While official Washington has seen many twists and turns in the legislative process this year, voter priorities have remained unchanged.

Deficit reduction has remained number one for voters ever since President Obama listed his four top budget priorities in a speech to Congress in February. Forty-two percent (42%) say cutting the deficit in half by the end of the president's first term is most important, followed by 24% who say health care reform should be the top priority.

Fifteen percent (15%) say the emphasis should be on the development of new energy sources, while 13% say the same about education. Those figures have changed little from a month ago.

While voters have consistently seen deficit cutting as the most important, they also have seen it as the goal the president is least likely to achieve. Today, 62% hold that view.

Premium Members can review trends and complete demographic crosstabs.

(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.

Concern about the deficits and federal spending was highlighted in another new but separate survey. Most voters believe that canceling the remaining stimulus spending would create more jobs than spending it all.

Adding to the challenge, voters see the goals of deficit reduction and health care reform as contradictory: 68% say passage of the health care plan will increase the deficit.

Still, most Americans believe major changes are needed in the nation’s health care system, but support is notably weaker for the reform plans proposed by the president and congressional Democrats. Half say that passing no legislation would be better than passing the bill currently working its way through Congress.

Men strongly believe that deficit reduction is a higher priority than health care reform. Women are more evenly divided.

Democrats continue to see health care reform as most important. For Republicans and unaffiliated voters, it’s deficit reduction that’s the higher priority.

Among the nation’s Political Class, most see health care reform as more important. Among voters with more mainstream views, most see deficit reduction as number one (see information on the Political Class).

Please sign up for the Rasmussen Reports daily e-mail update (it’s free) or follow us on Twitter or Facebook. Let us keep you up to date with the latest public opinion news.

See survey questions and toplines. Crosstabs are available to Premium Members.