Poll: Congress Disapproval Rate Soars to 74 Percent, Trump and Pence Highest Favorables

Congressmen Chip Somodevilla AFPGetty
Chip Somodevilla/AFP/Getty

Poll results released this week shows that Congress is viewed unfavorably by the vast majority of Americans.

The poll, conducted by Fox News, shows only 15 percent of voters view the job Congress is doing as favorable, while 74 percent have an unfavorable view.

But buried in the Fox report is the fact that President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence have the top two approval rates — 45 percent favorable for Trump and 46 percent favorable for Pence.

Congressional favorable percentage is down two points since a January Fox poll was taken where 17 percent approved and 74 percent disapproved.

“Here’s one example of why lawmakers get such low marks: 49 percent of voters feel it is important Congress pass tax reform legislation this year,” Fox reported. “At the same time, far fewer, 14 percent, think it’s likely to get accomplished.”

“Trump could use a win right now, and tax reform probably represents his best opportunity to get something done legislatively,” Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who conducts the Fox News Poll with Democratic counterpart Chris Anderson, told Fox News.

“But the public doubts anyone, whether an experienced Washington hand or an energetic outsider, can overcome partisan dysfunction in Congress,” Shaw said.

A whopping 78 percent of voters said that a tax overhaul won’t happen this year, according to the poll.

Based on party affiliation, reforming the tax system is much more important to Republicans (70 percent) than Democrats (29 percent), Fox News reported.

But the parties are almost equal when it comes to voters believing that tax reform will happen — 76 percent of Republicans and 79 percent of Democrats say it is unlikely Congress will pass tax reform.

“If there is good news here for Republican leaders it is expectations are low on this important issue,” Anderson said.

“If tax reform were to be accomplished this year, it could renew faith among some Republicans that Trump can accomplish at least some of what he campaigned on,” Anderson said.

As for Congressional leadership, more voters view Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) negatively than positively — 20 percent favorable vs. 49 percent unfavorable.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY): 27 percent favorable vs. 34 percent unfavorable..

House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI): 35 percent favorable vs. 48 percent negative.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA): 31 percent positive vs. 52 percent negative.

The Fox News poll is based on landline and cellphone interviews with 1,006 randomly chosen registered voters nationwide and was conducted under the joint direction of Anderson Robbins Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R) from August 27-29, 2017. The margin of error is plus or minus three percent.

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