New Poll Shows Congress Must End Sequester to Win Back Latino Voters
After weeks of negotiations, Democrats and Republicans in Congress finally emerged this week with a bipartisan $85 billion budget deal. Latinos all across the country are now paying close attention to what lawmakers do with that bill and to whether they can finally pass a budget that provides much-needed relief from the painful cuts imposed by the sequestration. A new survey from NCLR and Latino Decisions today shows further cuts could pose problems for Members in 2014 who vote to keep sequestration in place.
The poll of 800 registered Latino voters shows that we are dissatisfied with how Congress has handled federal budget policy. The dissatisfaction extends across party lines, too. There is hope, however, for those Members who vote to end the sequester cuts, and they stand to gain sifnificant support from Latinos.
Here’s what today’s survey reveals:
- Only 27 percent of Latino voters approve of how Republicans have handled the budgt; a whopping 63 percent disapprove
- Faring only somewhat better: 48 percent approve and 42 disapprove of how the Democrats have approached the federal budget
- 61 percent are more likely to vote for a member who supports ending sequestration and restoring funds for government programs
- 86 percent of Latinos are concerned about the automatic sequester cuts, including 71 percent of Latino Republicans
- An overwhelming 96 percent of Latinos would rather see investments in infrastructure and education to stimulate the economy.
- Support for increased investments is strong among both Latino Democrat at 99 percent and Latino Republicans, 95 percent
“Jobs and the economy remain a top priority for Latino voters one year after the presidential election,” said Eric Rodriguez, Vice President, Office of Research, Advocacy and Legislation in a statement. “The poll shows that deficit reduction is important but that both Democratic and Republican Hispanic voters value investments in education and preschool.
According to Matt A. Barreto, a Latino Decisions co-founder who also oversaw the poll for NCLR, this survey very clearly shows that Latino voters overwhelmingly reject sequestration. “Latinos know that these cuts are hurting our community, and they want to see Congress pass a responsible budget deal that restores funding to important programs and stops the cuts,” said Barreto.
