Americans are equally divided about who would be responsible if the U.S. Government defaulted right now. A recent poll by ABC News and The Washington Post found that Americans were evenly divided over who should be held accountable for a default.
39 percent of Americans say they would blame Republicans in Congress for a government default on its debt. 36 percent blame Biden, and 16 percent blame both parties in the event of a government default.
Washington Post:
Opinions differ along party lines. Independents, who are a majority of 37 percent, are more likely than Democrats to blame Republicans for the congressional Republicans. Biden, Republicans, and Democrats are all equally responsible for the remaining 24%.
The majority of Americans (58%) believe the federal budget should be treated separately from the debt limit. It is a drop from February’s 65 percent. However, the same 26 percent who said that in February still think Congress should only pay government debts if Biden agrees to spend cuts.
The majority of Democrats and Independents think that the debt limit shouldn’t be included in federal expenditures. The percentages are down since February. Democrats have dropped by nine points to 74 percent, while independents have fallen by 15 points to 58 percent.
Republicans are divided.
This poll was conducted before the meeting between House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and President Joe Biden. On May 9th, Hakeem Jefferies, Chuck Schumer, and Republican Mitch McConnell will be present, as well as Democrats Hakeem Jeffersons and Chuck Schumer.
McCarthy has been able to get a bill through the House that raises the debt ceiling into the next year while also including federal budget cuts. Biden, and the White House, previously stated that it was impossible to tie budget cuts to the debt ceiling. However, in recent days, they appear to be open to negotiation.
Democrats are calling the Republican plan irresponsible, and they do not want to set a precedent of tying the budget cuts with the debt ceiling. Republicans have responded by saying that they have already put a plan into place. Democrats and Biden’s administration, on the other hand, have yet to present anything.
House Republicans are STILL waiting on Joe Biden and Chuck Schumer to come to the table and negotiate the debt ceiling.
— House Republicans (@HouseGOP) May 1, 2023
In the Debt Limit Showdown 2011, 42 percent of Americans stated that they would place the blame on the Republican House in the event the U.S. defaulted, and 36 percent blamed President Obama.
Democrats are hoping to avoid the same negotiation that resulted in sequestration (amongst others) and a government shutdown.
