A majority of people in the United States are hoping that spending cuts will be part of the deal that President Joe Biden and Congress come to in the next couple of weeks regarding the debt ceiling.
Concerns regarding the nation's debt ceiling remain present as the June 1 deadline comes closer. Among the public, 63% want terms on reducing the federal budget deficit included with any debt limit increase, with 71% of Republicans wanting terms on reducing the budget deficit and 58% of Democrats wanting the same, according to a new AP-NORC poll.
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Beyond what people want out of the agreement, 66% of respondents in the poll said they are extremely or very concerned about the effect on the economy if the national debt limit is not increased and the U.S. government defaults, including 71% of Democrats and 64% of Republicans.
Although a majority of voters say they are concerned about the talks and want to see spending cuts implemented, few people are following the negotiations. Just 21% of adults are following it closely, while another 38% are following it somewhat closely. Similarly, 20% of respondents said they understand the debate either extremely or very well, while 41% said they understand the debate somewhat well.
The public's approval or disapproval of Biden and Congress seems to be tied to their party affiliation, with 50% of Democrats approving of Biden and Democrats in Congress, while 45% of Republicans approve of how Republicans in Congress are handling negotiations. Republican respondents had a vastly negative approval of Biden at 82%.
The poll was conducted from May 11-15, using online and telephone interviews with 1,680 adults. The margin of error in this poll is +/-3.4%.
Ahead of the June 1 deadline, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) has criticized House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's (R-CA) demands connected to raising the debt ceiling as "profoundly irresponsible" and claimed that Democrats should not negotiate with Republicans.
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Like many Democrats, Ocasio-Cortez has encouraged Biden to use the 14th Amendment, claiming that the Constitution considers it a violation to not repay the United States's debts.
"I think that the grounds for it are legitimate. I think the president should absolutely have it on the table," Ocasio-Cortez said. "I think this is something that transcends ideology among Democrats. We are seeing moderates and progressives coming together and saying, 'We should not be in this situation.' The Constitution tells us that it is a violation to not honor our debts. Period. This is not an area for political negotiation."