Commentary

‘Dysfunctional’: Americans share criticisms of Congress

December 27, 2024

Dr. Frank Luntz (Commentary Contributor)

Americans consistently disapprove of Congress. Here’s what they dislike and what they say needs to change the most. — Image credit: Getty Images

All opinions expressed in this article are solely the opinions of the contributors.

Only about 1 in 5 Americans say they support or have an optimistic view of Congress, while 3 out of 5 say they disapprove or have a pessimistic view. While these numbers change a little over time, there are consistently more Americans who disapprove than approve.

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Watch the above 28-minute episode of America Speaks as pollster and political analyst Dr. Frank Luntz asks Americans to share their criticisms of Congress, why they say it’s failing to deliver, and what they’d like to see change in the years ahead.

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All opinions expressed in this article are solely the opinions of the contributors.

I’ve waited weeks to have this conversation about Congress, and I can’t think of a better group to do it with than 15 American voters from 14 different states, from Massachusetts all the way out to California, from Florida all the way across the country to Nevada.
What does America think about Congress, who they like and dislike, and how Congress can do its job better. You only get conversations like this on America speaks right here on straight arrow news. I’m Dr. Frank Luntz, let’s get started. Can you give me a sense just one sentence to describe what you think of Congress? Lucas, I’m going to start with you. It’s a mess. Kimberly, Miss Hartman.
Amber, unaccountable, Thomas, you’re up. Lack of accountability.
Obi,
dysfunctional. Braden, frustrated.
Aletheia, they’re, they’re, they’re, they’re
puppet.
Anthony, uni party,
Max, too old. Jeff red tape, Carol unaccountable, Felipe, time for change. Theresa, juvenile. Renee, struggling. Rita
unethical,
okay, we got 15 people here from 14 different states, and not one of you has a positive reaction to Congress. That is awful.
Can you all give me a little bit more of an understanding why you are so hostile to them? Anyone of you? They get a lot of perks. They vote themselves in all kinds of wonderful things. Hence the CR that just happened with giving them. I get, it’s not a pay raise, it’s a it’s a cola, but they get perks and benefits and all kinds of things that the average guy down here doesn’t. And I’m sick of it, Jeff, you’re nodding your head. Tell me why. Yeah, they make all these big promises to get you to vote for them, but then, but then, once they’re in, they never deliver. So it’s a lot of red tape and just empty promises.
Nita, I see you nodding your head as well explain.
I think they are all about making promises, always making promises, but they never follow through. They have an unwavering did not
deniability of anything that goes on in Congress. And it got to the point where here in Florida, it’s a little bit better, because we’re pretty much a Republican, oops. Sorry, Republican state, but my friend is in different states, and it’s just it’s, they have no ethics. It’s all about them and not about us.
Y’all feel that way.
Yes, they’ve forgotten the people
and they they try to, they mean, well initially, but once they, you know, get in there, it’s like, oh, well, all the perks and benefits they get. And then they turn into total liars and politicians, and they’re all cheats. I’d like to throw them all out. Power corrupts. None of these guys are ethical, like none of them. I still want to know from you exactly what are they doing that you don’t like, supplying funds to the Ukraine, Israel, spending taxpayers money.
I feel like this is the only thing that they’re passing. I mean, they can’t even keep our own government up and running, but they can fund a war or multiple wars, at least when the House and the Senate are both split. They don’t do anything, and it’s honestly probably best for us that they don’t work together, because nothing gets done. There’s no progress, but there’s also no pullback as well. Versus, you know, it all being, you know, Republican or Democrat, you know, the last board,
somebody else. What if I mean the prioritizing immigrants over Americans, you know, or veterans, or any of that, just all the money seems to go for everything, but what we need or to make America better? Well, in the fact that they don’t even read the bills before they vote on them.
Yeah, who wants 1500 pages? I mean, the CR that they had was originally 1500 pages. And the only reason that we actually found out what was in it was because of the doge and of Vivek Ramaswamy and
Elon Musk. They were actually in there looking at it. Who can read 1500 pages and 48
Hours or 24 hours, no one. They’re passing bills. They don’t know what’s in it. They they vote themselves for pay raises. They give themselves excellent per diem. They give themselves excellent health care. They give themselves, if you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor. Well, not in America, I didn’t get to keep my doctor. I didn’t get to keep my health plan. No, I’m sorry it’s ridiculous. Health care is too expensive. They give themselves pay raises when it when is it about the American taxpayer? Somebody else.
