
Washington (CNN) - Only 11% of Americans approve of how Congress is handling its job, according to a new CNN/ORC International poll released Monday.
That's a new record for this measure on a CNN survey; the previous all-time low approval rating for Congress was 14%, set in August, at the very end of the debt ceiling debate which resulted in an unpopular agreement between Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill. The poll indicates that 86% say they disapprove of how Congress is handling its duties.
Tune in Thursday at 8 p.m. ET for the CNN/Southern Republican Presidential Debate hosted by John King and follow it on Twitter at #CNNDebate. For real-time coverage of the South Carolina primary, go to CNNPolitics.com and on the CNN apps for iPhone, iPad, Android or other phones.
- Follow the Ticker on Twitter: @PoliticalTicker
"Republicans and Democrats can't agree on much, but they both agree that Congress is doing a lousy job," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "Approval of Congress is just 10% among Republicans, and only 16% among Democrats. Nine percent of independents have a positive view of Congress."
The poll was conducted for CNN by ORC International from January 11-12, with 1,021 adult Americans, including 928 registered voters, questioned by telephone on January 11-12, 2012. The survey's overall sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.
– CNN Political Editor Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
Also see:
Paul scores sought after endorsement in South Carolina


CNN – are you sure this number isn't inflated ?? 11% sounds sort of a bit high, don't you think ? I haven't heard a good word, yet.
If it's plus or minus 3%, I'd vote that it's closer to 8%.
I think you got it wrong, This do nothing congress no way got 11% from the american people. This is the most lazy congress in american history.
And yet most of these unhappy people will continue to support THEIR members of congress. No matter how bad congress is, its always "the other guy."
They keep fighting against laws that could help us.
They keep being a do-nothing Congress because of the GOPers trying to destroy us from inside.
That 11% must be the most uninformed people in the country. This Congress has done absolutely nothing! Zero! Nada! Zip! They should be forced to return their paychecks, health benefits and pension for simply being worse than useless. Those who voted for them should lose their citizenship! I suppose their family members, or at least some of them, might have claimed to approved but they're lying. The only thing they've achieved is preventing anyone else from doing anything to move the nation forward. With all the unemployed people, struggling businesses, etc. how dare they obstruct every effort and offer nothing of value, not one serious solution! How DARE they! Sometime I'll tell you how I really feel about it !
Of course their approval is low, The media keeps focusing on bills that the GOP doesn't vote for – like the ONE jobs bill Obama proposed. But it has been ignoring the 15+ jobs, budgets and deficit-reduction bills that the GOP House has passed that Obama and Harry Reid won't even allow to come to the Senate floor for debate. The American people voted the Dems out of control of the House in 2010 precisely to stop Obama from jamming his legislative agenda down our throats. But the media doesn't report much on that. If Congress doesn't give Obama what he wants, the media pushes the idea of the do-nothing Congress. Actually – they are doing something – representing the people who voted them into office. Something the Dems didn't think was important or their constituents wouldn't have voted them out in 2010
How do you like the tea partiers now?
The new republican congress is everything I thought they'd be – incompetent. They're only good at preventing progress, not creating it. Have they passed any constructive legislation? No, they're too busy legislating abortion!
Perhaps now, the American electorate will learn to vote with their heads and not their emotions – emotions manufactured by lobbyists with pretty painted buses.
WE MUST vote to get CONGRESSIONAL REPUBLICANS out this time around. They are essentially OBSTRUCTIONISTS.
The GOP is trying to represent the people who voted them into office. The Dems don't respect the wishes of the people who elected them – that is why their constituents voted them out of office in 2010 after they voted for the healthcare bill. So far, the GOP has voted against the ONE jobs bill that Obama proposed. Obama amd Harry Reid won't even allow the 15+ GOP jobs bills that passed the House to come to debate on the floor of the Senate. The big proble here is a President who does NOTHING to sit down at the table and facilitate an open debate.
Is it any wonder. Not one of the slugs care for the American public. All they care about is lining their own pockets.
To Max – let's see. The GOP didn't like the one jobs bill Obama came up with. Obama hasn't allowed any of the 15 jobs bills the GOP came up with in the House to make it to debate in the Senate. Who are the obstructionists?
If anyone asks yet again, why the OCCUPIERS all over the United States are protesting. Listen up!
