Data for Progress said today that House Republicans currently debating budget reconciliation are planning to extend and expand President Trump’s 2017 tax cuts for corporations and high-income households, which are expected to cost trillions in the coming years. To pay for this, GOP Congress members have proposed slashing health care, food assistance, education funding, and many tax credits benefiting low-income communities and shifting costs to states and families.
Together with the Student Borrower Protection Center and Groundwork Collaborative, Data for Progress conducted a survey from 31 January – 2 February measuring voter sentiment toward cuts to federal funding and tax breaks for the wealthy. The poll shows that many government programs are very popular with likely voters: Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and SNAP each have support from more than 3 in 4 respondents.
“Other essential programs also enjoy strong bipartisan support, including federal student loans, renewable energy and energy-efficiency programs, and federal housing programs. While the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is more polarizing, after several unsuccessful attempts to repeal it during Trump’s first term, Republicans still support the program by a +6-point net margin,” said Anika Dandekar, a senior analyst at Data for Progress and author of the research summary.
Moreover, voters support increasing funding for Social Security and Medicare, and few want to see cuts to other popular government programs. More than 80% of voters want to increase funding or keep funding the same for Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and SNAP.
Additionally, fewer than 1 in 4 voters want to see cuts to federal housing programs, renewable energy programs, the ACA, or federal student loans and grants. And while Trump has pressured millions of federal workers to resign their positions, only 24% of voters want to see cuts to the federal workforce.
Along with cuts to federal programs and tax decreases on the wealthy, specific Republican budget proposals remain unpopular with likely voters. This includes policies related to student aid – majorities of voters oppose decreasing Pell Grant amounts, taxing student scholarships like income, eliminating Parent PLUS loans, and eliminating income-based student loan repayment.
Lowering the corporate tax rate is underwater by a -48-point margin, and 50% of voters oppose making income taxes flat across income levels. When asked whether they prefer to keep funding for government programs and taxes unchanged to protect low-income individuals, or if they think lawmakers should increase tax incentives for wealthy households and corporations and cut programs “to reduce fraud and encourage job creators to spur research and development, strengthen benefits for workers, and boost the economy overall,” voters choose maintaining funding and keeping taxes unchanged by a +39-point margin. Majorities across parties – 80% of Democrats, 62% of Independents, and 52% of Republicans – prefer that lawmakers steer clear of tax breaks for the wealthy and program funding cuts in order to protect vulnerable groups.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
Trump Tax Cuts for Rich among other things Wildly Unpopular
Data for Progress said today that House Republicans currently debating budget reconciliation are planning to extend and expand President Trump’s 2017 tax cuts for corporations and high-income households, which are expected to cost trillions in the coming years. To pay for this, GOP Congress members have proposed slashing health care, food assistance, education funding, and many tax credits benefiting low-income communities and shifting costs to states and families.
Together with the Student Borrower Protection Center and Groundwork Collaborative, Data for Progress conducted a survey from 31 January – 2 February measuring voter sentiment toward cuts to federal funding and tax breaks for the wealthy. The poll shows that many government programs are very popular with likely voters: Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and SNAP each have support from more than 3 in 4 respondents.
“Other essential programs also enjoy strong bipartisan support, including federal student loans, renewable energy and energy-efficiency programs, and federal housing programs. While the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is more polarizing, after several unsuccessful attempts to repeal it during Trump’s first term, Republicans still support the program by a +6-point net margin,” said Anika Dandekar, a senior analyst at Data for Progress and author of the research summary.
Moreover, voters support increasing funding for Social Security and Medicare, and few want to see cuts to other popular government programs. More than 80% of voters want to increase funding or keep funding the same for Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and SNAP.
Additionally, fewer than 1 in 4 voters want to see cuts to federal housing programs, renewable energy programs, the ACA, or federal student loans and grants. And while Trump has pressured millions of federal workers to resign their positions, only 24% of voters want to see cuts to the federal workforce.
Along with cuts to federal programs and tax decreases on the wealthy, specific Republican budget proposals remain unpopular with likely voters. This includes policies related to student aid – majorities of voters oppose decreasing Pell Grant amounts, taxing student scholarships like income, eliminating Parent PLUS loans, and eliminating income-based student loan repayment.
Lowering the corporate tax rate is underwater by a -48-point margin, and 50% of voters oppose making income taxes flat across income levels. When asked whether they prefer to keep funding for government programs and taxes unchanged to protect low-income individuals, or if they think lawmakers should increase tax incentives for wealthy households and corporations and cut programs “to reduce fraud and encourage job creators to spur research and development, strengthen benefits for workers, and boost the economy overall,” voters choose maintaining funding and keeping taxes unchanged by a +39-point margin. Majorities across parties – 80% of Democrats, 62% of Independents, and 52% of Republicans – prefer that lawmakers steer clear of tax breaks for the wealthy and program funding cuts in order to protect vulnerable groups.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.