Democratic officials are crowing over a string of recent polls showing public opinion rapidly shifting towards support for a debt ceiling increase.
In a memo obtained by TPM, DNC Communications Director Brad Woodhouse, wrote that he sees growing support for President Obama’s proposal to include both spending cuts and increased tax revenue in a final deal. In addition, Americans give Republicans low marks for their intransigence on the issue.
“With the deadline to avoid an historic and catastrophic default on the United States’ debt approaching, recent polls all reflect the same conclusion: that the American people overwhelmingly support a balanced approach to addressing our nation’s fiscal challenges with both spending cuts and revenue, a position that President Obama is advocating for but that Republicans are refusing to even consider,” Woodhouse said.
He cited a plethora of polling data to that effect, including a recent Washington Post/ABC News survey that found about half of Republicans backed a deficit package that includes spending cuts and tax increase. The same poll found 58% of Republicans believe their party has not done enough to try to secure a deal. Woodhouse also cited a Quinnipiac University poll showing 67% overall support for including an end to tax loopholes that benefit the wealthy and corporations in a tax deal as well as an NBC poll indicating that 55% of Americans believe not raising the debt ceiling would be a “real and serious problem,” versus only 18% who disagree.
“Republicans like to say that Members of Congress were sent here to represent the views of the American people,” Woodhouse wrote. “Well, the American people, including Republicans, want a balanced approach to our fiscal challenges and it’s time that Republicans started to listen.”
You can read the full memo here.
