WASHINGTON — As Republican senators deliberate President Donald Trump’s substantial bill aimed at reducing federal spending and maintaining tax cuts, a recent survey highlights that the majority of U.S. adults do not consider the government to be overspending on the programs targeted by the GOP for reductions, like Medicaid and food stamps.
The poll conducted by the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research reveals that Americans broadly favor either increasing or maintaining the current levels of funding for essential safety net initiatives, including Social Security and Medicare. However, there’s a split opinion regarding spending on military and border security, with many believing the government is overly generous with foreign aid.
This survey underscores a discrepancy between the Republican policy goals and the public’s opinions concerning domestic programs slated for debate shortly.
For federal funding allocation, most Americans prefer that Medicaid and SNAP funding remain stable or see an increase.
A significant portion of the population perceives programs like Medicaid and food assistance as inadequately funded. Despite Congress considering deep cuts to these programs, a minority believes “too much” funding is directed toward them. About half of American adults feel that Medicaid, which offers healthcare coverage for low-income and disabled individuals, receives insufficient funding. Similarly, nearly 45% state that food and nutrition programs such as SNAP or EBT cards require more financial support. Approximately 3 in 10 adults concur that these programs receive “about the right amount” of funding, suggesting a general aversion to drastic budget cuts in these areas.
Roughly 2 in 10 Americans view Medicaid as overfunded, with similar sentiments expressed by about one-quarter regarding food assistance programs.
Republicans are notably more likely than Democrats and independents to believe that excessive funds are allocated to food and nutrition initiatives, with 46% of Republicans expressing this view as opposed to around 1 in 10 Democrats and independents. Regarding Medicaid expenditure, about one-third of Republicans consider it excessive.
Opinions also reflect a belief that Medicare, Social Security, and educational programs are underfunded. Approximately 60% of Americans advocate for more government spending on Social Security, Medicare, and education. Democrats, in particular, feel these areas lack sufficient funds, while Republicans more often believe existing allocations are adequate. Only a small number of Republicans view Medicare, Social Security, or education as receiving excessive support. For instance, about half of Republicans feel too little is spent on Social Security compared to about 70% of Democrats.
The public stands divided on financial support for military and border security expenses. Around 30% think the government overinvests in the military, while another segment believes it spends too little. Nearly 40% feel the spending on defense is appropriate. The position on border security is less clear. The number of Republicans considering “too little” spent on border security has decreased since Trump reassumed office, with 45% expressing this view now, down from 79% in a January AP-NORC poll.
Conversely, a larger percentage of Democrats now feel “too much” is being allocated to border protection, with about half holding this opinion compared to about 30% earlier this year.
Regarding foreign aid, a majority of American adults agree that this area receives excessive funds. While the Trump administration seeks significant cutbacks in foreign aid, including global health and refugee initiatives, 56% of U.S. adults believe there is too much spending on international assistance, marking a decline from 69% in March 2023. However, opinions remain polarized along party lines, with about 80% of Republicans criticizing excess spending on foreign aid against approximately one-third of Democrats.
The AP-NORC poll, conducted June 5-9, sampled 1,158 adults drawn from the AmeriSpeak Panel by NORC, designed to reflect the U.S. population. This survey has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.