Speaking Tuesday, House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer conceded that voters are “absolutely right” to think that “Congress isn’t working very well.”
“The American people have every right to be angry [and] disappointed by the performance of the Congress,” Mr. Hoyer told reporters in the Capitol. “Of course, the American people have also elected people with hard stances, so that to some degree the American people are realizing the results of their votes.”
“If elections have consequences — which I think they do — some of those consequences are getting what you vote for,” Hoyer added. “In this case, many people voted for people who thought compromise was not something that they ought to participate in,” Mr. Hoyer added.
The Maryland Democrat’s comment comes as the U.S. Senate is set to vote on President Obama’s jobs bill. Mr. Hoyer, one of the Democratic Party’s leading members, said he hopes that lawmakers in the upper chamber pass the measure.
“Well, I hope they do get 51 (votes) tonight,” Mr. Hoyer said. “I hope that Democrats who may not like this piece, that piece or the other piece would vote to put this bill on the floor, to have it considered and have it open to amendment.”
Meanwhile, a series of recent polls show lagging support for Congress in general. Just 11 percent of Americans approve of the job being done by Congress — a record low — according to the latest CBS News Poll. That’s also down from the 12 percent approval rating in September.
