Voters remain closely divided on the urgency for health care reform, given the troubled state of the economy.

Forty-six percent (46%) believe the Obama administration should move ahead with health care reform, while 45% say it should wait until the economy improves, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.

Seventy percent (70%) of Democrats now believe the administration should move forward with health care reform, while 67% of Republicans think it’s better to wait until the economy improves. Voters not affiliated with either party are more closely divided on the question.

Other data shows that 39% of all voters see cutting federal spending as more important than balancing the budget or cutting taxes. For 32%, balancing the budget is more important, while 22% rate tax cutting as the priority.

Democrats see deficit reduction as more important than reducing government spending or taxes. However, for Republicans and unaffiliated voters, cutting government spending is the most important.

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In early March, 49% said health care reform should wait for a better economy, but 42% said the administration should go ahead with it now. _

That survey came as the Rasmussen Consumer Index showed consumer confidence falling to a record low on March 10. Perceptions of the economy have improved significantly since then.

Since March, concerns about deficits have also grown and voters now place a higher priority on deficit reduction over health care reform. While the economy remains the most important issue to voters, health care has dropped to its lowest level of importance in nearly two years of tracking.

The Congressional consensus on guidelines for health care reform get mixed reviews from voters.

Most Americans believe that increased government spending is bad for the economy. Seventy-seven percent (77%) believe the unwillingness of politicians to cut government spending is a bigger problem for the country than the public’s opposition to tax hikes.

Sixty-two percent (62%) of voters still blame the Bush Administration for the nation’s economic woes. Just 27% blame Obama. Voters are evenly divided as to whether Obama’s stimulus plan has helped or hurt the economy.

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