Some 57% believe the US is spending “too much” on foreign aid, a new survey has shown
Supporters of Ukraine rally outside the US Capitol after the Senate passed a foreign aid bill on April 23, 2024 © Kevin Dietsch / Getty Images
Around a half of US voters believe that their country is needlessly wasting taxpayer dollars on supporting its foreign partners such as Israel and Ukraine, a new Rasmussen Reports poll has found.
Overall, some 57% of respondents said that the US government is spending “too much” on foreign aid in general, according to a survey of 1,126 likely voters conducted on April 16-18.
President Joe Biden signed a new $95 billion funding package on Wednesday, under which Ukraine is slated to receive $48bn in weapons and other assistance while another $23bn will be used to replenish the Pentagon’s depleted stocks.
Even before the latest bonanza cleared procedural hurdles, some 47% said it was “too much,” while around 20% wanted Washington to spend even more cash.
As for US aid to Israel, some 49% of respondents said that $14 billion intended for West Jerusalem as part of the new package was either “about right” or “not enough.”
A CBS News/YouGov survey, conducted earlier this month also showed waning public support for continuing to send weapons to Kiev. Just 53% of US adults believe their government should give military aid to Ukraine, down from 72% two years ago.
Support for Ukraine aid was highest (72%) among Americans who believe the US has a “responsibility to promote democracy” across the world, that poll showed. Among those who see no such obligation for their country, only 28% believe Washington should give military aid to Ukraine.
