"They hate us this much."
Statistical confirmation isn't really necessary to demonstrate that Americans hate Congress, but
we've got it, nonethless.
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. […]
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.
McConnell should count himself very, very lucky that so many people don't have any clue who he is. Because to know McConnell is to disapprove of him. And that's just among Republicans! A third of Republicans have an unfavorable opinion of him. But he's still doing better than Boehner, whom 42 percent of Republicans disapprove of. But another round of government shutdowns, this time instigated by Senate Republicans, should make them more even.
In fact, Republicans seem to be intent on shooting for single digit approval numbers, intent as they are on a government shutdown over Planned Parenthood (which is way more popular than they are).