Freedomworks.com

According to a survey released today by FreedomWorks, likely voters overwhelmingly support balancing the budget within 10 years and taking immediate action to address the impending entitlement crisis while opposing plans to raise the nation’s debt ceiling. Read the full survey here.

Key findings of the survey include:

• Voters Want a Balanced Budget: 78 percent believe there is “no excuse” for failing to take longer than 10 years to balance the budget.
• No Spending is “Off-Limits”: 78 percent said reforming entitlements is the “right thing to do.” 78 percent supported Secretary Gates’ recommendation to cut $145 unnecessary defense spending.
• Entitlement Reform is Necessary and Urgent: 88 percent believe Social Security and Medicare need to be reformed immediately.
• Eliminate Waste: 64 percent support eliminating HUD, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
• Don’t Raise the Debt Ceiling: 69 percent oppose raising the debt ceiling above the current $14.3 trillion level. Support for raising the debt ceiling increases (17 percent to 31 percent) if provisions are included to cut spending and reduce future debt.
• Likely Voters Look to Republicans: 52 percent would vote for an unnamed Republican challenger in an election held today, versus 39 percent who would vote for President Obama.

Read the full survey here.

Voters are also realistic, with 55 percent saying they would prefer Congress pass a budget with some spending cuts than pass no budget at all, even if the final product is imperfect. “No one wants a government shutdown,” Armey said. “But this entire freshman class was voted in to get the budget and deficit under control. The motto needs to be, ‘If we can’t stand on our principles and cut the deficit and create significant entitlement reform, then we did not do our job.’”

READ MORE:
Dick Armey: Tea Party Does Not Want to Shut Down the Government