Washington (CNN) - Tax increases are one of the biggest sticking points in contentious negotiations to try and raise the nation's debt ceiling. But do Americans agree with the position of congressional Republicans that any deal should not include tax increases? Two new polls are gauging Americans' opinions.
A Quinnipiac University survey indicates that two-thirds of the public say an agreement to raise the debt limit should include tax hikes for wealthy Americans and corporations, not just spending cuts.
The poll's Thursday release comes as the president and top congressional leaders from both parties get ready to meet at the White House for a fifth straight day to try and head off a possible federal government default. Administration officials have warned that a failure to raise the current $14.3 trillion debt ceiling by August 2 could trigger a partial government default. If Washington lacks the money to pay its bills, interest rates could skyrocket and the value of the dollar could decline, among other things.
Opposition by GOP lawmakers to tax increases is a contributing factor for the lack of agreement. But the poll indicates that 67 percent of voters questioned say that an any agreement to raise the debt ceiling should include tax hikes for the wealthy and corporations as well as cuts in spending.
As expected, there's a partisan divide on that question, with Democrats by an 87 to 7 percent margin and independents by at 66 to 26 percent margin saying that tax increases for the wealthy and corporations should be included. But by 48 to 43 percent plurality, Republicans disagree that taxes should be included.
A Gallup poll released Wednesday asks the question in a different way. According to the Gallup survey, 50 percent of Americans say an agreement on raising the debt ceiling should be done only or mostly with spending cuts, with 32 percent saying the agreement should equally include spending cuts and tax increases, and 11 percent saying the agreement should be completed only or mostly with tax increases. The poll indicates a partisan divide, with 67 percent of Republicans, but only one third of Democrats, saying the deal should include only or mostly spending cuts.
The Quinnipiac survey indicates that more Americans would blame congressional Republicans rather than the Obama administration if the nation's debt ceiling is not raised. According to the poll, almost half of voters say congressional Republicans would be mainly responsible if there's no agreement, with 34 percent saying the Obama administration would be most at blame. By at 49 to 33 percent margin, independent voters would blame the GOP more than the administration.
As for an agreement, both polls suggest Americans aren't sold yet on the need to raise the debt ceiling. According to Gallup numbers released Tuesday, 42 percent say want their member of Congress to vote against raising the level, with 22 percent saying they want their lawmaker to voter in favor of lifting the ceiling and 35 percent not sure.
The Quinnipiac survey indicates that Americans are split, with 45 percent saying that not raising the debt limit would force the government into default and hurt the nation's economy, and 43 percent saying that lifting the ceiling would lead to higher government spending and make the national debt larger.
The Quinnipiac University poll was conducted July 5-11, with 2,311 registered voters nationwide questioned by telephone. The survey's overall sampling error is plus or minus two percentage points.
The Gallup poll was conducted July 7-10, with 1,016 national adults questioned by telephone. The survey's overall sampling error is plus or minus four percentage points.
From CNN Politics
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Absolutely....it can't all happen with cuts alone!
And the GOP wants us to believe "Americans" don't want tax increases. Where do they get their info? Oh, yes, from their wealthy cronies and corporations that are swimming in record profits this past year. Have we seen enough?
YES!!!!!! TAX THE RICH!!!!!! They have not paid their fair share for years nor have they created any jobs!!!
GIVE THE REST 98% OF AMERICANS A BREAK!!!!!!!!!!
Warren Buffet agrees and he is a billionaire!!!!!
YES YES YES!!!!! What part of SHARED SACRIFICE don't those fascists understand. 80% of republicans believe there should be cuts, but they also think that along with cuts should come tax increases. What's so fricking hard for Cantor and the other fascists on the Hill to get that thru their skulls?!?!?
Time to do something bold. Generate revenue by reforming personal and corporate tax laws and entitlement programs. Cut military spending. Only in my dreams.
I cannot help but wonder how informed were the people who were polled. I know if someone called me out of the blue and asked, "Should US raise the debt ceiling?", they would get an almost automatic "No!", if I didn't understand the question.
American people have spoken,Gop should listen to voters and do the right thing,cut spending,raise taxs on wealthy Americans and corporations, not just spending cuts,eric cantor keep dreaming there.
absolutely, the top 2%along with major oill co.,big corporations, close all loop holes and stop subsidies to the ones who are making record profits....This should not affect small business...
Yes, tax increases should be included on both the wealthy and middle class. However, before the middle class carries yet even more of the burden, the tax loop holes need to be cleaned up so Warren Buffet isn't paying 5% less than I am.
