This is a worrying sign for a party who hopes to make social spending investments their signature of their midterm elections next year.
According to a new poll by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, 36% approve of Biden’s handling of negotiations over the bill. 41% disapprove. 23% don't know and 23% neither approve or disapprove. Only half of Americans say they have some or all knowledge about the proposals.
Gary Hines, a 65-year-old Democratic voter from Philadelphia, said that while he doesn't blame Biden, he should have done more to convince people to support his plan. He also stated that he supports all elements of Biden’s plan, including expanding access to health insurance and making child care more affordable.
These findings are crucial for Biden's party and come at an important moment. With 48% of Americans approving, Americans are much more positive about Biden's overall job performance than his spending bill efforts. Still, 51% disapprove. This split is similar to that of last month, but it's a significant decline from earlier in the year.
This poll gives Biden an underwater approval rating for his economic management and shows growing pessimism over the future direction of the country.
However, the poll also shows that Republicans' views on the situation are worsening. Only 18% approve of the way Republicans in Congress have handled negotiations over the spending bill, and 49% disapprove. Republicans who were excluded from discussions over the bill are likely to oppose it in a majority, if they don't already.
At the insistence Democratic Sens, Democrats have reduced Biden's plans. Joe Manchin from West Virginia and Kyrsten Silenza of Arizona. They are still unable to agree on a lower set of priorities and how to pay them.
Kristopher Bennefield (39), from San Augustine, Texas expressed frustration at Democrats being "so indecisive between themselves." He said that Biden is responsible because "if he cannot get his own party involved in anything, how can they really do anything else?"
Bennefield said that although he has great ideas, he is not able to follow through on them. He described himself as independent.
Nevertheless, there are still some Americans who remain skeptical about the effort.
Greg Holman, 59 of Grants Pass (Ore.), said that "I don’t think we have the means to afford it." He hopes for a "red wave", which he describes as a "red tide" in next year’s mid-term elections.
James Solar, 78 of Houston, said that it was absurd to make the country a socialist nation, where the government does everything for the people. These programs are not free.
Although there are concerns about progress on the spending package or lack thereof, the majority of Americans support many of the major priorities. According to the poll, majorities believe funding for education and health care should be top priorities. Nearly half of those polled support programs that address climate change.
While fewer people believe funding child care (40%) and paid family leave (27%), should be top priorities, the majority of respondents agree that they should at most be moderate priorities.
Biden originally requested that workers have up to 12 weeks of paid medical and family leave. This would allow them to partially replace their wages in the case of a newborn or care for a loved one who is seriously ill. Manchin and other pressure groups are trying to lower the bill's price.
Ryan Guyer, 40, from Flagstaff, Ariz. views climate change, child care, and health care as top priorities. He stated that he is not against paid family leaves and believes that it can bring about important benefits. He said it was a "moderate priority" because most people can get by without it for years. He wonders if the system could be "kicked down the road."
Negotiations drag on and Biden's standing among the public is declining. However, other factors could also play a part, such as the military's difficult withdrawal in Afghanistan or rising prices for food, gasoline, and other essentials.
AP-NORC polling shows that Biden is also receiving negative marks for his economy handling. 58% disapprove and 41% approve. This is even worse than the last month when Americans were evenly divided. On the economy, 60% of Americans favored Biden in March.
About a third of Americans believe the country is heading in the right direction. This is similar to last month but a decrease from earlier this year. About half of Americans believed the nation was on track when Biden assumed office, and this was in the first months of his presidency.
Only 26% believe that the situation in the country will improve over the next year, compared to 43% in February. 48% predict that things will get worse in the next year.
Guyer, a Democrat believes that the country is on the right path.
Guyer stated that "The most concerning thing is the polarization in our country."
