Voters Don’t Want a Shutdown, They Want Action on the National Debt Instead
Congress faces a September 30 deadline to find agreement on a budget and avert a government shutdown. A vast majority of voters is urging them to come together to find a solution.
A new Peterson Foundation poll shows that nine-in-ten Americans want policymakers to work together to avoid a shutdown and focus on implementing solutions to our growing national debt. Strong majorities of voters across party lines believe a shutdown should be avoided because it harms the economy (77%) and because it distracts from America’s larger fiscal challenges (70%).
As Foundation CEO Michael Peterson said, “Nobody wins in a government shutdown, especially our economy and the American people.”
See the below infographic for further details on this new polling.
Further Reading
What Is a Value-Added Tax and Should the United States Have One?
Almost all developed economies have a value-added or similar consumption tax — but the United States does not.
The United States Spends More on Defense than the Next 6 Countries Combined
Defense spending by the United States accounted for 33 percent of military expenditures by countries around the world.
How Much Does the Government Spend on International Affairs?
Federal spending for international affairs, which supports American diplomacy and development aid, is a small portion of the U.S. budget.