As a wealthy american worth more than $11 million, I am thoroughly enjoying how republicans are crushing the middle class and putting the entire country at risk so I can pinch out a few thousand more.
The middle class cleans my house, cuts my girlfriends' hair, fights my wars, safeguards my money, patrols my gated community, and shines my shoes.
Long live republicans!!
The debt ceiling should be considered all by itself and not with any other legislation. It should be an entity unto itself. For any party to use it as a tool to gain a political advantage is downright unamerican. Republicans have bowed to Grover Norquist and his conservative organization. No elected representative of the people should be signing ANY pledge to any group. They are elected to serve all the people of the United States, not just some minority group. The only pledge they should have allegiance to is the oath they took when they were sworn into office. Pass the debt ceiling by itself like it has been done forever and take it out of the "deals." Stop playing "Russian Roulette" with the United States economy.
No. No debt increase on just the rich. The others must pay their part if there are increases. This is America not some heathern state in Africa. Wake up and play ball fairly. Cut the free loaders off at the knees or no deal. DO NOT RAISE THE DEBT CEILING ANYMORE EVER. Palin 2012.
Finally, something substantial with which to crush the republican party!!
Take the poll after 80 million americans lose social security and veterens benefits. I think the wealthiest americans would gladly pay a little more in taxes than face living in a country with rioting in the streets. Which is what will happen if the checks stop coming. Not to mention the economic damage of so many broke ass people at once flooding the homeless shelters across this once great country.
I would like the poll to include a question as to whether the person has a 401K or a form of investment for retirement; those without any skin in the game can say, don't raise the debt celing, it won't affect them; if you have investments you have to be an idiot to want to take a chance to see what would happen if limit not raise;
yes we need to stop spending; but if you are looking at losing your house and good credit and can get a stop gap loan, a person does it; them they start to pay off debt and cut spending; losing your credit rating makes it harder; it is simple math;
I hope the american people can see what the republicans are trying to do by not puting a higher tax on their rich buddies and thinking this will make the president loose an election. Lets hope the guy above lets this backfire on the republicans.
R's do not care about real polls and what americans really think. They only care about what they thiink americans think and want. I'm not surprised by this poll and discussions I've had with all types of individuals.
Hey, before you start blaming this party or that...don't you think
If your debt is more than you make...you don't just cut spending... you get another job as well (income).
While cuting spending will help pay your debt. But you'll die, because you won't be able to feed yourself.
That's why you get the second job.
THERE GOES YOUR ANSWER.
"...two-thirds of the public say an agreement to raise the debt limit should include tax hikes for wealthy Americans and corporations..."
So two-thirds of the public are in favour of taxing anyone other than themselves. What's wrong with this picture?
Hey Republican "leaders" – listen to your base! We WANT you to raise taxes on the wealthy and get our economy back on track. I think it's so rediculous that freshman Republicans were REQUIRED to sign a pledge against tax increases and other policies that may not be the best for our country but best for their political base, in order to have the support of the GOP. That would be like me signing a pledge that I'll never, EVER, eat bananas again in my life, in any form, or it would mean I have to pay a penalty. A little dumb? Yeah, I think so too. Raise taxes on the wealthy and quick playing around with our livelihoods.
It is really not surprising that the majority would vote for tax increase as long as it doesn't affect them!!! If they increase the tax on the wealthy and corporations (the job creators) , watch what happens to the unemployment rate then!!!
Americans have been saying that we need a tax hike since at least last fall, in order to get our finances more in order. but the politicians have been afraid to do it, or just plain lying about "what the American people want"
Americans also want some effort made to increase jobs, but politicians ignore us. mitch mcconnell is particularly good about saying; "the American people want" followed by whatever action he (mcconnell) is currently pushing, or, likely, the opposite of whatever our President wants and what the country truly needs..
"A Quinnipiac University survey indicates that two-thirds of the public say an agreement to raise the debt limit should include tax hikes for wealthy Americans and corporations, not just spending cuts." Its inevitable, taxes have to be raised but the problem is Republican ran on tax cuts last midterm. They boxed themselves like a condom from the gas station!
Looks to me like a lot of people don't understand that the debt ceiling is about debt already incurred, not more spending.
Everybody hates rich, but everybody try to be.Until somebody poor,they try to take from rich they money,but when star to be rich they change they approach.
Once again, the Republican party ignores the will of the People at their own peril.
What a Dumb Question???" These Right Wing Elitist must include Loopholes and the "Rich" Tax them! Crazy people???? Your "Trickle Down Effect, has trickled to the sewer! Get it!! Gop Robbers of the poor!
