Not-So-Super Committee? Poll Finds Little Confidence A Deal Will Be Reached

UNITED STATES – OCTOBER 26: Committee co-chairs Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, and Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., prepare to conduct the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction hearing on “Discretionary Outlays, ... UNITED STATES – OCTOBER 26: Committee co-chairs Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, and Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., prepare to conduct the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction hearing on “Discretionary Outlays, Security and Non-Security” on Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2011. (Photo By Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call) MORE LESS
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Only a quarter of Americans think that the Super Committee tasked with coming up with a deficit reduction plan for the federal budget will reach a deal, a new Quinnipiac poll shows. 67 percent say that no deal will be reached, which would trigger cuts in the Defense Department and to entitlement programs.

The poll also shows that Americans have less appetite for tax increases as part of the package, which runs counter to a number of findings from the summer. When asked, “From what you know so far, do you think the deficit-reduction proposal should include some increases in tax revenue or should it include only cuts in government spending?” only 39 percent were in favor of any tax increases to offset the debt, while a near majority of 48 percent said that only spending cuts were needed. Independent voters closely mirrored that split.

Previous findings have shown wide support for a “balanced approach,” in which cuts are mixed with new taxes in order to bring down the deficit. Especially popular is a surtax on millionaires, which is currently being debated in Congress.

But while the Quinnipiac poll shows Americans to be more fiscally hawkish, that doesn’t mean they are ready to give Republicans all the credit. The poll also shows that if a deal were unable to be reached, 46 percent would blame the GOP, while 36 percent would blame President Obama and Congressional Democrats.

“There is widespread cynicism in the electorate almost across the board about the ability of the folks in Washington to get anything done, much less an agreement on the complicated and emotionally charged issues before the Super Committee,” said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute in a release.

The Quinnipiac poll used 2,294 live telephone interviews with registered voters conducted from October 25th to the 31st. It has a sampling error of 2.1 percent.

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