Ahead of budget battle, more Americans say sequester has hurt

Heading into another budget battle this fall, the number of Americans who say they have been negatively affected by the sequester budget cuts is on the rise, according to the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.

Twenty-two percent of Americans in the survey say they have been significantly affected by the cuts, which are a product of Congress’ inability to reach a compromise on a broader budget deal last year. Shortly after the sequester first took place in April, just 16 percent said they had been significantly impacted by the policy.

And one specific group – Americans who earn less than $30,000 per year – say they have been the hardest hit. Among all respondents under that income level, 31 percent say they have been affected by the spending cuts, up from 24 percent in April and the most of any other income level group.

There is a tale of two sequesters to be told – while the overall economy has weathered it relatively well, the cuts have taken the biggest toll on the nation’s most vulnerable. Those same Americans could face even worse circumstances if Republicans are able to make on their good to extract more reductions to government spending this fall.

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