By Paul Bedard, Washington Whispers
Congressional lawmakers and top White House aides beware: Americans are angry about big government spending, and they want to balance the budget by slashing your pay. In our latest Washington Whispers poll, a whopping 51 percent of those surveyed called for cutting Capitol Hill and White House salaries when asked about the best way to address their worries about federal spending and growth. The second choice, way down at 17 percent, was taxing the wealthy. Some 15 percent suggested returning government spending to prestimulus levels, 14 percent think Washington should drop big-ticket items like healthcare, and 3 percent called for a freeze on federal hiring.
The poll, from Synovate eNation, is just the latest to reveal anger at Washington for the growing deficits. For more poll details, look here.
Americans are deeply concerned about government spending and growth. Which of the following is the best way to address those worries?
| Cut salaries for Congress and top White House officials | 51% |
|---|---|
| Fund the growth with new taxes on wealthy families | 17% |
| Return government spending to pre-stimulus levels | 15% |
| Delay new initiatives like energy and healthcare reform | 14% |
| Halt all new federal hiring | 3% |
Source: The Synovate eNation Internet poll was conducted September 22-24 among 1,000 nationally representative households by global market research firm Synovate.
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