[charts at link]
U.S. Congress and Its Leaders Suffer Public Discontent
by Andrew Dugan
August 12, 2015
Gallup
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Now on August recess, members of Congress returning to their districts may receive a skeptical reception from constituents, as 14% of U.S. adults approve of the job Congress is doing, down slightly from 17% in July.
These results come from a Gallup poll conducted Aug. 5-9. Congressional leaders can point to a slightly more productive session than was true for the previous two Congresses, such as passing "fast-track authority" -- which grants the president enhanced authority to negotiate free-trade agreements -- as well as the USA Freedom Act, which significantly revised some provisions of the Patriot Act.
These activities notwithstanding, Congress hasn't gained in popularity among Americans. Moreover, the leaders of the two Republican-controlled chambers, House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, are suffering a similar public image problem.
A majority of Americans (54%) have an unfavorable opinion of Boehner, who is in his third term as speaker. Meanwhile, 23% view Boehner favorably, down slightly from 27% in March of this year and his lowest favorable rating as House speaker. Americans have been more likely to view Boehner negatively than positively since 2013.
McConnell is a less well-known figure than Boehner, with nearly four in 10 Americans (37%) saying they have not heard of the senator or registering no opinion of him. McConnell saw his influence on Capitol Hill expand in immeasurable ways after the 2014 midterm elections gave his caucus 54 seats, making him the Senate majority leader. But this promotion has done little to elevate his brand with the American public -- nearly twice as many see him unfavorably (41%) as favorably (22%), comparable to ratings of the past several years.
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