By — Laura Santhanam Laura Santhanam Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/most-americans-want-congress-to-compromise-as-debt-ceiling-looms Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Most Americans want Congress to compromise as debt ceiling looms Politics Feb 23, 2023 5:00 AM EDT Despite heated rhetoric in the halls of Congress, most Americans say they want lawmakers to work together to address complex problems facing the nation, according to the latest PBS NewsHour/NPR/Marist poll. Seventy percent of Americans said they want federal government officials to achieve compromise and find solutions. That includes majorities in both parties: 83 percent of Democrats, 54 percent of Republicans and 69 percent of independents. Meanwhile, 28 percent of Americans said they want the nation’s lawmakers to stand on principle, even if it creates political gridlock. Republicans were more likely to agree with that idea at 44 percent, compared to 14 percent of Democrats and 29 percent of independents. Chart by Megan McGrew/PBS NewsHour In recent years, Congress has been criticized for being unproductive, and political brinkmanship is often blamed for the collective failure of lawmakers to pass enough legislation to respond to the nation’s needs. This week, Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene called for “a national divorce” over what she says are irreconcilable differences between Republicans and Democrats. Greene’s extreme position echoes statements from far-right lawmakers in Washington who see no room for compromise over issues like supporting the war in Ukraine or how the federal government spends money. Yet, Greene’s perspective is out of sync with most Americans, according to the poll. People in the U.S. notice when politicians are playing political games, and these responses reveal a sense of skepticism, if not cynicism, said Andrew Seligsohn, president of the Public Agenda, a nonpartisan think tank. Many voters, Seligsohn said, have interpreted a politician’s refusal to compromise as not so much a principled move as a calculated one. When lawmakers blow up long-running negotiations or refuse to budge on a vote when millions of people’s livelihoods may be at stake, Seligsohn said that may have more to do with their own advancement rather than representing their constituents well. “A lot of what happens in Congress has little to do with what’s good for the American people,” Seligsohn said. “The constant battling is evidence of that to people.” But as the nation considers how to act on the debt ceiling, the cost of supporting allies in protracted conflict and raising minimum wage as millions of Americans have endured historic inflation, it remains to be seen whether or not this Congress will unite to meet the needs of this moment. Who is responsible for the national debt? The national debt amounts to $31.46 trillion, according to the U.S. Treasury. This week the Congressional Budget Office released a forecast showing that figure will grow by $19 trillion over the next decade. Thinking about how the country got to this point, about four out of 10 Americans think both the Democratic Party and the Republican Party are responsible for incurring the national debt, including six out of 10 independent voters. As the nation approaches its $38.3 trillion debt ceiling – a spending cap lawmakers must approve so the U.S. is legally allowed to borrow – some Republican members are criticizing government spending and pointing at their Democratic colleagues. Several Republicans, including Arizona Republican Rep. Andy Biggs, say they will not vote to raise the ceiling, a move that could have disastrous effects on the U.S. economy, according to economists. Chart by Megan McGrew/PBS NewsHour The political debate over the debt ceiling can feel disingenuous because “there’s no option but to raise it,” said Sarah Binder, a political scientist at George Washington University. In this latest survey, Americans were split in their support of raising the national debt ceiling. To cover the country’s costs, Americans are split over how to pay down the debt. Overall, 46 percent of Americans said lawmakers should rely more on increasing taxes and fees, including 71 percent of Democrats. Meanwhile, 50 percent of Americans prefer lawmakers mostly to cut programs and services, including 74 percent of Republicans and 55 percent of independents. READ MORE: Analysis: What is the debt ceiling Raising the debt ceiling is something lawmakers have voted to do dozens of times on Capitol Hill over the last few decades. In a Jan. 19 letter to Congress, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen wrote: “I respectfully urge Congress to act promptly to protect the full faith and credit of the United States.” Support for Ukraine Over the last year, Ukraine has defended itself against Russia’s brutal invasion, thanks in part to support from allied nations, including the United States. So far, the U.S. has provided Ukraine more than $112 billion in military, humanitarian and financial aid. Chart by Megan McGrew/PBS NewsHour As the war’s first anniversary approaches, 42 percent of Americans say they agree with the amount of U.S. support provided so far. That includes half of Democrats and 45 percent of independents. Nearly half of Republicans say the nation has offered too much support to Ukraine’s fight against Russia. A third of Democrats say the United States should further assist Ukraine. “There still remains pretty robust national support for the current program of spending for Ukraine,” Binder said. By — Laura Santhanam Laura Santhanam Laura Santhanam is the Health Reporter and Coordinating Producer for Polling for the PBS NewsHour, where she has also worked as the Data Producer. Follow @LauraSanthanam @LauraSanthanam