Hey. I mean, right now, Congress is spending a lot of time trying to ban tick tock. They’re batting abortion. They’re trying to ban things. I feel like we’re supposed to have a free country. We’re supposed to have some freedoms instead all I’m hearing about is just bands. It’s just that’s what they’re working on right now. Max, you’re nodding your head. Tell me why. Yes, I agree. I think that they’re focusing too much on taking things away instead of like actually providing for the working class people. And I believe we’re all actually in agreement here, Democrats and Republicans. And this is not Democrats versus Republicans. This is like the rich 1% versus the average working class Americans scraping to get by.
I work in a school, and I think that, I think that all the immigrants that are coming in, they’re taking away from us and our rights and things that we would like, such as abortion and things like that, but they would put people on you, and you can we can give them everything, in layman’s words, we can give them everything, housing, medical care, jobs, I see scooters. I see a car, cards given out so they can shop, but we don’t get our simple rights, simple things that we pay our tax dollars for, that’s that’s not even considered anymore. You can take those things, those things away, but give the immigrants who haven’t put anything into the system everything. What jobs are immigrants getting that everyone else isn’t open to? I must have. I don’t think that’s how that works. Well, no, I meant even to have the opportunity to come here and work in any form of or or matter. Well, the point that I’m just really making is that you can take things away from us, our rights to for abortion rights or anything like that. But then you get people that come here and like I said, I work in a school, I teach, and I see the crowded classrooms with with children, if they’re 17, then there’s 30. Well, that’s like a public school funding issue, not like the evil immigrants coming in to invade your country. You guys are doing Congress for this? Yes, because they don’t know how to do immigration. That’s their job. Yeah, they’ve
done nothing for our borders. They have open borders. Yeah, that is it. They’ve opened our borders. It is absolutely ridiculous. What they’ve done, they’ve they’ve put a blind eye to Joe Biden and and it’s absolutely ridiculous to Rene’s point when it comes to the health care, and they’ve given them all health care. I’ve had five failed heart surgeries, and I am sure that they have given the immigrants, the illegals, as much as they want, and I’m right there with you, Renee, when it comes to certain allowances that they’ve given them. And, and you have no idea how much money it has cost me, and, and it’s absolutely ridiculous for this.
And you
Yes, because they hold a blind eye. Nobody stood up for our laws. We have laws to protect us as Americans. Where are our laws? Who’s standing up for our laws? There has to be checks and balances. Frank, you can’t just say it’s the President’s fault. Sure you can hold Joe Biden accountable. Where’s Congress? We have three government they have to hold each other accountable. That’s why the framers branches, because you have to have checks and balances. If one goes rogue, the other one’s gotta keep them in check. And they’re not that with Joe Biden, I’m sorry they’re not. And to your point about funding, we already run 80 cents
to running the Senate. They’re all going to vote for the president’s agenda, I think we need to work on the health care costs. We need to work on the economy. We need to work on cyber security. These are things that I think we need to work on as as much as immigration.
Do we have?
Fine. It just need to be why is it not happening?
Because they have their own agenda. They have their own agenda. Whatever their agenda is, it’s not what the people who would vote for them or agree with them, it’s not anything to do with us. It’s their own agenda. You.
Be honest
with that was on Schumer’s desk, and Schumer refused to bring it to the floor. That has been sitting there for as long as Schumer has been speak
the Majority Leader in the Senate. There’s, there’s extreme partisanship, and if there’s, if there’s extreme partisanship, there’s just absolute, there’s going to be absolutely no compromise at all. So so that, that’s why I said that. I’m slightly more upset that nothing gets done because nothing gets done because of the partisanship. I’m wondering, if they care. They have private security. Why do they care rules for thee and not for me?
