According to multiple media reports, during budget talks at the White House, the Senate’s alleged Republican “Leader” Mitch McConnell told Speaker Mike Johnson that the Senate’s foreign aid bill is the only game in town, and time is of the essence. And when
Speaker Johnson talked about the border, McConnell told him to put the border aside and focus on the supplemental spending package for Ukraine.
It is rather difficult to unpack McConnell’s comments using words of more than four letters, so we will focus on what voters are saying about their priorities in the debate over where Congress should spend the tax dollars they are coerced into contributing to the federal government.
According to a recent Rasmussen Reports survey, 87% of Likely U.S. Voters believe it’s important for the United States to secure its borders, including 63% who say it’s Very Important. Just 10% don’t think securing the U.S. borders is important.
In contrast, 64% of Likely U.S. Voters consider it important for the United States to send military aid to Ukraine, including 36% who view it as Very Important. Thirty-three percent (33%) don’t think U.S. military aid to Ukraine is important, including 16% who say it’s Not At All Important.
In opposing a $60 billion Ukraine aid package in the Senate, Ohio Republican Sen. J.D. Vance said: “We must fix our country before devoting more resources to Ukraine.”
Sixty-seven percent (67%) of likely voters agree with that statement, including 47% who Strongly Agree. Twenty-nine percent (29%) disagree with the quote from Vance, including 15% who Strongly Disagree.
Eighty-four percent (84%) of Republicans, 54% of Democrats and 62% of voters not affiliated with either major party at least somewhat agree with Vance’s quote about the need to “fix our country before devoting more resources to Ukraine.”
More Democrats (54%) than Republicans (20%) or unaffiliated voters (32%) believe it is Very Important for the United States to send military aid to Ukraine.
More Republicans (80%) than Democrats (47%) or unaffiliated voters (65%) think it is Very Important for the United States to secure its borders.
There is not much of a “gender gap” on these questions, with men (64%) just slightly more likely than women voters (61%) to consider U.S. military aid to Ukraine important.
Ninety-one percent (91%) of whites, 73% of black voters and 83% of other minorities believe it is at least somewhat important for the United States to secure its borders. Black voters are less likely to Strongly Agree with the quote from Vance.
U.S. military aid to Ukraine is considered at least somewhat important by 79% of self-identified liberal voters, 66% of moderates and 51% of conservatives. Liberals are most likely to disagree with the statement, “We must fix our country before devoting more resources to Ukraine.”
Breaking down the electorate by income categories, voters earning more than $100,000 are most likely to view U.S. military aid to Ukraine as Very Important. Those with annual incomes below $30,000 are most likely to Strongly Agree with the quote from Vance.
It will surprise no one to learn Rasmussen found President Joe Biden’s strongest supporters place the highest priority on aiding Ukraine. Among voters who Strongly Approve of Biden’s job performance as president, 86% consider it Very Important for the United States to send military aid to Ukraine. By contrast, among those who Strongly Disapprove of Biden’s performance, only nine percent (9%) view U.S. military aid to Ukraine as Very Important.
Americans have spoken clearly and forcefully that they want the border secured before any money is spent on foreign wars. The Capitol Switchboard is (202-224-3121), call today and tell Speaker Johnson to hang tough and that the budget deal that mandating that a shutdown would be terminated through a 1% cut in spending is a conservative win. Tell him you expect him to fight, not cave, in a fight where the upside for conservatives is so obvious.