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- A Pew survey found that only a third of Americans think Biden's stimulus bill is too big.
- While Republican lawmakers oppose the size of the bill, the majority of Republican voters support it.
- Regardless of party affiliation, lower-income households support the size; some say it's too low.
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President Joe Biden's stimulus bill is expected to reach its final vote on Wednesday, and according to a recent survey, only a third of Americans think the bill is too big.
Since it was first introduced, Republican lawmakers have argued that the stimulus bill Democrats have pushed through using reconciliation is too costly, and a group of Republican senators even proposed a counter-stimulus bill that was a third the size of Biden's. But according to a survey released on Tuesday from the Pew Research Center, the majority of Americans don't see an issue with the size of the bill.
"As the House of Representatives prepares to give final approval to the Biden administration's $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package, a sizable majority of US adults (70%) say they favor the legislation," the survey said. "Only about three-in-ten (28%) oppose the bill, which provides economic aid to businesses, individuals and state and local governments."
Here are the main findings of the survey:
- 82% of Americans in lower-income households favor the bill, compared to 60% of upper-income households;
- 63% of lower-income Republicans favor the bill, compared to the 25% of upper-income Republicans;
- And 41% of Americans say the proposed spending on the bill is "about right," with 46% of upper-income Americans saying it spends too much and 37% of lower-income Americans saying it spends too little.
The survey also found that 94% of Democrats support the bill, with 56% saying the spending is appropriate.
Despite the partisan divide in Congress, Insider previously reported on multiple findings from the past month that suggested broad public - and Republican - support for Biden's stimulus package. For example, a Morning Consult/Politico poll from February 24 found that 60% of Republicans support the bill, and some provisions in the bill, like the $1,400 stimulus checks, have garnered Republican support.
In addition, Biden and progressive lawmakers have pushed to ensure the measures in the stimulus bill will aid those most hit by the pandemic, including lower-income Americans. A new analysis from the Tax Policy Center found that the stimulus will give the poorest Americans a 20.1% income boost after taxes, and the Pew survey found that regardless of party affiliation, those in lower-income groups approved of, or wanted to see more, spending.
"Reflecting the income pattern among all Americans, within both partisan groups, those with lower incomes are more likely than those with higher incomes to say the proposed spending on the economic bill is not enough," the survey said.