Poll: Public Wants Jobs First, No Social Security Cuts

by James Parks, Mar 9, 2011

Americans are sending a message to Congress: Focus on creating jobs and don’t cut spending on Medicare or Social Security and don’t shut down the federal government.

Nearly eight in 10 people say Republicans and Democrats should reach a compromise on a plan to reduce the federal budget deficit to keep the government running, according to a Bloomberg National Poll. Respondents, by huge margins, also oppose cuts to Medicare, education, environmental protection, medical research and community-renewal programs.

Fewer than half of respondents say cutting Medicare benefits or raising the age at which Americans receive Social Security retirement benefits would have a large impact on the deficit, and only two in 10 favor cutting Medicare benefits.

When given five choices for the most important issue facing the nation, unemployment and jobs ranked first with 43 percent, deficit and spending was cited by 29 percent and 12 percent said health care.

Asked to choose between jobs and the deficit, 56 percent called creating jobs the government’s more important priority now, while 42 percent put the top priority at cutting spending.