51% Think GOP Budget Cuts Go Too Far, Poll Finds

Fifty-one percent of Americans think the Republicans’ proposals to cut spending go too far, and Medicare is the main worry, an Associated Press poll found.

The poll also found that Americans overwhelmingly doubt the GOP will deliver on a tax cut. In fact, 55% think their family’s taxes will go up next year as a result of the decisions made in Washington.

A tax cut of $245 billion over seven years is a central promise of the budget-balancing plans approved by the House and Senate last week and threatened with a veto by President Clinton.

The poll, taken Friday through Tuesday, asked 1,008 Americans if there are any programs they are particularly worried about being cut. Medicare is the most frequent answer, especially among women. It is mentioned by 36% of all adults, and 56% of those age 55 and older.

Republican leaders insist they are not cutting Medicare but are holding down its growth to keep the health insurance program for older Americans from running out of money.

While a majority of those polled think the GOP plans go too far, 30% say the spending reductions do not go far enough, and 7% say they are about right.

Overall, 41% put more trust in Clinton than the Republicans in Congress to make the hard choices involved in balancing the budget, up from 32% in an AP poll in June, when there was more focus on the President’s own budget-cutting plans.

About 36% put more trust in the Republicans, virtually unchanged from 37% in June. Eighteen percent do not trust either side.

The polls were taken by phone by ICR Survey Research Group of Media, Pa., part of AUS Consultants.

Results have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

At all income levels, half or more of those surveyed think their taxes will go up.

Two-thirds of these people think their taxes will go up more than $50, including 38% who expect an increase of more than $100.

Six in 10 of those who expect a particular tax increase consider it unreasonable.