Copyright 1999 The National Journal, Inc.
The National Journal
October 9, 1999
SECTION: POLL READINGS; Pg. 2917; Vol. 31, No. 41
LENGTH: 714 words
HEADLINE:
Poll Readings for Oct. 9, 1999
BODY:
Views
on Congressional Performance
Lawmakers at Work
Do you approve or
disapprove of the way Congress is handling its
job? (margin of error +-3
percentage points; Gallup Organization
Inc.)
1/17/99 9/26/99
Approve
50% 37%
Disapprove 46 56
No opinion 4
7
Which of the following do you think should be Congress's highest
legislative priority? (+-3.5 percentage points; Peter D. Hart and
Robert
M. Teeter for NBC News-The Wall Street Journal)
9/12/99
Preserving Medicare
29%
Passing tax cuts
17
Restricting the sale of guns
16
Increasing military spending
11
Passing a patients' bill of rights 10
Increasing the minimum wage 9
All
4
Not sure, none
4
Do you have
a favorable or unfavorable opinion of House
Republican Whip Tom DeLay,
Speaker of the House J. Dennis
Hastert, and House Republican Leader Dick
Armey? (+-4 percentage
points; Gallup Organization for CNN-USA Today)
9/14/99
Favorable Unfavorable
No Never
opinion heard of
Tom DeLay
17%
11% 18% 54%
J.
Dennis Hastert 23 7
22 48
Dick
Armey 20
14 17 49
Letters to Legislators
In the past four years, have you visited, faxed,
phoned, e-
mailed, or written a letter to your member of Congress? (+-3
percentage points; CBS News)
9/18/99
Yes
33%
No 67
Budget Bickering
The
federal government's fiscal year ended on Sept. 30, and
Congress has not yet
approved a budget for the new fiscal year.
How confident are you that
Congress and the President will pass a
budget in time to avoid a shutdown of
the federal government? (+-
3 percentage points; Gallup)
9/26/99
Very confident 17
Somewhat confident 43
Not too confident
27
Not at all confident 11
No opinion
2
How confident are
you that Congress and the President will pass a
budget that stays within the
spending limits imposed by the 1997
budget bill? (+-3 percentage points;
Gallup)
9/26/99
Very confident 9%
Somewhat confident 36
Not too confident
34
Not at all confident 19
No opinion
2
Who do you believe should have
the final word on what to do with
the federal budget surplus--the
Republicans in Congress or the
President? (+-3 percentage points; ABC
News-The Washington Post)
3/14/99 9/2/99
President Clinton 48%
45%
Republicans in Congress 41
46
Both, equally
2 1
Neither
5
5
No opinion
3 3
The Early Line
If the 2000 congressional election were held today, would
you
vote for the Republican or Democratic candidate in your district?
(+-3 percentage points; asked of primary voters by CBS News)
9/22/99
Total
Democrats Republicans
The Republican
31%
5% 76%
The Democrat
40
76 5
Other
1
1
0
Wouldn't vote 2
1
0
Depends
13 11
12
Don't know, no response 13
6
7
LOAD-DATE: October 11, 1999