 41% of Republicans believe the same. Just 52% of white voters predict they’ll be impacted, compared with 64% of Black voters and 73% of Latino voters. Women (62%), voters under 45 (66%), and voters with a college degree (60%) also predict greater financial impact.
When it comes to the potential financial impacts of climate change, voters are especially worried about rising food costs from climate-related crop failure: 58% of respondents say this is a top concern for them. Other significant concerns include higher cooling costs during hotter summers (46%), higher home insurance rates or difficulty getting coverage (35%), and water restrictions or higher water bills due to drought (35%). Only 16% of respondents say they are unconcerned about the potential financial impacts of climate change.
While voters are already feeling higher prices on everyday necessities like their groceries and electric bills compared with last year, they also believe they will face direct financial impacts from climate change. This polling shows that voters are interested in seeing elected officials pursue energy and environmental actions that alleviate higher prices across the board, particularly food and utility costs.
Brynne Robbins is a climate and energy program intern at Data for Progress.
Elias Kemp is a climate and energy program intern at Data for Progress.
Survey Methodology
From June 6 to 8, 2025, Data for Progress conducted a survey of 1,155 U.S. likely voters nationally using web panel respondents. The sample was weighted to be representative of likely voters by age, gender, education, race, geography, and recalled presidential vote. The survey was conducted in English. The margin of error associated with the sample size is ±3 percentage points. Results for subgroups of the sample are subject to increased margins of error. Partisanship reflected in tabulations is based on self-identified party affiliation, not partisan registration. For more information please visit dataforprogress.org/our-methodology.
English (US) ·