Yes.......but with a caveat. The tax increases may NOT be used for increased spending.......only for deficit reduction.
Taxes for the top 2% of the country need to be raised 3.9% to pay for the 6 trillion incurred from 2000-2006 for the following:
unfunded war in Iraq
unfunded war in Afghanistan
unfunded medicare part D
unfunded tax cuts from 2001-2010.
Let the spending cuts pay for Obama's 3 trillion, and the tax increase for W's 6 trillion.
Let’s include one specific Tax Increase.
If you are a registered Democrat or vote Democratic you pay an additional 15%.
This will get the 51% that pay no taxes to have some skin in the game and share the scarifice.
It is easy for people to say "raise taxes on the rich" when 47% of the country pays NO TAXES at all. This is obsene. These people get to drive on the same roads, have the same police and fire protection, have the same civil liberities and national security that I do. I say everone should pay taxes. Close all the loop holes and deductions and have a flat rate for ALL tax brackets. If you don't contribute then you shouldn't have a say in any issue in this country including voting.
yes or close loop holes in the tax code...
I wonder how many Americans would agree to have their taxes increase as part of the plan. It is very easy committing other people's money.
Well, natch... if you rob Peter to pay Paul, you'll always have Paul agreeing with you.
Next.
It's really not that hard to fix this. More money is needed, less spending is needed until you get a surplus.
The problem is that everybody wants the benefit of the USA economy and free markets, but no one wants to pay a fair share to maintain the golden goose.
In a short answer, yes. Why aren't you explaining that this "tax Hike" is really having huge corporations and others who get huge tax breaks because of their wealth pay their fair share of taxes so that the burden won't be on the middle class.
In layman's terms, Cantor, McConnell, and Boehnerr wants to take away grandma's medicare and the social security
benefits that Americans have paid into just so that big businesses won't have to pay their fair share of taxes.
The republicans know they don't have a chance at beating Barack Obama in 2011(he's broken his own record at fundraising already) thus they figure they can destroy this country in the meantime, and blame the President. They don't
care about Americans. Woe on America if they are allowed to carry out thiis evil. Evil indeed, they are.
Of course we should raise taxes. Taxes as a percentage of GDP are at their lowest point in over 40 years. Taxes should be raised on the rich and corporations now because they have reaped nearly all the benefits of the great tax experiment of the last decade and they can afford a small increase. As the economy improves, taxes should be raised for everyone back to what they were during the Clinton administration. Cuts are obviously necessary too.
Anyone who says raising taxes on the rich will kill jobs is putting ideology above facts. Taxes were lowered a little for the middle class and a lot for the rich. Within ten years (2008, before Obama was POTUS), the economy was in free fall. The 'job creators' did not create jobs here in the US. The wealth trickled up. The policy is a gigantic failure.
Do the math!!!! We cannot fix our budget by cuts alone.
You Republican should try reading this you may learn something. But I don't think so because lately you Republican are showing you are making some pretty bad move.
Yes, an agreement should include tax increases for the wealthiest in the country. President Obama and the Democrats had better not " cave " on this one. The Republicans will sell the country to the devil rather than raise taxes.
So why do the Republican leaders, especially Cantor, keep saying that a majority of Americans don't want tax increases on the wealthiest and big companies such as the oil industry and that costly loopholes shouldn't be plugged? It seems that it is really just a majority of REPUBLICAN AMERICANS who feel that way. They were elected to do what is best for all Americans, not just their base. This is going to come back and bite the Republicans in a big way if they keep this greedy, stubborn, uncompromising attitude and it causes big problems for the US economy.
You cant spend money if you arent making money, and the only way the Government makes money is by Taxation.
Some taxes might be acceptable, however with the current out of control spending many other cuts need to occur first.
Do the Math!!! We cannot control our budget with continued wasteful spending.
This is what you call a loaded poll question! Let's look at the facts. 1: The debt ceiling needs to be raised. 2. The Republicans said we won't vote to raise the debt ceiling unless federal spending is cut and the deficit is reduced. 3: The Democrats said that the Republicans were holding the debt ceiling hostage over spending cuts, however if we need to reduce the deficit raising taxes on the wealthy, closing tax loopholes and cuts to medicare and medicaid would be on the table. 4: The Republicans said NO!! Thats raising taxes! No deal!! 5: Never once did any Democrat say that raising taxes had to happen to raise the debt ceiling!! Loaded fake poll question! WAKE UP AMERICA!!! STOP BEING DUPES TO POLLS AND MEDIA IN GENERAL!! DO YOUR OWN REASERCH!
