Public Opinion on GOP’s Budget Bill

Recent polls indicate that over 40% of American adults are not in favor of the GOP’s latest budget proposal, often referred to as the “big and beautiful bill.” This legislation primarily focuses on extending President Trump’s tax cuts and adjusting federal spending priorities.

According to a poll conducted by Washington Post IPSOS and released on Tuesday, 42% of participants expressed either “strong” or “somewhat” strong opposition to key elements of the bill, which includes sweeping cuts to Medicaid, extending tax cuts from 2017, and increasing debt limits.

In contrast, around 23% of those surveyed showed some level of support, while 34% remained undecided about the bill.

When broken down by party affiliation, it’s clear that Republicans tend to favor the bill more than Democrats. Just under half of Republican respondents indicated support for the proposal, while 13% opposed it and 38% had no opinion. Among Democrats, about three-quarters voiced their disapproval.

Independents appear to be equally split, with roughly 40% opposing the spending plan and only 17% supporting it; the rest, another 40%, had no opinion regarding the measure.

The timing of this survey follows the Senate’s release of its version of the bill on Monday. This Senate proposal mirrors what the House passed but introduces unexpected cuts to welfare programs, aims to make the 2017 corporate tax cuts permanent, and seeks to phase out renewable energy tax incentives established during the Biden administration.

Legislative texts from the Senate Treasury Committee highlight the core of the president’s vision for the budget, including the tax credits that Trump championed during his campaign.

Interestingly, many respondents appeared unaware of the House’s earlier version that moved forward in May. Approximately 40% described what they heard about it as “small,” with 26% indicating some awareness, 11% claiming they heard “a lot,” and 23% saying they heard “a fair amount.”

Regarding the “big, beautiful bill” that was previously passed in the House, again, around 40% reported hearing “a little,” while 26% admitted to hearing “nothing.”

The White House’s rapid response team asserted on Social Platform X that “the choice is clear: if the big beautiful bill passes, Americans will see the biggest tax cuts in history.” Conversely, they cautioned that if it doesn’t pass, it could lead to the largest tax increase in history.

Legislators are expected to engage in negotiations over the next two weeks, aiming to reach an agreement by their self-imposed deadline around July 4.

The Washington Post IPSOS poll was conducted among 1,167 adults between June 6 and 10, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.