华盛顿——作为总统乔·拜登而民主党人试图让大约1.75万亿美元的一揽子计划越过终点线，一项新的民意调查显示，不到一半的美国人赞成他们如何处理支出法案。许多人说他们对此一无所知。
对于一个希望将社会支出投资作为中期选举标志的政党来说，这是一个令人不安的信号选举明年的活动。
美联社-NORC公共事务研究中心的最新民调显示，36%的美国人表示支持拜登对法案谈判的处理方式，41%的人不赞成，23%的人表示既不赞成也不反对。不到一半的人说他们对这些提议了解很多或一些。
来自费城的民主党选民、65岁的加里·海因斯(Gary Hines)强调，他支持拜登计划的各个要素，从扩大支持者的数量开始，他说:“我并不把所有责任都推到他身上，但我认为，作为总统，作为总司令，我认为他可以做得更多，让人们加入他的计划。”健康保险，让儿童保育更实惠，为遏制气候变化做更多的事情。
这些发现是在拜登及其政党的关键时刻得出的。与他在支出法案上的努力相比，美国人对他的工作表现总体上更加积极，48%的人表示赞同。尽管如此，51%的人不赞成。这种分裂与上个月相似，但与今年早些时候相比明显下滑。
新的民调还显示，拜登对经济的处理首次获得水下支持率，并显示出对国家走向越来越悲观。
尽管如此，民调显示，共和党人在这种情况下的角色评级甚至更差。只有18%的人赞成国会中的共和党人如何处理支出方案的谈判，而49%的人不赞成。共和党人被排除在该法案的谈判之外，预计他们将压倒性地(如果不是一致的话)反对民主党的一揽子计划。
在西弗吉尼亚州民主党参议员乔·曼钦(Joe Manchin)和亚利桑那州民主党参议员基斯顿·西内马(Kyrsten Sinema)的坚持下，民主党人缩减了拜登的计划。尽管如此，他们仍在努力就一系列较小的优先事项和支付方式达成一致。白宫周四上午公布了期待已久的协议框架，不过尚不清楚立法何时准备就绪或何时进行投票。
来自德克萨斯州圣奥古斯丁的39岁的克里斯托弗·本内菲尔德对民主党人“如此优柔寡断”表示失望他说拜登负有责任，因为“如果他不能让自己的政党做任何事情，他怎么能真正做其他事情呢?”
“他有很好的想法，但他的后续行动很差，”本内菲尔德说，他自称是一名独立人士。
与此同时，一些美国人对这一努力持怀疑态度。
“我认为我们负担不起，”俄勒冈州格兰特帕斯59岁的格雷格·霍尔曼说。他希望在明年的中期选举中出现他所说的“红色浪潮”。
休斯顿78岁的詹姆斯·太阳能(James Solar)说:“把这个国家变成一个政府为人民做一切事情的社会主义国家，这太荒谬了。“关键是，这些节目不是免费的。”
尽管人们对一揽子支出计划的进展或缺乏进展感到担忧，但大多数美国人支持该计划的几个主要优先事项。民意调查显示，大多数人认为卫生保健教育项目应该是重中之重，接近一半的人认为应对气候变化的项目也是如此。
更少的人认为儿童保育(40%)或带薪探亲假(27%)的资助应该是高度优先事项，但大多数人认为它们至少应该是中等优先事项。
拜登最初呼吁最多12周的带薪探亲假和病假，允许工人在有新孩子的情况下获得部分替代工资，或者照顾重病的亲人。但是带薪休假计划并没有包括在白宫周四公布的框架中。
40岁的瑞安·盖耶来自亚利桑那州弗拉格斯塔夫，他认为医疗保健、儿童保健和气候变化是重中之重。他说，他不反对带薪探亲假，并相信它可以提供重要的红利。尽管如此，他称之为中等优先级，因为大多数人已经很长时间没有它了，他想知道它是否“可以再次被踢下道路”。
随着谈判的拖延，拜登在公众中的地位有所下降，但其他因素也可能发挥作用，从军方艰难地从阿富汗撤军，到食品杂货、天然气和其他基本必需品的价格上涨。
在美联社-NORC的民意调查中，拜登也首次因其对经济的处理而获得负面评价，58%的人不赞成，41%的人赞成。这甚至比上个月美国人分歧严重时更为不利。今年3月，60%的人赞同拜登关于经济的观点。
只有大约三分之一的美国人表示，美国正朝着正确的方向前进，与上月相似，但比今年早些时候有所下降。当拜登上任时，以及在他总统任期的最初几个月，大约有一半的人说国家正走在正确的道路上。
只有26%的人认为该国的情况将在明年得到改善，低于2月份的43%。现在，48%的人说未来一年情况会恶化。
民主党人盖耶认为这个国家正走在正确的道路上。
“我最担心的是我们国家的两极分化，但我认为过去一年的许多大流行问题，包括供应链，包括人们重返工作岗位，我认为这些都在朝着正确的方向发展，”盖耶说。
Biden, Dems get low marks on spending talks: AP-NORC poll
WASHINGTON -- As PresidentJoe Bidenand Democrats try to get a roughly $1.75 trillion package over the finish line, a new poll shows that fewer than half of Americans approve of how they have handled the spending bill. And many say they know little to nothing about it.
