POLITICO-Harvard poll: Tax reform lags other issues on list of voters' concerns

Source: Politico




By BERNIE BECKER 09/21/2017 02:00 PM EDT

Republicans plan on making tax reform one of their top policy priorities this fall, but it’s far from clear that’s what voters actually want.

One in five adults said that reducing taxes for businesses and individuals should be a major focus for Congress this fall, a POLITICO-Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health poll found, with a higher percentage calling for action on items like lowering prescription drug costs, increasing the minimum wage and infrastructure spending.

Even among GOP voters, support for tax reform was rather muted, with far more Republicans interested in continuing the battle over repealing Obamacare. A third of Republicans called for taxes to be a key part of the congressional to-do list, roughly the same as wanted more defense spending and a focus on reducing federal debt. About half of Republicans want Congress to maintain its efforts to roll back the Affordable Care Act.

The findings come as Republicans have once more moved their Obamacare efforts to the forefront, with a last-ditch effort at repeal planned for next week, even as key policymakers are scheduled to roll out new tax reform details.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2017/09/21/tax-reform-lags-other-issues-on-list-of-voters-concerns-242972