Hoover Institution Poll Shows Voters Support Extending the Trump Tax Cuts—With Spending Offsets
A new Hoover Institution poll shows widespread support for making the 2017 Trump tax cuts permanent, but with a clear message to Congress: offset tax relief with spending cuts. By a 2-to-1 margin (45% to 22%), Americans favor extending the TCJA, but only if it’s paired with reductions in federal spending. But, if extension of tax relief increases the deficit, support declines, underscoring that fiscal responsibility is a top concern for voters.
WORD ON THE STREET
Excerpts from Hoover Institution:
Key Takeaways
Of those polled, 75% are concerned about the growing federal debt and believe Congress should prioritize deficit reduction, yet only 17% correctly identify Social Security as the largest federal spending program.
Americans are worried about the federal debt.
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75% believe the federal debt is growing at an unsustainable pace.
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75% believe Congress should make reducing the federal deficit a priority.
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71% believe U.S. federal debt will be larger in 10 years.
Voters favor having Congress extend the TCJA . . .
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. . . as long as the tax reductions are offset by spending cuts elsewhere in the budget?
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70% Trump voters vs. 32% Harris voters
The Hoover Institution polled 1,775 members of the American public using YouGov on April 4–10, 2025, about their attitudes toward the extension of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“Trump Tax Cuts”) currently being negotiated in Congress.
The survey revealed that while Americans are worried about future federal debt and deficits, they have large gaps in knowledge about what the federal government spends money on and what is included in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act extension that is being negotiated by Congress at this time.
THE BOTTOM LINE
The House budget blueprint reflects the priorities of the American people by keeping taxes low, reining in spending, and restoring fiscal discipline to Washington. Lower taxes help working families keep more of their income, encourage small business investment, and drive overall economic growth. However, to fully realize the benefits of pro-growth policies like tax reform and regulatory relief, we must also confront the challenge of wasteful, fraudulent, and unnecessary government spending.
Pairing these thoughtful spending reductions with tax relief is the fiscally responsible path that ensures we do not further inflate our $36 trillion national debt—which now exceeds the size of the U.S. economy. 75% of Americans polled expressed concern about this growing burden. We must address our unsustainable debt now, before it jeopardizes our economic future and the prosperity of generations to come.
MORE FROM HOUSE BUDGET COMMITTEE
Read CATO Institute Poll: Americans Want Congress to Pair Tax Cuts with Significant Spending Reforms HERE.
Read Chairman Arrington’s statement on unlocking reconciliation HERE.
