“Americans are extremely displeased with Congress.”
That’s the opening line in a new poll conducted by Pew Research Center for the People and the Press.
The poll, released Wednesday, found that 37 percent of voters hold a favorable opinion of Congress, while 52 percent hold an unfavorable view, a 13 point decline since April.
According to Pew, Congressional approval ratings are at “one of their lowest points in two decades,” of their polling.
What does this mean for Democrats, who lead both the House and Senate? Potentially tough midterm elections, according to Pew. Among those whose feelings have shifted the most are independent voters.
Pew found that independent voters who rate Congress unfavorably plan to vote for the Republican candidate rather than the Democrat by “a whopping 51 percent to 31 percent margin.”
The news isn’t all good for Republicans, however. The poll found that Republicans continue to have a much lower favorability rating than Democrats, 40 percent to 48 percent, respectively.
The Pew researchers said the believe “the Democrats’ dimmer electoral prospects are more a matter of disillusionment with the party that controls Congress than a revival of the image of the Republican Party.”