“You control our world. You've poisoned the air we breathe, contaminated the water we drink, and copyrighted the food we eat. We fight in your wars, die for your causes, and sacrifice our freedoms to protect you. You've liquidated our savings, destroyed our middle class, and used our tax dollars to bailout your unending greed. We are slaves to your corporations, zombies to your airwaves, servants... to your decadence. You've stolen our elections, assassinated our leaders, and abolished our basic human rights as human beings. You own our property, shipped away our jobs, and shredded our unions. You've profited off of disaster, destabilized our currencies, and raised our cost of living(while lowering our wages). You've monopolized our freedom, stripped away our education, and have almost extinguished our flame. We are hit...we are bleeding... but we ain't got time to bleed. We will bring the giants to their knees and you will witness our revolution! WAKE UP AMERICA! SUPPORT OCCUPY!
I think 11% is high, given the very poor performance from all parties, and it's not getting better folks.............5% is more like it.
Could someone please tell me who the 11% are. I am yet to meet ONE. And yes, the United States of Sheep will reelect them. I think that could be a bigger mystery.
Pretty soon the 1% is going to be referring to the people who actually approve of congress
Get money out of politics (IE. publicly financed elections whereas every viable candidate receives his/her equal share of campaign money, and let the best person win! Not the most bribed!)! Create a true democracy with a multiparty system (that means having more than just the two parties we are currently suffering under, you know the Democrats and Republicans) that better represents America's true diversity and that will help break the two party stalemate that is crippling our US government. This would be a good start wouldn't you agree? WAKE UP AMERICA! SUPPORT OCCUPY!!
the 11 percent must be the lobbyists, all they do is vote pro corporate and when it comes the matters of the people they go on recess or holiday vacation
Yeah, I am not buying that they actually found 11% to support them....
sooo who are the dumb 11%...HA.... must be congress themselves...:)
Vote out the Tea Party, and anyone that signed Grover Norquist's Pledge,...and then ignore Grover Norquist...
Better check your numbers CNN, seeems way to high. Like this is news and you needed to do a poll. Do you have your head in the sand.
There's NO way that they found 11% that could support them. Seriously.
who are the idiots in the 11%. Congress has no care for the people. The GOP only cares about stopping legislation so they can get rid of the President. Sen Mitchell should go to a state that has a real college and get a degree. The doughboy has never shown one moment of intelligence, yet he is the leader. Woe on us, the people. I suggest they all get thrown out and we have new elections with none of them ever allowed to serve (poor word for them) again.
There is something very inauthentic and irrelevant about this type of poll. Sure only 14% approve of Congress but what difference does it make? The American people do not vote for Congress!!!! People vote for their own Congressperson and even though only 14% of the people approve the way Congress has been acting, people in their towns across the country may be in love with the man or woman representing their own district and it is conceivable that commeth Nov 2012, the same congress people could be sent back for another term and two weeks later another poll might also show that the public does not approve of congress.
They should all be fired.
Yet all the incumbents will get re-elected. American population is at an all time high for stupidity.
Well, you get the Congress you vote for. Whenever you have a divided Congress, why would anyone expect anyone to do anything except blame the other House? Or better yet ... blame the President for them not passing legislation?
I bet Al Assad the dictator of Syria has a higher actual approval rating. Just because we have the chance to vote for these people every couple years doesn't mean that they aren't totally corrupt. Because America is run by a very small group of super rich.
That seems high. 11% Some people must be in hibernation.
11% approval, yet 95% reelection rate? Something wrong here.
Sorry fact is their approval rating wont stop them from giving themselves a pay raise!
Both parties are morally and socially criminal in their explotation of the American People!
The Senate is controlled by the Democrats. The House is controlled by the Republicans. So, the failure and incompetence of this Congress is a bi-partisan problem. I see references to the "Republican Congress". Apparently, these idiots need to retake Civics 101 for a refresher course on the basics of Congress.
Here is a clue: Vote for "Moderation". Its ok; it might not make you or anyone else happy, but that is the best you can hope for in a country that is this huge.
People are upset with Congress. It's one thing they can control, but prefer to be upset about it at a rate of 89 percent.
That's great and all, but try surveying people specifically on their congressman or senator (since they are the only ones they can vote for), and the results would not be anywhere close to this low. This 11% number is irrelevant ... it's like surveying Americans for their opinion of Stephen Harper.
And just who are the 11% who approve?? I would really like to know
oh.. you know the thing about chaos.. its fair.
That's pretty embarrassing.
