This year, President Trump and the new Congress face a series of high stakes fiscal policy decisions including the debt ceiling, a government funding deadline and — perhaps most importantly — the expiration of trillions in tax cuts.

New polling shows that Americans have little appetite for new legislation that adds to our $36 trillion and rising national debt. In fact, strong majorities of voters across party lines are urging lawmakers to reduce deficits compared to current-law levels. More specifically, nearly 8-in-10 voters are calling on the new administration and Congress to ensure that any changes in tax policy this year do not add to the debt.

This poll, jointly conducted by Democratic firm Global Strategy Group and Republican firm North Star Opinion Research, finds:

• 84% of voters, including 78% of Democrats and 91% of Republicans, agree that in 2025 stabilizing the national debt should be at the top of lawmakers’ list of priorities ;
• 84% agree that any bill passed by Congress should reduce the deficit by raising revenue, cutting spending or both;
• 78% of voters say that any changes to tax policy should not add to the national debt; and
• 76% agree that any bill passed by Congress should be deficit neutral compared to current-law levels.

Commenting on these results, Michael A. Peterson, CEO of the Peterson Foundation, said “As a new president and Congress take office, voters across the political spectrum see the need to prioritize addressing our $36 trillion and rising national debt.  When it comes to the major tax reform debate in 2025, Americans are clear that lawmakers should ‘do no fiscal harm’ by making sure that any changes to the tax system don’t make our debt any worse. We’re already on track to add $22 trillion more in new debt over the next ten years, including $14 trillion in interest payments, so the time to act is now.”

Image by Mark Wilson/Getty Images