Americans support Biden's spending of $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief and want him to spend more, polls show
More than 60% of Americans say they approve of the $1.9 trillion Covid bill Biden signed last month, and his $2 trillion infrastructure plan is already popular.
Americans broadly back the big-ticket spending proposals that have defined President Joe Biden’s first 100 days in office, a variety of recent polls show.
Surveys show many more Americans approve than disapprove of the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill Biden signed into law in March — by far his most significant legislative victory to date.
Polls also find Biden’s $2 trillion infrastructure plan is already popular with majorities or pluralities of respondents.
As he turns the page on his first 100 days on Thursday, Biden is gearing up to unveil yet another massive spending package, this one aimed at addressing family-related issues.
The White House has shared few details about that plan — but at least one poll shows a sizable majority of
Americans already support it.
Since taking over from former President Donald Trump in the midst of the pandemic, Biden has vowed to pursue swift and ambitious actions to lift the U.S. out of the health crisis and overhaul the damaged economy.
Despite Republicans’ efforts to brand the spending proposals as debt-ballooning boondoggles and harmful tax hikes, Biden’s bid so far appears to be paying off. The president’s overall approval rating is above water at 53%, buoyed by Americans’ support for his handling of Covid and the economy, according to NBC News’ latest poll.
But Biden’s multipronged, multitrillion-dollar spending push is still in its infancy. The $1,400 stimulus checks that many Americans received as part of last month’s Covid bill are still being sent out. Key lawmakers are calling for a narrower infrastructure proposal, and others have already balked at the possible tax hikes in the yet-to-be-revealed families plan.
“Amorphous spending proposals that promise a lot to people often get a lot of support,” said Steve Ellis, president of the nonpartisan budget watchdog Taxpayers for Common Sense.
“People see this as a benefit. They hear about the good things. They don’t necessarily hear about the problems.”
