Americans split on whether they had more confidence in President Biden or Republicans in Congress to deal with major issues facing the country in a new CNN-SRSS poll.
The poll, released on Monday, found that 51 percent of U.S. adults had more confidence in Republicans in Congress, compared to 49 percent who had more confidence in Biden.
The near-even split comes as policymakers prepare for at least two years of a divided government beginning next month, when Republicans take control of the House and Democrats maintain control of the Senate and the White House.
The share of respondents indicating confidence that elections in America today reflect the will of the people increased slightly to 52 percent, compared to the 50 percent just before the midterms, although the increase is well within the poll’s margin of error.
Forty-eight percent of respondents said they had no or little confidence that the country’s elections reflect the people’s will, the lowest figure recorded since the days between the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack and Biden’s inauguration.
That lack of confidence rose in each consecutive poll during the Biden administration until it hit as high as 58 percent over the summer, when inflation hit a roughly 40-year high, before declining in the lead-up to last month’s elections.
When asked their thoughts on the midterm results, 30 percent said they were mostly disappointed and 28 percent of respondents said they were mostly happy. Forty-two percent said neither of those options accurately reflected their feelings.
The pollster also asked respondents whether they think Republican control of the House will have mostly positive or mostly negative effects on each of eight issues.
Out of all the options, Republicans were perceived to have a mostly positive effect on the federal budget, with 43 percent saying so, compared to 32 percent who suggested GOP control would have a mostly negative effect.
Lawmakers in both parties are working to iron out an omnibus funding bill before government funding expires, currently scheduled for Friday night, but a top-line spending figure has yet to be reached.
Some Republicans have called for a continuing resolution, which maintains existing funding levels, until next year, when the GOP takes control of the house.
The GOP was seen as having the greatest negative effect on investigations into the Jan. 6 Capitol attack compared to the other issues polled.
Forty-four percent of respondents indicated the party’s majority in the House would cause a mostly negative effect on the issue, compared to 24 percent who thought it would have a mostly positive effect.
The House Jan. 6 committee is preparing to wrap up its work later this month by releasing its final report ahead of the new Congress. The GOP majority is expected to quickly terminate the committee.
The poll was conducted between Dec. 1 and Dec. 7 through interviews with 1,208 U.S. adults. The margin of error is 3.6 percentage points.
Source: The Hill
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