It’s a troubling sign for a party that hopes to make the social spending investments the hallmark of their midtermelectioncampaigns next year.
The new poll from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that 36% of Americans say they approve of Biden’s handling of the negotiations over the bill, while 41% disapprove and 23% say they neither approve nor disapprove. Fewer than half say they know a lot or some about the proposals.
“I don't place all the blame on him, but I think that, as a president, as a commander-in-chief, I think he could be doing a lot more to get people on board with his plan," said Gary Hines, 65, a Democratic voter from Philadelphia who emphasized he supports the various elements of Biden's plan, from expanding the number of people withhealth insurance, to making child care more affordable, to doing more to curb climate change.
The findings come at a pivotal moment for Biden and his party. Compared with his spending bill efforts, Americans are more positive about his job performance overall, with 48% approving. Still, 51% disapprove. That split is similar to last month but a notable slump from earlier this year.
The new poll also gives Biden his first underwater approval rating for his handling of the economy and shows increasing pessimism about the direction of the country.
Still, the poll shows ratings of Republicans’ role in the situation are even worse. Just 18% percent approve of how Republicans in Congress are handling negotiations over the spending package, while 49% disapprove. Republicans, who have been shut out from the talks over the bill, are expected to overwhelmingly, if not unanimously, oppose the Democratic package.
Democrats have pared back Biden's plans at the insistence of Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona. Still, they are struggling to reach agreement on a smaller set of priorities and a means to pay for them. The White House unveiled a long-awaited framework of an agreement Thursday morning, though it was unclear when legislation would be ready or when a vote would occur.
Kristopher Bennefield, 39, of San Augustine, Texas, voiced frustration with Democrats “being so indecisive among themselves." And he said Biden bears responsibility, because “if he can’t get his own party to do anything, how can he really do anything else?”
“He has great ideas, but he’s having poor follow-through,” said Bennefield, who described himself as an independent.
Meanwhile, some Americans skeptical of the effort remain so.
“I don't think we can afford it," said Greg Holman, 59, of Grants Pass, Ore., who is hoping for what he described as a “red wave" in next year's mid-term elections.
“It's ridiculous to turn the country into a socialist nation where the government is doing everything for the people," said James Solar, 78, of Houston. “The point is, these programs are not free."
Despite concerns about the progress being made on the spending package, or the lack thereof, most Americans support several of the broad priorities of the plan. The poll shows majorities say funding forhealth careand education programs should be high priorities, and close to half say the same about programs that address climate change.
Fewer say funding for child care (40%) or paid family leave (27%) should be high priorities, but majorities say they should at least be moderate priorities.
Biden has originally called for up to 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave, allowing workers to get their wages partially replaced in the event of a new child or to care for a seriously ill loved one. But the paid leave program was not included in the framework unveiled by the White House on Thursday.
Ryan Guyer, 40, of Flagstaff, Ariz., views health care, child care and climate change as high priorities. He said he’s not against paid family leave and believes it can provide important dividends. Still, he called it a moderate priority because most people have gotten by for a long time without it and he wonders if it “can be kicked down the road again.”
As negotiations drag on, Biden's standing with the public has declined, but other factors may also play a role, from the military's difficult withdrawal from Afghanistan to rising prices for groceries, gas and other basics.
For the first time in AP-NORC polling, Biden also earns negative marks for his handling of the economy, with 58% disapproving and 41% approving. That’s even more negative than last month, when Americans were closely divided. In March, 60% approved of Biden on the economy.
Only about a third of Americans say the nation is headed in the right direction, similar to last month, but a decline from earlier this year. When Biden took office and in the early months of his presidency, roughly half said the nation was on the right track.
And just 26% think the way things are going in the country will improve in the next year, down from 43% in February. Now, 48% say things will worsen in the year ahead.
Guyer, a Democrat, believes the country is on the right track.
“The thing I’m most concerned about is the polarization of our country, but I think a lot of the pandemic issues over the last year, including the supply chains, including people getting back to work, I think those are going in the right direction,” Guyer said.
