Poll Shows Disapproval of Bush's Spending Request for Iraq, Afghanistan

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, September 15, 2003

Poll Shows Disapproval of Bush's Spending Request for Iraq, Afghanistan

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Six in 10 Americans disapprove of US President George W. Bush's request to Congress for an additional 87 billion US dollars to fund military and reconstruction efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, a poll released Sunday showed.

If Congress decides to approve the additional money, they said, lawmakers should roll back the president's tax cuts to pay for the increased spending, rather than add to the federal budget deficit or cut government spending, the Washington Post-ABC News survey showed.

The survey findings send a clear signal that many Americans areunwilling to give the administration a blank check on peacekeeping efforts in Iraq, despite continued strong backing for Bush's decision to go to war and public support for staying there to help stabilize and rebuild that nation, The Washington Post reported.

Fifty-eight percent approve of the job Bush is doing as president, while 40 percent disapprove. Bush also has strong approval ratings on the war against terrorism and homeland security.

Slightly more than half -- 53 percent -- approve of the president's policies abroad, a precipitous fall from 67 percent barely two months ago, and barely half -- 52 percent -- said they approve of the way the president is handling the situation in Iraq, down slightly from a month ago and a 23-point decline since the war ended in April.

On many domestic issues, however, Bush's approval ratings have fallen to the lowest point of his presidency.

Fifty-six percent disapprove of the job Bush is doing handling the economy -- the highest negative rating since he took office, and nearly six in 10 disapprove of his handling of the federal budget, which is likely post a record deficit next year of at least 480 billion dollars.

Roughly six in 10 said jobs and the economy are more important among issues also including education, federal spending, homeland security and health care that top the list.

The survey, covering a total of 1,104 randomly selected adults, were carried out between Sept. 10 and Sept. 13, with the margin of sampling error for the overall results at plus or minus 3 percentage points.

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