Does anyone thing those in Congress even care what we think about their performance? It seems that all they care about is a cushy job with lots of perks.
The problem with Congress, is that they view all problems as something the government is responsible for solving. Consequently, they use any problem as a means to pass more laws, with unintended consequences, which only cost more money and end up not fixing the problem we started with. Whether R or D, they all want the same thing, power over the plebians. Lather, rinse, repeat.
the 11 percent are the people who are on the upper end of our economic food chain.
GOP policies are bad for the economy, great for the 11 percent.
(PS: GOP job bills are a myth. Nothing in them actually did anything to generate jobs, just continue policies which have failed us for the last 30 years.)
So, its agreed? Congress sucks, right? We can get rid of the do-nothing Republicans now?
Rep. Allen West, I'm gonna fire you
Congress has given us a story of failed policies, failed leadership, lost opportunity, lost hope,and games of rhetoric and division. They have left us with debt and bailouts! They have repeatedly demonstrated that we no longer need a Congress at all! We need a Parliamentary democracy!
They currently serve the Corporations of America and NOT the American People, oh they have their Cadillac Insurance, and beautiful retirement to lookforward to, and all the Gifts and Goodies they get for "playing ball" with 1% of the population while the majority continue to struggle. The Party will come to an end once these wicked people are removed from office.
This is what GOP-obstructionism does to a Congress. Down to 11% approval. Pathetic.
.
The parties will blame each other but not themselves. The pole will be put on a "spin cycle" and congress will just go about it's business and ignore the poll as usual. They will do nothing that will change the course of progress or in this case no progress. Many will get elected out of office and those that should run and serve in congress will never set foot in a race, know why? Who wants to be in company with such selfishness. Who wants to be in a system that is committed to accomplishing nothing except to offend as few as possible and get reelected. Are there any public servants who wish to serve for the purity of serving?????
The problem is though that while most people disapprove of Congress as a whole, many would still vote for their own representative/senator again. In other words...nothing will change. Members of congress KNOW this...so once again – accountability is unlikely. Instead we blame a president for failing to influence members of congress who KNOW they have nothing to fear when the elections come round. The American people get what they deserve.. and voted for! A Congress elected by the same population that makes the National Enquirer a best seller.
As a Hoosier, I'm sorry to say that both of my state's senators and six of its nine representatives are all members of the GOP. As agents of greed-based and unsustainable economics, social injustice, and ineffectual lawmaking, I will vote against them at every opportunity, and rally my friends to do the same.
And voters should show their trust by voting OUT any incumbent. I'd take the man/woman on the street over congressmen who believe insider trading is ok for them, and approve bills permitting the violation of the constitution by imprisoning Americans in military prisons for indefinite periods.
Dear Everyone in Washington: You'd be more popular if you worked together and accomplished things. There's a reason why politicians used to engage in good old-fashioned horse trading and make compromises.
Good. I'm glad they're doing nothing. Better to have a congress do nothing than to support a self serving narcissistic population with damaging legislation, or create more beaurocracies to declare through fiat whatever they wish to have real legal consequence without congresses approval or passage, or oversight from the people. Until the logic and morality, and frankly the admiration for our constitution returns to congress, I support them in accomplishing nothing.
The 11 Percent are the Rich and getting their deductions
Are you kidding CNN 11% percent? I do not believe that 11 out of 100 people in the USA Approves of Congress. Sorry we all know what is going on. Corporations and Special Interests are represented now. We are back to taxation without representation..... It is only a matter of time before the American people stop allowing Congress to Sell us out.
They will refuse to take responsibility, but this is the direct result of the TP hijacking the legislative process for their own political purposes, not the good of the country as a whole.
Don't forget that Obama campaigned as a "post-partisan"president. Can anyone really give specific examples of how mnay times he actually sat down with Congress to try and listent to ideasfrom both sides and show some leadership to bridge the gap? When he introduced his jobs bill – he went on ther oad in his bus to talk in the 2012 swing states, vilifying the GOP in the press. No meetings. No sit-downs. Only in Obama's Washington can you essentially blow-off the other party and refuse to even listen to their ideas, then blame them for being obstructionist.
11%? Who the heck are those people? I haven't met any of them and I have friends from the far left to the far right! I think someone is just kidding the pollsters.
Elected employees do not think they are doing anything wrong. Their view of the job is to get elected and once elected they are successful and then their job is to maintain, nurture and grow the issues that got them elected. As far as they are concerned everything is on track, including record campaign donations and their job performance is excellent.
