84 percent of Americans disapprove of the job Congress is doing, poll finds

By Paul Kane and Jon Cohen,
WashPost
Monday, January 16, 4:25 PM

Congress members will return to Washington on Tuesday for an election-year work session with low expectations for any significant legislative action, and maybe receiving even lower approval ratings for themselves.

A new Washington Post-ABC News poll shows that a record 84 percent of Americans disapprove of the job Congress is doing, with almost two-thirds saying they “disapprove strongly.” Just 13 percent of Americans approve of how things are going after the 112th Congress’s first year of action, solidifying an unprecedented level of public disgust that has both sides worried about their positions less than 10 months before voters decide their fates.

It has been nearly four years since even 30 percent expressed approval of Congress, according to the Post-ABC survey, and support hasn’t recovered from the historic low it reached last fall.

In the face of the public dismay, House Republicans and Senate Democrats are fashioning less far-reaching agendas for the year ahead, in part to avoid the bitter political showdowns of 2011 and also to best position themselves for the fall elections.

(More here.)