Americans think GOVERNMENT is the nation’s biggest problem over a slew of issues including inflation, the southern border after the chaotic start to the new Congress, new polls show
- In a January 2023 Gallup poll, 21 percent of respondents named “government/poor leadership” as their top concern
- That’s up from 15 percent in December
- Revelations about President Biden’s handling of classified documents also played out during the three-week period
After a string of House bills with little Democratic support and a looming debt ceiling battle, Americans cite the government’s failure as their top concern over inflation and the limit.
In a Gallup poll conducted in January 2023, 21 percent of respondents named “government/poor leadership” as their top concern, up from 15 percent in December.
Another 15 percent ranked inflation as their top concern and 11 percent named immigration.
Concern about “the economy in general” fell six points from December – from 16 percent to 10 percent.
The Jan. 2-22 poll field period began with the chaotic 15-vote streak that eventually led to Kevin McCarthy winning the Speaker’s gavel and ended with the start of a debt ceiling fight that could lead to it that America defaults on its debt for the first time in history.
The Jan. 2-22 poll field period began with a chaotic streak of 15 votes that eventually resulted in Kevin McCarthy winning the Speaker’s Gavel
McCarthy and President Biden are scheduled to sit down this week and discuss the debt ceiling
Revelations about President Biden’s handling of classified documents also played out during the three-week period.
Even as administration concerns mounted, Biden’s approval rating remained unchanged at 41 percent, as did Congress’s at 21 percent.
Government ranked the top issue for Republicans and right-wing independents, 24 percent, while 18 percent were Democrats and pro-Democratic independents.
Meanwhile, 72 percent of respondents say the economy is getting worse, while 22 percent say it’s improving and 4 percent say it’s staying the same.
Republicans passed legislation in their first month with a majority in the House of Representatives to cut funding to the IRS, limit abortion and stem Biden’s SPR exhaustion.
It’s unclear whether any of these bills will win a Senate vote — the only bill backed by a crowd of Democrats was a bill banning the sale of strategic oil reserves to China.
Now Democrats are taking the reins to restart failed police reform negotiations in the wake of the death of Tire Nichols, who was brutally beaten by police officers earlier this month.
The chaos surrounding McCarthy’s battle for speaker has shown that a divided Republican faction could struggle to move forward on urgent legislation like raising the debt ceiling.
This week, the Speaker will sit down with President Biden for their first one-on-one meeting of this Congress, where McCarthy is expected to raise the nation’s credit limit. Biden has insisted he will not negotiate the debt limit and that Congress must increase the amount the nation can borrow without spending cuts.
The Treasury Department has already taken “extraordinary action” after the US hit its $31.4 trillion borrowing limit weeks ago, but in June Congress must either pass legislation — and let Biden sign it — for the nation to borrow more may, or have serious consequences.
Experts say that a US default would not only mean the US government could not pay its workers – failure to pay debts could have global ramifications and trigger a global recession.
When asked if he would provide a guarantee, McCarthy told reporters, “There will be no default.”
Senatorial Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told Politico about the standoff between Republicans who want budget cuts and Democrats who want clean borrowing, “I think we’re going to win.”