Americans may disagree over President Barack Obama's unilateral executive action on amnesty for illegal aliens, but they strongly agree on one thing: They do not want to see the government shut down in an attempt to block Obama.
By 68-25, respondents to a new
Quinnipiac University poll said they would oppose shutting down "major activities of the federal government" in an attempt to block Obama's executive action on immigration.
Tim Malloy, assistant director of the poll, said, "Americans seem divided on immigration but they agree on one thing: They don't want a government shutdown over President Obama's action on immigration."
While congressional Republican leaders work on a bill before the Dec. 11 deadline to carry funding of the federal government through September 2015,
Politico notes, they are attempting to stave off efforts by more hardline conservative Republicans to bring about a shutdown.
The current strategy is known as "CROminibus," in which a broad, yearlong spending bill would be offered, coupled with short-term immigration enforcement funding to satisfy those Republicans furious with Obama over his executive order to block deportation and allow work permits for up to 5 million illegal aliens.
Even among Republican poll respondents, a shutdown was opposed by 47 percent to 44 percent, while Democrats strongly opposed a government shutdown by 89 percent to 6 percent.
Some 48 percent of Americans told Quinnipiac pollsters that illegal immigrants should be allowed to remain, a drop from 57 percent just a year ago. Democrats and Republicans were nearly evenly divided on Obama's executive action, with Republicans opposing it by 75 percent to 20 percent and Democrats favoring it by 74 percent to 18 percent.
The Quinnipiac poll questioned 1,623 registered voters between Nov. 18-23,
Talking Points Memo reported, commenting, "The findings highlight the challenge facing lawmakers like Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who are pushing to use government funding as leverage to undo the president's sweeping executive actions."
"Support for allowing undocumented immigrants to stay is at its lowest level ever measured by the poll,"
Bloomberg reported, noting the Quinnipiac poll "starkly contrasts" with two other polls — one for the Democratic group Americans United for Change, in which Obama's executive action was approved 67 percent to 28 percent, and one by Latino Decisions, which found 90 percent in support of Obama's action.
Meanwhile, Obama's approval rating wallows, with 54 percent disapproving of the way he handles his job and only 39 percent approving, close to his all-time low of 38 percent, Bloomberg reports.
"With the exception of voters born after 1985, Obama's approval is deep under water," Malloy said.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.