Voters are more likely to blame Joe Biden for a catastrophic debt default, a new poll for Fox News reveals.
Bickering lawmakers have been unable to strike a deal on the U.S. government’s $31-trillion debt ceiling despite several rounds of talks.
But the survey by the Right-leaning network found that 47% of Americans would hold the president responsible if the U.S. is unable to pay its bills.
The Fox News poll showed that voters will blame Biden for a debt default if no deal is reached
Last Sunday, Biden has insisted he would be ‘blameless’ if his administration and Congress cannot find an agreement.
That compares to 44% who would blame Congressional Republicans for the default.
A so-called ‘credit event’ would trigger higher interest rates, a government shutdown and economic chaos worldwide.
Pollsters interviewed 1,000 people across the country from May 19 to May 23 to produce the findings.
Biden has claimed that he could use the 14th Amendment of the Constitution to unilaterally lift the debt ceiling, an argument that remains untested in court.
Since 1917, the U.S. has had a law that sets a statutory limit on the total amount of debt that the Government is allowed to have.
Once the limit is breached, no further borrowing is allowed.
But Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a Republican representing California, said earlier on Thursday that a deal could be close.
The agreement would specify the total amount the government could spend on discretionary programs like housing and education.
The two sides are understood to be just $70 billion apart on a total figure that would be well over $1 trillion, according to another source.
But any agreement will have to pass the Republican-controlled House of Representatives and the Democratic-controlled Senate.
The deal would only set broad spending outlines, leaving lawmakers to fill in the blanks in the weeks and months to come.
It would specify the total amount of military spending, which would a key sticking point in the talks, one of the sources said.
How should Americans prepare for a possible debt default? The deadline of June 1 is looming large
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean Pierre would only confirm that ‘productive discussions continue.’
Representative Kevin Hern, who leads the powerful Republican Study Committee, told Reuters a deal was likely by Friday afternoon.
He also said he had briefly spoken about the negotiations with former President Donald Trump, who has publicly urged Republicans to allow a default if they fall short of their goals.
Biden has offered to freeze spending at current levels next year and proposed several tax increases to help curb the debt.
