Most Republicans want their party leaders in Congress to take an aggressive approach to the Biden administration rather than compromise in order to resolve the country's problems, not least inflation, a new poll has revealed.
According to the survey conducted by Pew Research Center, at least 64% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents said that GOP members of Congress should “stand up” to President Joe Biden, while 34% urged those members to work with POTUS even if it means making concessions that will anger Republican voters.
The poll also indicated that a majority of Democrats and 58% Democratic-leaning independents have called on Biden to collaborate with congressional Republicans even if it disappoints some of his supporters. Meanwhile, 41% of Democrats insisted that Biden should “stand up” to GOP members.
A US media outlet noted in this regard that “this partisan gap on a compromise will likely come into play as Biden and congressional Republicans face off in the coming months over the [country’s] debt ceiling.”
Already today, however, US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy will sit down with the 46th US president to discuss a “reasonable” and "responsible" way to lift debt ceiling and take control of "this runaway spending."
McCarthy earlier described US state debt, which surpasses $31 trillion or 120% of the gross domestic product, as "the greatest threat to America" and said that he was not completely against the decision to increase state spending, but advocated a "responsible" debt ceiling.
This was preceded by US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warning that the country would soon reach its outstanding debt limit, with the US national debt now amounting to $31.46 trillion. The Treasury previously said it had begun taking extraordinary measures to avoid a government debt default by temporarily suspending payments not immediately needed for essential programs.
The Pew Research poll has, meanwhile, also showed that at least 56% of Republicans are concerned that congressional leaders will not deliver on their pledge to investigate Biden, especially in connection with his administration’s policies on the US-Mexico border and his handling of classified materials. Since securing a slim majority in November 2022’s midterm elections, House Republicans have promised to probe POTUS on multiple fronts.
The US has seen two consecutive record-breaking years of illegal crossings into the country since Biden assumed office in January 2021. Well over two million illegal crossings into the United States were recorded in fiscal year 2022, according to the Customs and Border Protection.
Earlier this month, US Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed former Maryland Attorney Robert Hur as a special counsel to investigate potential wrongdoing regarding classified documents that were found at Biden’s Delaware home. McCarthy along with other GOP members are expected to open committee probes into the US president’s handling of classified materials.