Watch CBS News

Job Approval Rating For Congress At Record Low

BALTIMORE (WJZ)-- Throw the bums out. That's that attitude many voters have with Congress which has its lowest poll ratings in decades.

Adam May breaks down the numbers.

Disgust with Congress reaches the highest level in more than two decades.

A new poll finds less than a quarter of Americans have a favorable view of Congress as a whole.

The poll was conducted as a bipartisan supercommittee failed to reach an agreement to cut $1.2 trillion from the federal deficit.

May: "Do you like the job Congress is doing right now?"
Md. Resident: "No! No!"

May: "I just say the word 'Congress' and your reaction is..."
Md. Resident: "Not positive."

May: "Would you say our government is broken?"
Md. Resident: "I'd say it's broken and it's broke."

Congress' job approval rating is also at a record low, falling more than 25 points in the last two years to just 12 percent.

May: "What could they be doing better?"
Md. Taxpayer: "Calm down and stay away from political bickering and think about what's best for the country. Not what's best for each political party."

Taxpayer: "The country's going down, and we're failing because they wont get together and think of the country."
May: "They're not compromising?"
Taxpayer: "Exactly."

The Washington Post points out the approval ratings are lower than BP's handing of the Gulf oil spill, banks and the IRS.
May: "All more popular than Congress.
Md. Resident: "I know. Are you surprised? I'm not surprised."

Even President Nixon during Watergate found more approval than this 112th Congress.

Some of the most popular solutions WJZ heard-- campaign finance reform, term limits or fire them all.

Thirty-three senators and the entire House of Representatives will be up for election next November.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.