A majority of Americans want President Obama to negotiate with Congress over the debt ceiling, and nearly two-thirds oppose raising the debt without significant spending reforms attached, according to a recent poll from Ending Spending and the American Action Forum.
House Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio) said Wednesday following a meeting at the White House that the president had ”reiterated one more time tonight that he will not negotiate.” Obama and most Democrats favor a “clean” debt-ceiling hike without spending reforms attached. Meanwhile, House GOP leaders are said to be working on a larger budget deal to end the government and raise the debt ceiling with reforms.
According to the poll, 52 percent of registered voters want the president to negotiate with Congress over the debt ceiling, compared with just 38 percent who said they want a straight up or down vote. Americans oppose raising the debt ceiling — 65 percent, including 70 percent of independents — but would support doing so in conjuction with significant budget reforms, including a one-year delay of Obamacare’s individual mandate, which 55 percent of voters said they would support.