As Congressional Republicans push forward with their latest plans to make significant cuts to Medicare and Social Security, a new poll out this morning from the Economist/YouGov shows that the vast majority of Americans oppose their efforts.

New polling shows that 70% of Americans oppose Congress reducing spending on Social Security and Medicare – and just 22% of Republicans support the idea.

Washington Post: “In a pledge to cut spending, House Republicans have considered proposals targeting Social Security, Medicare and other programs, something that is deeply unpopular. Just 17 percent of Americans in the Economist/YouGov poll said they supported Congress reducing spending on Social Security and Medicare; 70 percent opposed this. A meager 22 percent of Republicans supported cutting Social Security and Medicare spending, along with even fewer Democrats and independents.

The polling comes as Congressional Republicans push proposals that would make significant changes to the programs.

Washington Post: “In recent days, a group of GOP lawmakers has called for the creation of special panels that might recommend changes to Social Security and Medicare, which face genuine solvency issues that could result in benefit cuts within the next decade. Others in the party have resurfaced more detailed plans to cut costs, including by raising the Social Security retirement age to 70, targeting younger Americans who have yet to obtain federal benefits.”

These proposals are the latest in a long history of Republicans threatening to attack Social Security and Medicare. During the 2022 midterms, Senator Rick Scott and the Republican Study Committee put out plans to do just that. 

Washington Post Opinion: “[Rick] Scott’s plan would also sunset — eliminate — all federal legislation over five years, under the (risky) assumption that worthy laws would be reenacted. That could mean an end to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, everything else mentioned above — and potentially more.”

NBC News: “The Republican Study Committee, a large group of House conservatives, proposed a budget in June that would incrementally raise the retirement age to collect Social Security, based on changing life spans, and lower benefits…”