Quite simply, America's Billionnaires (over 500) and Millionnaires (over 6,000,000) must begin to pay their fair share. They benefit the most from our nation's domestic and foreign strength, yet they pay income tax at the lowest level in a century. They are the only Americans who have any money to give to our nation's common debt.
Millions of jobs were lost during the Bush tax cuts, so end then now, GREED does not create jobs.
51% of American households don't pay taxes?
OK.....so how many of THEM are Social Security recipients......or a unemployed?
Yep! Gotta make them pay
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
We don't need a poll to tell us that this is the proper thing to do.
In the "spin game" Obama Opponents call this "RAISING TAXES". It is not and I call on all journalists to STOP adopting the GOP's talking points. Raising Taxes would be if the Tax RATES were increased.
GENERATING REVENUE is the agnostic term and the PRESS needs to start using it and force the low-information voter to think through the source of that revenue.
Even when the Bush Tax cuts expire, that will not be "RAISING TAXES", they will simply be RESTORED to what they were under Clinton. Bush tried to svengali / bamboozle us with "temporary" tax cuts. The Democrats and the Press are FOOLS if they let time erode that fact. After scams behind WMD and "tax cuts for, ahem, 'job-creators'" both should be forever on guard against GOP lies & misrepresentations.
With the Clinton-era tax rates [only 3% points higher than today] the US ran RECORD Budget SURPLUSES in '98, '99, '00 of $88B, $122B, and $230B. If we had continued that trend through Bush's term [or if Gore had won], the United States would likely be debt free by now.
The wealthy need to pay now since theyve capitalized from rethuglicon rules for far too long. The rich need to do whats right not just keep taking! Why is this no brainer so illusive to the thugs? Its so obvious it hurts!
The time has come to those who are greedy to let what they have go. If grandmma sacrifices her medicare (which means her life), what about those who value money than anything else! Time has changed and we should change with it!
Tax murdoch heavily for hacking !!
Republicans have done an absolutely stellar job of selling the idea of letting the Bush Tax Cuts expire amounts to a tax hike. Don't forget that GWB himself promised the nation from the Oval Office that these controversial cuts would be only be "temporary."
When you own a store and you lower the price on something for a week, it's a temporary price/rate reduction. When the sale is over and you restore the original price, that is not a price hike. That's called the end of the sale. This is yet another example of Republican broken promises, lies and deception to the American people.
It was always their intent to make the cuts permanent, despite the fact that instituting them set us on a path of massive annual deficits. To close the loop on their deception, they blame Democrats for wanting to raise taxes.
Republicans will let the country crash before they make millionaire's private jets depreciate over 5 years rather than 3.
Poser said "Of course we should raise taxes. Taxes as a percentage of GDP are at their lowest point in over 40 years."
The tax revenues are that low because we have record long term unemployment. When people are working, the govt collects taxes from them and the businesses who employ them. During the Bush years after the recession of 2000 and 9/11 and despite two wars and tax cuts for everyone, the govt was collecting record revenues. The deficit in 2007 was only 1.7 billion,1/10th of Obama's deficit projected for 2011 (final deficit for 2008? 500 billion BTW). The meltdown in 2008 obviously caused major diruptions in the economy but that was 2/12 years ago. You can't continue to blame Bush, the causes for the meltdown was a long time coming and had plenty if bi-partisan fingerprints on it.
Agreed (with most). Everyone should contribute taxes, even the poorest. But, dont sacrafice the already weak recovery for the sake of ideology. Do what is right, get a deal done. Worry about your base and re-election later. Politicians in both parties will certainly feel the wrath of the voters if the economy slides into another massive recession.
It is UN-AMERICAN for the wealthy to say he'll no WE WON'T HELP the American economy. We are greedy AND only care about us, and no one else.
A lot of you conservatives (terry,va, etc.), upset that almost half of working Americans don't pay taxes, should realize that w changed the tax code to allow that, not Obama. Many liberals favor returning to the Clinton era tax code, FOR ALL. Get it?? Everyone making much money at all pays something?
I personally think the Earned Income Tax credit (AKA: Lifetime Unachievement Award) should be reined in and severely limited.
ABC News just said Americans want a mix of cuts and more taxes- why can't Congress understand that we are logical people and not the extremist they tend to listen to?
Actually the "47% who pay no taxes" pay a lot more taxes than the rich as a percentage of their income when you factor in state, local, sales, cigarette and alcohol, liscencing fees, property tax, payroll tax, etc. I say we make the rich pay the same percentage of their income in these taxes as the poor. And tax capital gains the same as income. That would be fair, right?