The Hill News

A majority of Americans want the government to make debt reduction the No. 1 priority, even if that results in a slower economic recovery, a new poll found.

According to a McClatchy-Marist poll, 59 percent of Americans want the federal government to focus on solving the country's debt problems ahead of focusing on the economic recovery. Meanwhile, the poll found that 33 percent want the government to focus on stimulating the economy even if doing so means spending more money.

“For the public, it's all about the debt,” said Dr. Lee M. Miringoff, public opinion director for the Marist College Institute.

Broken down by party identification, 79 percent of Republicans are more interested in debt reduction, while 15 percent wou! ld rather the government focus on stimulating the economy.

Democrats are a bit more split. Fifty percent think the government needs to stimulate the economy, while 45 percent want the national debt to come first.

For independents, the poll found that sixty-one percent want debt reduction to be the top priority even if that means the economy will recover at a slower pace. Thirty-two percent would rather focus on stimulus.

The McClatchy-Marist poll comes as legislators continue to debate a debt-ceiling increase. Democrats have called for added revenues in any deal, mostly in the form of tax increases on the wealthy. Republicans say the deal can't include any additional taxes because they would hurt the economy.