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Poll: Public opposes sequester cuts to individual programs
A new poll finds a majority opposes spending cuts for most government programs, including defense and entitlements.
The poll was issued a week before $85 billion in cuts are set to begin hitting the government on March 1.
The most popular programs are veteran’s benefits, as 91 percent say it should be increased or maintained. Eighty-seven percent support keeping Social Security spending at current levels or increasing it, while 89 percent favor increased or current spending for education.
Similar high numbers were found for national disaster relief, food and drug inspections, combating crime and Medicare.
The lowest support was for aid to the world's needy. Forty-nine percent support keeping current spending, compared to 48 percent who would cut spending on the world's poor.
Much of the focus in the sequester debate has focused on defense spending, which will bear the brunt of the cuts on March 1. While a majority, 73 percent, favor increasing spending or keeping it at the same level, it’s fourth from the bottom with 24 percent saying it should be reduced.
Congressional Republicans and the Obama administration remain at an impasse on how to achieve deficit reduction and turn off the $85 billion in sequester cuts slated to take effect next Friday.
Obama has pressed Republicans to accept a combination of spending cuts and tax hikes to replace the across-the-board cuts targeting both Pentagon and non-defense discretionary spending.
Republicans, though, say they accepted new revenues in January’s “fiscal-cliff” deal and will only accept targeted spending cuts to replace the sequester.
With little time left to craft a deal, both sides have sought to lay the blame for the looming cuts.
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