A new poll found that President Biden’s $3.5 trillion expansion of the federal safety net is viewed unfavorably by voters in battleground congressional districts across the country.
The American Action Network, a conservative-leaning political advocacy group, released the poll Tuesday showing how Mr. Biden’s agenda measured up in seven “middle-of-the-road” House districts.
Voters viewed the $3.5 trillion spending spree negatively across the districts, in most cases, by a double-digit margin.
In Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District, for instance, only 34% of respondents approved of the spending plan, while 55% disapproved.
That could leave Democratic Rep. Cindy Axne, who represents the Des Moines district, torn between her constituents and her party in Washington. She is the only Democrat in Iowa’s congressional delegation and one of the most vulnerable members heading into the 2022 elections.
Results were similar in battleground districts from California to Florida.
“The surveys found that President Biden’s approval is now well underwater, that the left’s $3.5 trillion ’Build Back Better’ agenda is deeply toxic, and that Americans widely believe the plan will worsen the economic pain families are facing,” AAN said in a statement.
The surveys, conducted between Aug. 28-30, focused explicitly on congressional districts held by vulnerable House Democrats. Many of the districts surveyed voted for former President Donald Trump in 2020, including Mrs. Axne’s Iowa district.
Despite being a top target for Republicans, Mrs. Axne voted last month to advance the $3.5 trillion spending bill. Her office did not immediately respond to requests for comment for this story.
Democrats are pitching the $3.5 trillion bill as “human infrastructure” to sell for voters. They suggest the bill complements the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill, which focuses on roads, bridges and airport projects.
In reality, the bigger bill amounts to a wish list of liberal priorities such as proposals for climate change, amnesty for undocumented immigrants, tuition-free community college and expanded health care. It would be funded, in part, by higher taxes on the wealthy and corporations.
Democrats plan to pass it without the support of a single Republican. They are using a special procedure known as budget reconciliation, which allows some spending and tax measures to avoid the Senate’s 60-vote filibuster threshold and pass with a simple majority of 51 votes — or 50 votes plus the tie-breaking vote of Vice President Kamala Harris.
Republicans are eager to make Mr. Biden’s spending package a top issue for Democrats ahead of the 2022 elections.
“Americans are already paying through the nose for everyday goods like gas and groceries, and Democrats’ reckless $3.5 trillion boondoggle will only make the inflation crisis worse,” said Mike Berg, a spokesman for the National Republican Campaign Committee. “Any vulnerable Democrat who votes for this socialist giveaway will lose.”
• Haris Alic can be reached at halic@washingtontimes.com.
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