Reducing the debt and deficit of the United States federal government has long been regarded as a Republican issue, but a nationwide survey of self-identified Democrats reveals that is not the case.
The federal budget deficit—projected to once again exceed $1.8 trillion this fiscal year—is beginning to come into focus among the American public. And it's not just the Republicans focusing.
A survey conducted by The Independent Center involving 500 Democrats and 500 independent voters reveals that two-thirds of both groups believe it is “very/somewhat important" for the Trump administration and the Republican-controlled Congress to succeed in reducing the federal debt and deficit. The one-point difference between the two groups, with 66 percent of Democrats and 67 percent of independents, falls within the margin of error, meaning the two groups show indistinguishable levels of support for deficit reduction.
Respondents were asked a follow-up question to determine what success in that area would look like. Once again, Democrat and independent voters provided similar responses within the margin of error. Forty percent of Democrats and 42 percent of independents believe that "significantly” reducing the debt and deficit would be a success, while an additional 34 percent of Democrats and 35 percent of independents indicated that "somewhat” reducing the debt and deficit would define success.
Among all the issues on which Democrats and independents find common ground, it is noteworthy to see agreement on the extent of federal borrowing.
Of course, agreement is one thing; action is another. Trump and Republicans currently hold the governing trifecta—the White House, the Senate, and the House—but they don't have large enough majorities in Congress to do much without Democratic support. This means absolutely nothing can be done about the debt and deficit (or any issue) unless Trump and the Republicans build consensus.
Although he may try, executive orders signed by Trump cannot do much to address the deficit within the confines of the Constitution and federal law. Executive orders are powerless against Washington’s profligate spending problem. Congress controls the power of the purse, and each member, regardless of party affiliation, has an obligation to address this, not exacerbate it.
Notably, the very public fights we see in Congress repeatedly are almost entirely about the discretionary side of spending, which amounts to 26 percent of government expenditures. The other 74 percent? That is mandatory spending—Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and interest on the debt. These programs aren’t subject to congressional appropriation. Outlays for these programs are based on the number of beneficiaries. What this means is the bulk of the federal spending is essentially on autopilot.
Which means any discussion of “significantly” or “somewhat” reducing the federal debt and deficit is moot without a serious look at what is actually driving us toward a fiscal cliff. As the Congressional Budget Office recently projected, discretionary spending is already in decline relative to federal spending as shares of gross domestic product and total federal spending. Yet mandatory outlays and interest on the debt are rising, and they’re rising fast.
For the Administration and Republicans to be taken seriously on spending and deficits, they must include Democrats and independents in the discussion. Given our recent findings, it seems they would have willing partners at the table.
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