WASHINGTON (AP) - An Associated Press poll says most Americans want Congress to deal with malpractice lawsuits driving up the cost of medical care.

Yet, Democrats are reluctant to press forward on an issue that would upset a valuable political constituency - trial lawyers - even if President Barack Obama says he's open to changes.

The AP poll found that 54 percent of Americans favor making it harder to sue doctors and hospitals for mistakes taking care of patients, while 32 percent are opposed. The rest are undecided or don't know.

Support for limits on malpractice lawsuits cuts across political lines.

The survey was conducted by Stanford University with the nonprofit Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.