Despite heated rhetoric in the halls of Congress, most Americans say they want lawmakers to work together to address complex problems facing the nation, according to the latest PBS NewsHour/NPR/Marist poll. Seventy percent of Americans said they want federal government officials to achieve compromise and find solutions. That includes majorities in both parties: 83 percent of Democrats, 54 percent of Republicans and 69 percent of independents. Meanwhile, 28 percent of Americans said they want the nation’s lawmakers to stand on principle, even if it creates political gridlock. Republicans were more likely to agree with that idea at 44 percent, compared to 14 percent of Democrats and 29 percent of independents. Chart by Megan McGrew/PBS NewsHour In recent years, Congress has been criticized for being unproductive, and political brinkmanship is often blamed for the collective failure of lawmakers to pass enough legislation to respond to the nation’s needs. This week, Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene called for “a national divorce” over what she says are irreconcilable differences between Republicans and Democrats. Greene’s extreme position echoes statements from far-right lawmakers in Washington who see no room for compromise over issues like supporting the war in Ukraine or how the federal government spends money. Yet, Greene’s perspective is out of sync with most Americans, according to the poll. People in the U.S. notice when politicians are playing political games, and these responses reveal a sense of skepticism, if not cynicism, said Andrew Seligsohn, president of the Public Agenda, a nonpartisan think tank. Many voters, Seligsohn said, have interpreted a politician’s refusal to compromise as not so much a principled move as a calculated one. When lawmakers blow up long-running negotiations or refuse to budge on a vote when millions of people’s livelihoods may be at stake, Seligsohn said that may have more to do with their own advancement rather than representing their constituents well. “A lot of what happens in Congress has little to do with what’s good for the American people,” Seligsohn said. “The constant battling is evidence of that to people.” But as the nation considers how to act on the debt ceiling, the cost of supporting allies in protracted conflict and raising minimum wage as millions of Americans have endured historic inflation, it remains to be seen whether or not this Congress will unite to meet the needs of this moment. Who is responsible for the national debt? The national debt amounts to $31.46 trillion, according to the U.S. Treasury. This week the Congressional Budget Office released a forecast showing that figure will grow by $19 trillion over the next decade. Thinking about how the country got to this point, about four out of 10 Americans think both the Democratic Party and the Republican Party are responsible for incurring the national debt, including six out of 10 independent voters. As the nation approaches its $38.3 trillion debt ceiling – a spending cap lawmakers must approve so the U.S. is legally allowed to borrow – some Republican members are criticizing government spending and pointing at their Democratic colleagues. Several Republicans, including Arizona Republican Rep. Andy Biggs, say they will not vote to raise the ceiling, a move that could have disastrous effects on the U.S. economy, according to economists. Chart by Megan McGrew/PBS NewsHour The political debate over the debt ceiling can feel disingenuous because “there’s no option but to raise it,” said Sarah Binder, a political scientist at George Washington University. In this latest survey, Americans were split in their support of raising the national debt ceiling. To cover the country’s costs, Americans are split over how to pay down the debt. Overall, 46 percent of Americans said lawmakers should rely more on increasing taxes and fees, including 71 percent of Democrats. Meanwhile, 50 percent of Americans prefer lawmakers mostly to cut programs and services, including 74 percent of Republicans and 55 percent of independents. READ MORE: Analysis: What is the debt ceiling Raising the debt ceiling is something lawmakers have voted to do dozens of times on Capitol Hill over the last few decades. In a Jan. 19 letter to Congress, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen wrote: “I respectfully urge Congress to act promptly to protect the full faith and credit of the United States.” Support for Ukraine Over the last year, Ukraine has defended itself against Russia’s brutal invasion, thanks in part to support from allied nations, including the United States. So far, the U.S. has provided Ukraine more than $112 billion in military, humanitarian and financial aid. Chart by Megan McGrew/PBS NewsHour As the war’s first anniversary approaches, 42 percent of Americans say they agree with the amount of U.S. support provided so far. That includes half of Democrats and 45 percent of independents. Nearly half of Republicans say the nation has offered too much support to Ukraine’s fight against Russia. A third of Democrats say the United States should further assist Ukraine. “There still remains pretty robust national support for the current program of spending for Ukraine,” Binder said.