A new Gallup poll showing an alarming loss of confidence among Americans in their congress and the job its doing.
Public Faith in Congress Falls Again, Hits Historic Low
by Rebecca Riffkin
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Americans' confidence in Congress has sunk to a new low. Seven percent of Americans say they have "a great deal" or "quite a lot" of confidence in Congress as an American institution, down from the previous low of 10% in 2013. This confidence is starkly different from the 42% in 1973, the first year Gallup began asking the question.
Americans' current confidence in Congress is not only the lowest on record, but also the lowest Gallup has recorded for any institution in the 41-year trend. This is also the first time Gallup has ever measured confidence in a major U.S. institution in the single digits. Currently, 4% of Americans say they have a great deal of confidence in Congress, and 3% have quite a lot of confidence. About one-third of Americans report having "some" confidence, while half have "very little," and another 7% volunteer that they have "none."
Confidence in Congress has varied over the years, with the highest levels in the low 40% range recorded in the 1970s and again in the mid-1980s. Confidence rose in the late 1990s and early 2000s, but has declined since 2004, culminating in this year's historic low.
Most of the recent gridlock in the congress is directly traceable to the Republican Party's 5 year old strategy of block every kind of legislation to make this President look bad, no matter how badly its needed by the country. Just google "GOP House kills" and you get over 6 million results. Everything from immigration reform, to wage theft, to raising the minimum wage, to Hurricane Sandy Relief, to summer food aid to poor urban kids, to the millionaire's tax amendment, to local regulation of the oil and gas industries, to anything that might stimulate the economy. The list goes on and on.
Well now Eric Cantor's replacement Kevin McCarthy is trying to deflect blame from his own dysfunctional "no compromise" GOP caucus by pointing his finger at the Senate as the real culprit responsible for Americans' low estimation of our congress.
McCarthy: Blame Senate, not White House
By KATIE GLUECK
Newly elected House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said on Sunday the Senate, rather than President Barack Obama, is to blame for gridlock in Washington.
"I believe you can work with anybody," the California Republican said on "Fox News Sunday," when asked about his approach to doing business with the president. "The challenge has been Harry Reid."
McCarthy charged that on the watch of Reid, the Senate majority leader, the upper chamber has "not moved anything."
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy
McCarthy's charge is pure self-serving projection on his part! I hope as voters focus on this upcoming election that they realize a vote for most Republicans is a vote for more of the gridlock that Americans seem to detest so much.
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