A plurality of Americans believe that members Congress should not raise the nation’s debt limit, according to a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released Friday.
Forty-four percent said they are opposed to raising the debt ceiling, inaction that could cause the United States to default. According to analysis released Tuesday by the Bipartisan Policy Center, the government will run out of sufficient funds to pay its bills at some point between Oct. 18 and Nov. 5.
Only 22 percent of Americans are in favor of raising the debt ceiling, according to the poll.
The poll numbers may put President Barack Obama in a difficult position as he enters new fiscal talks with leaders on Capitol Hill in an effort to avoid the debt ceiling fight of 2011. That debacle hurt both Obama and congressional Republicans politically and led to a downgrade of the U.S. credit rating.