So the 11% that approve must be jurors from Florida and/or California.
I think 11% is being very generous. If you think Congress is atrocious wait until Pres. Romney is sworn in and the Repugs takes total control.
Alright every single one of these comments is just like congress and the reason why they suck . One person blames the Dems the next person blames the republicans. They each can't let the other succeed because than the other party will get re elected. Do away with the two party system and let's vote the people in and NOT THE PARTY
Term limits will solve this problem. They need to stop running for reelection and focus on their current terms. That and no more consecutive terms. That way new blood is never running against an incumbent who would almost certainly have greater name recognition.
@ Deborah in Georgia... it's not that they're lazy, which they are, but they're getting more kickbacks for voting the way they do now than ever before.
I don't know what portion of the population constitutes that 11% must be extended family or something...
This poll is completely worthless. It doesn't matter how many people say Congress is doing a lousy job because the majority of voters are going to vote to re-elect their representative and their senators because they are for cutting government waste. It is the other guy that brings home the bacon and causes giant deficits running up the debt. My member of congress only does what is good for the country.
I am voting anti-incumbent this year, except for the presidential election–I live in MA so I am voting anti-Romney. If you elect him you deserve him. Everyone else in congress deserves to be thrown out of office. They are disgusting, evil people.
is this Obama fault again?
For the first 2 yrs of Obama the dems had all three, they blasted through bad policy, so in 2010 the repubs won the house to stop the crazy policies, yes congress has been deadlocked since the repubs got in there, its what they were put there to do. If congress was doing so well the first two years of Obama then why did the repubs win in 2010?
ha HA!! and WHO has control in congress???
classic!
I guess that means I'm one of the 89%.
The 2 sides hate each other too much to work together, it has become a total ideological struggle.
The thing is: does Congress care? Will they change? Doubtful.
In the last election, Republicans campaigned about how bad the ratings were for Congress and said they'd change it. These statistics show they did.
Who are these 11% that have a favorable opinion of Congress? I have yet to meet one of their kind...
We need representatives who are loyal to their country, not their political party, their rich contributors, or some bogus pledge to a private individual.
11% has to be overstating the approval – this is the worst Congress in the history of the USA. They are against compromise, they are out of touch, with the majority of Americans and need to be voted out. and are they are incapable of making good decisions. Congress alone has plunged this country into the sewer. This November will be easy – if you are an incumbent, I am not voting for you.
Whenever the government fails to suit the needs of The People..."it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it." Vote with your feet next November!
I saw a poll recently that said ~50% of Republicans, yes REPUBLICANS, thought it was important for Congress to COMPROMISE to move the country forward. I don't see how that can possibly bode well for these obstructionist Republicans in the House come election time.
Hopefully everyone will vote most of the knuckle heads out. They need to be taught they represent the people not the special interest. Cut their pay and require term limits. And every state should have open primaries so the majority independent votes have a true voice!
This very small minority in the house and Mit McConnell with his pledge that his only job is to make President Obama a one term president, has held up everything good for America just to get OB.
The Tea Party promised to change the way Congress works, and this poll is proof.
I wish they'd show the comparison between approval of Dems and repubs. it's the rethug party of NO that's keeing this congress from doing anythin. they even vote against things they want done if Obama suggests them. the American people need to wise up and get these rethugs out of office and elect people who have a brain cell working and who care about the country, not just big business and money.
it's gonna get lower if SOPA passes.
Are there really 11% of people polled that actually approve of Congress? If this is an accurate percentage they must all be related to the Congressmen, and Congresswomen. I can't imagine that anyone even slightly informed could possibly approve of the work – or should I say lack of work – that Congress is doing.
I thought it was 9%
Eleven percent? Who are they kidding? I'd be surprised if I could find 1% of all the people I know.
Until Boner and McConnell became leaders, the approval rate was over 30%.
Vote them out of office and onto the unemployment line.
just vote the dems out of the senate and we will see things get done.
This is the main problem with Congress. Most want to be career politicians and why not? You get a big fat yearly salary, average is over $172,000 per year, you get a better health insurance, better fully life retirement, as compared to medicare and social security. Most can't interpret a financial statement, most have never run a business or meet a payroll or had any business experience. Most are inept at coming up with sound solutions to problems. Most can only whine, complain, and name call the other party; the blame game. And finally most are greedy, looking only out for their own i interests, taking payoffs from lobbyists, potential bribes from contractors, and doing insider trading by their own okaying.
uh, heads up folks...should be 1%! get it? the other 99% of us are fed up!!!
