- A CNBC poll found that only 36% of voters support Biden’s infrastructure plan as it is.
- But most support funding for non-traditional infrastructure measures, such as care and climate.
- The IDP argues that anything unrelated to physical infrastructure does not belong, but voters do not seem to agree.
- See more stories on Insider’s business page.
President Joe Biden unveiled his $ 2.3 trillion infrastructure package two weeks ago, and a CNBC survey found overwhelming support for it, but only parts of it. This is where it gets interesting.
According to a CNBC poll released on Thursday, only 36% of Americans supported Biden’s infrastructure plan when it presented it – only three percentage points higher than those opposed to the plan, at 33%. That’s about half the support that Biden’s $ 1.9 billion stimulus plan received in similar polls in March.
Since Biden announced the plan, Republican lawmakers have attacked its definition of infrastructure, saying a new bill should focus on physical infrastructure, such as roads and brides, and that it should include measures related to the care economy such as universal pre-K , as well as should exclude things. such as climate change initiatives. Senate Republicans are drafting a bill that focuses on roads and bridges, reports Joseph Zeballos-Roig of Insider.
The CNBC poll illustrates the catch for Republicans: the non-traditional aspects of Biden’s plan are very popular. This could be a crucial factor for his future, as the White House stressed that his definition of duality focuses not only on what Republican politicians favor, but also on what Republican voters also prefer.
The poll noted that a section of the public of 31% say they do not know enough to venture an opinion, which represents an opportunity for every political party to make progress. ‘
Despite the majority of respondents opposing the president’s plan, an overwhelming majority supported specific funding proposals in the plan.
Of the following four main findings, three are measures that the IDP has put forward to exclude from the bill:
- 87% of the public supported the repair of roads and bridges;
- 82% of the public support the increase in payment for elderly carers;
- 78% of the public support the expansion of high-speed broadband;
- And 70% of the public have succeeded in fixing the electrical network and making buildings and houses more energy efficient.
The poll also found that 50% of respondents support raising the corporate tax rate from 21% to 28% to pay for the plan. When asked about tax increases in general, 46% say it is a bad idea because it will increase wages and cost jobs, while 43% said that tax increases should be increased to pay for infrastructure because companies’ do not share their fair share do not pay ‘.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said in a statement that while Biden could draw up a “serious, targeted infrastructure plan” that would receive dual support, it is the latest Liberal wish list that the White House decides to label , an important missed opportunity by this administration. “
And South Dakota’s Republican Gov. Kristi Noem said in a Fox News interview in early April that she was ‘shocked’ and how little Biden’s plan had to do with infrastructure, although her comments suggested she was unclear. about what constitutes physical infrastructure.
“It’s about research and development, it’s about housing and pipes and different initiatives, green energy, and it’s not really an honest conversation we have about what this proposal is,” Noem said.
John Bolten, CEO of Business Roundtable, which represents CEOs of the largest U.S. companies, said in an interview with Bloomberg TV that the organization wants Biden to limit the scope of the package to address mainly roads and bridges, and ‘ the rest of the stuff for something else. ‘
However, he added that “more modern infrastructure” also needs investment, citing broadband as an example.
Biden’s chairman of the Economic Advisers’ Council, Cecilia Rouse, said on April 3 that America needed an improved definition of infrastructure to meet “the needs of a 21st-century economy.”
A New York Times poll released Thursday found that 64% of voters approve of Biden’s infrastructure plan, 84% of voters support the rebuilding of roads and bridges, and 78% support expanded broadband.