Poll: Most don't want Social Security cuts

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ROCHESTER, N.Y., March 4 (UPI) -- Most U.S. adults said they want to cut spending, but not that many want to cut Social Security, federal education aid or healthcare, a survey indicated.

A Harris Poll found only 12 percent of the public want to see a cut in Social Security, 21 said they want to cut federal aid to education and 22 said they favor cuts federal healthcare programs.

Out of 20 federal programs the only ones survey respondents wanted to cut were: 79 percent said they wanted to cut are foreign economic aid, 74 said they want to cut foreign military aid, 57 percent said they want to cut subsidies to business, 56 said they want to cut spending by regulatory agencies, 52 percent said the favor cutting the space program and 52 percent want to cut federal welfare spending.

However, there are differences in what programs people want to cut depending on party affiliation.

The Harris Poll of 2,056 U.S. adults surveyed online from Feb. 6 to 13 by Harris Interactive, indicated Republicans were much more likely to favor cutting federal welfare spending -- 72 percent compared to 36 percent of Democrats; 61 percent of Republicans favor cutting food stamps compared to 28 percent of Democrats; 59 percent of Republicans said they want to cut pollution control versus 21 percent of Democrats; 37 percent of Republicans want to cut federal healthcare versus 10 percent of Democrats.

Democrats are much more in favor of cutting defense spending than are Republicans -- 54 percent versus 27 percent.

However, Tea Party supporters are even more likely to favor cutting government programs. Sixty-six percent favor cutting food stamps, 65 percent of Tea Party supporters said they want to cut federal housing programs, 56 percent said they want to cut spending for mass transit, 44 percent want to cut federal healthcare programs and 41 percent want to cut aid to education.

The report provided no margin of error.