Jesus, I think we should put in a rule that if the approval rating dips below 20% – 15%, it's time for an emergency election and the current members of Congress can't re-run
Everyone should vote everyone else out in favor of their challenger, regardless of party or political affiliation. It's a team effort that all of these losers in DC have done to stagnate and allow the further decline of this country.
Oh those laughable libs. They squawk about obstructionist Republicans, but let's see how willing to work with the new Republican president the libs are come January 2013.
I don't know why so many of you are saying that President Obama has majority on both houses the first two years, as a matter of fact he didn't. He had the House but not the Senate. Remember that nothing can pass without having 60 votes. They never had 60 votes. They were short of that number and the Republicans will never join the Democrats to make that number to be 60. So, please stop saying that he failed,
United we stand. When was this forgotten?
The party of fairy tails and magic wants to destroy the country so they can make Obama look bad.
The Dem's won't let them.
Everything that right wing cretins touch turns to caca.
ok so it seems about 89% of us all agree that the congress is stepping all over us so why don't we over throw them the way the Russians did the tzar, the chinese did to their Emperor or the nazis did to the weimar government if i recall the Nazis did good afterwards so did the Russians and just look at the chinese now maybe we need to do the same to save our country while we still can
therefore, we are no longer democratic
Obama like to divide congress instead of pulling both sides together. So he always have somebody to blame for his failures. Even when he and the dems had congress the numbers was down. Do we really want him and dems to be in control again? Passing things that thinks is for our own good like the healthcare bill?
We need new blood need both sides on congress that not corrupted and run by the rich.
My way of fighting this do nothing congress may seem strange to some, but it's the best I've come up with so far. I'm in SC-a pitifully Rep. mess. I always vote for Dems-to no avail. So I am sending my money to Eliz. Warren-Mass. So far she has a darn good chance to unseat Brown. If I learn of another Dem. somewhere who is running against a Rep. I will do the same.
OBAMA/BIDEN 2012/WARREN ANYTIME
What is scary is that there are 11% of the folks out there stupid enough to think that they are doing OK???
We have people in office who care nothing about the average american person, therefore they don't represent what the people truly need. There hasn't been a poor politician in ages. We are being represented by people who represent their own financial interests and until this changes the common american man will continue to suffer, Rich protect rich, poor suffer because oif rich greed. It's pretty straight forward. We are protecting rich american financial interests in every war we participate in. No poor people want to die for nothing (unless they are uneducated house sheeple).
The 11% that approve of congress are suffering from Traumatic Brain Injury.
With the Obama admin in office, nothing happening in Congress is a very good thing. Remember, not so long ago, the citizens of the US gave too much power to the Dems. they could have done anything they wanted. ANYTHING. They couldnt agree among themselves and the only thing they could agree on is to force US citizens to buy something the majority did not want to buy, and add 3 billion dollars a year from now till doomsday or grand jury judgement for welfare medical coverage.
Untill Obama is out of office, stalemate in a very good thing in congress. They are getting a low rating because the entitlement crowd isnt getting what they want. What they want is going to cost the rest of us more.
GOP/Tea party out... Liberals, progressives, independents, democrats in. I'll put my money and vote where my mouth is.
Newt = former house speaker
Ron Paul= congressman
Santorum = former senator
If only 11% support congress than 100% of the 11% must be those extremists on the far right
fuzzy math but it seems to be true.
Attention all Sheep
Will all the sheep in America – on both sides – please repeat these words in order to be saved from slaughter.
TERM LIMITS FOR CONGRESS
No wonder our nation is falling apart at the seams. When the voting population has such a low favorable opinion of their elected officials and yet continues to RE-ELECT them, something is definitely wrong! The very same individuals we elect to actually DO SOMETHING about the issues affecting us all spend their time on irrelevant issues such as abortion (decided years ago with Roe v Wade and is essentially a private matter), the definition of marriage, etc when the real issues of the economy, the housing/mortgage crisis, jobs (and lack thereof), health costs, etc are tearing our country apart. Of course, the whole point of getting elected in the first place is to continue being re-elected for years and ensuring yourself of potentially unlimited income. I am all in favor of publicly funded elections where everyone has the same amount of money to use and then the best person can win. I also believe once an elected official leaves office they should NOT be allowed to become lobbyists and continue to influence others. Our nation is truly governed by the elite rich as no one else can afford the costs of running for public office. If things continue on as they have been, I truly fear for the future of our nation.
