Influence Alley

The public is more worried about cuts to entitlement programs than tax hikes as part of a deal lawmakers might make to head off the sequester's automatic cuts,  according to the latest United Technologies/National Journal Congressional Connection Poll.

Fawn Johnson reports in National Journal Daily.

The public's opinions are virtually unchanged from similar National Journal polling one year ago when a congressional super committee was facing the same dilemma--make a deal or face automatic cuts. The super committee failed. The cuts are still looming. The only difference between then and now is that the deal-making is slated to occur after the election, which theoretically will shield the negotiators from voter blame for at least two years.

Then, as now, just over half of poll respondents (55 percent) said they think that tax rates for families with incomes above $250,000 should increase on Jan. 1 as part of expiring Bush tax cuts or that wealthier families should see a decrease in their itemized deductions (58 percent). Last year, those figures were 53 percent and 55 percent, respectively.

Subscribers can read more here.