The U.S. public shows little appetite for making the spending cuts often discussed as part of a “grand bargain” on the federal budget, according to a national survey by the Pew Research Center conducted in December 2013. The survey found that majorities say it is more important to maintain spending on Social Security and Medicare (69 percent) and programs to help the poor (59 percent) than to take steps to reduce the deficit. About half of Americans (51 percent) say reducing the deficit is more important than keeping military spending at current levels. Pew reports that views of tradeoffs between government spending and deficit reduction are divided along partisan lines with 84 percent of Democrats prioritizing spending on programs that aid the poor and needy over deficit reduction and 55 percent of Republicans prioritizing deficit reduction.
Budget Busters?
Show Comments ()
1
Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.
Paul Stolz
11 years 3 months ago
Why is there an assumption that simply because the federal goverment funds a social program that is actually helping the poor? While if they make cuts its harmful? Is it not at all possible that we should look at all the spending, determine which programs are effective and which are not, determine what is wasteful or what services are duplicative, and then channel resources in a more effective manner?
The latest from america
A Reflection for the Memorial of St. Athanasius, Bishop and Doctor of the Church, by J.D. Long García
A Homily for the Third Sunday of Easter, by Terrance Klein
In a pre-conclave meeting, an Italian cardinal, and backer of Cardinal Parolin as next pope, attacked Pope Francis for opening positions of responsibility in the church to men and women not in holy orders.
As the film’s title promises, there is plenty of sin on display, even before the vampires arrive.