Why would people be upset? We have the best congress money can buy. The 11% must be those corporations that the Supreme Court calls "people"
Obviously the Dems strategy. What should the GOP do when faced with socialist legislation? Yet, the Dems blame them???????
People are upset about how Washington is not doing it job, but wll re-elect 80% of those same people they are upsetwith...
Obama like to divide congress instead of pulling both sides together. So he always have somebody to blame for his failures. Even when he and the dems had congress the numbers was down. Do we really want him and dems to be in control again? Passing things that he thinks is for our own good like the healthcare bill?
We need new blood need ob both sides in congress that not corrupted and run by the rich.
Strange how everyone seems to know this but them. Pink slips from president on down!!!! Clean the house.
I wonder if they took sarcasm in account for the 11% of approval.
How many of these pathetic "DO NOTHING" congress people (mostly GOP!) are going to be re-elected in 2012?
Let's examine the facts - The democrats controlled both the House and the Senate for Bush's last two years in office and Obama's first two years in office. They had a clear majority in Congress. And look where we are -- it is the dems who have runied this nation - Obama has had his chance – and he blew it -- spedning over a year on Obamacare – which is a financial disaster – and ringing up $5 trillion in new debt -- Time to give up his socialistic views and his class warfare. Time for fiscal responsibility – a blanced budget amendment – social security reform – immigration reform – tax refrom – and Term Limits for Congress
I total agree with DC Observer ........ TERM LIMITS FOR CONGRESS
Newt, Paul, and Santorum were or still are in congress and are extreme. So that must mean that 100% of the 11% are the extreme right that are out of touch with main stream America
Obama's presidential rating should be the lowest of any sitting president...he has singlehandedly run this country in the ground with his "change" and once his one term reign is over, we can try to salvage what is left of America, if he hasn't sold us all of to his Muslim brothers!
When people talk of the 1% – do they realize that 85% of Congress on the Democratic side are all millionaires?
In another words, the approval rating for OURSELVES hit all time low. Take a wild guess who voted them into office?
If it weren't so sad, it'd be hysterical...liberals think the unhappiness with Congress is all about "the tea party". Uh, hello...half of Congress is Democrats as well as the White House. There was no bipartisanship when the Democrats held the Supermajority and then the simple majority in Congress and the Tea Party candidates were elected to STOP them from furthering their coffer raiding spending binge. Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid acted like dictators...they shoved their agendas down the throats of not only the GOP members of Congress but the people the represented as well. People don't forget when they get the short straw...the Democrats literally locked the GOP out of the legislative process for a year.
For all the whining the liberals did about Bush being a little dictator, when they were given the chance to live up to their campaign promises they not only didn't take the high road...they carved a new low road out of untilled soil. They made Bush's administration look like the warm up act for hijacking the government coffers.
Oh, and for the record...they didn't give us universal health care. All they did was create a medical industrial complex for funneling bribes, kickbacks and payoffs that we get to subsidize.
2012 is Voter's Revenge!!!
I think if Congress were to Officially hit the low approval rating of 30% or less, there should be a change in Congress. I'm talking about people being fired and replaced.
11% seems a little high.
Vote the dems out of the senate, then we will see the country move forward
You want things to get better? Vote for a moderate. It's that simple
The Founding Fathers wanted a system that put the breaks on whenever the factions of government could not agree. Other countries have kings or dictators for a reason. America has gridlock by design. The American public shows its own ignorance when it complains about government working the way it was meant to work. The Constitution was never intended to function if and only if the other guy is out of the room. It was intended to be a system of compromises.
11% of Americans have no idea what Congress is.
How did it get that high?
BD
Seriously, seriously time for Congressional term limits. If it was a good idea for the president, it's a good idea for Congress.
I didn't know you could go below 0
It's almost too bad we cannot do a vote of "no confidence" here, isn't it? Not a single Senator or Representative seems to give a damn that the voters are infuriated with them and we, at least, remember most of our Civics classes and that they, our now-useless Congress, are the ones responsible for legislative advances or, as we've been enduring for the past 3 years, failure! Keep blaming it on the White House, WE know it's the Congress' job to run the government, not the President's... no matter who sits in the Oval Office!
Congress: YOU ARE FIRED!!