Let’s try this. If Congress could fix I’m going to go to every one of you. If Congress could fix one issue, one challenge, what would you tell them to prioritize and why, Felipe, I’m going to start with you immigration because, because there’s, there’s, there’s so much immigration that’s that’s come into our country over these last four years, and like everybody touched upon, it’s affecting, you know, different aspects of our, you know, our everyday life aspects like economy, aspects like healthcare, aspects like, you know, school system. We need to control the immigration that’s come into our country. Renee one issue, and tell us why. Definitely, immigration. I feel that I just recently switched jobs and I didn’t have insurance for a month. My co pay and what I had to pay out of pocket. People from other countries can come here and get it for free, and because they just came into the country, they can get it because we need to make sure that they are healthy enough to be around the general population. Meanwhile, I pay the tax dollars that I have to pay. They
can come and get it from free, but we can’t go to their country and get it from free. Simple as that,
Rita one issue and why
I am going to see the economy. Our economy is so poor right now, what we could afford, grocery wise, is tripled
this today than it was over four years ago. Like, the same amount of groceries I’m buying now is half or three quarters of what I couldn’t buy
four or 556, years ago,
the economy, it’s just right now. Carol, what would be the first issue Congress should fix and tell us? Tell us why immigration? Because that fixes a lot of other things that are wrong, the economy, the housing, the jobs, so many other things are fixed just with immigration being being dealt with, Jeff, you’re up? Yeah, I’d have to agree immigration, because we’re we’re letting violent criminals into the country, and I think that will get better now with the new regime. But you know, it’s been going on for so long that they’re just cells of these violent criminals in our country that are wreaking havoc on the communities they live in.
Max I would say corporate spending on politics is the biggest issue that’s like, the root cause of 99% of the problems in Congress. The fact that a company or a wealthy individual like Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, no matter what side of the political spectrum, can basically buy their way into politics, is the root cause of all of this. I think,
Anthony, yeah, immigration. It hurts our safety, it hurts our economy, and it really is just common sense to do something about it. If you care about America, let’s, let’s do something about this
Aletheia,
immigration built that wall.
Well, you even gave us not just a reason, but a solution. Grave you’re up government spending. I feel like, for every issue we give, we get, or every problem that we’re talking about trying to solve we come up with no way to fund it, and both parties just decide that we can just keep writing checks over and over again with no real solution. Obi, your turn.
I mean, it’s housing. I mean most big cities is expensive. I mean, most people are leaving big cities because it’s too pricey to live in a luxury apartment or something like that. So I feel like, you know that’s the crisis that’s building more and more each year because we’re not addressing it.
Bucha, it’s housing. Yeah, I just found out today that to move into an apartment exactly like mine in this building with the same floor plan, the prices increased 50%
It’s gone up from 1200 to 1800 something in just since 2020 when I moved in, it’s skyrocketing
Amber inflation and the size of government. Government is too big. Get rid of, first of all, get rid of the Department of Education. First thing. Second thing is, inflation is absolutely killed the American public. And every person here has been affected by it doesn’t matter if you’re left, right, center or whatever, every single person has been hit by inflation. When I moved to Georgia four years ago in 2020 my gas I could get for $1.59 now it’s over $3 a gallon.
Let’s do something innovative here. If Congress was an animal, what animal would Congress be and why? Thomas, you’re up first, I
believe they would be a snake.
Chances are they would bite you, poison you, and kill you slowly. Okay, from an alternative point of view. Jeff from Georgia, I would have to say a three Toed Sloth, because they move at incredibly slow speed, like molasses. Agree with Thomas, they’re snake because all they do is they fight people in the butt
Amber. You’re up. They’re a laughing hyena. They are the laughing stock of this country. They are hyenas.
Max your turn, I would say vultures, because they’re just picking apart this country for scraps.
Theresa
jackass,
just because, okay, Renee, your turn. I got a great one. They’re a horse. They’re strong minded, but all they do is give good kickbacks.
Anthony, your turn a cockroach. It’s, it’s the ugliest animal there is. Yeah,
Felipe, if Congress was an animal, what animal would it be? It’d be a pit. They’d be a pigeon, a bird, because they they shit everywhere.
Okay, we know what cannot be used on television. Braden, if Congress was an animal, what animal would it be? I’ll say Peacock, just because they’re flashing in your face and you can’t avoid them when you’re at the zoo. But they really don’t do much of anything.
Alethia, your turn, I would say there’d be donkey because donkeys are dumb.
Lucas, you’re up. I was gonna say peacock because they’re always showing off. It seems like they’re acting for the camera more than for anybody.
And finally, Kimberly, so I would say there are golden retrievers that are actually refusing to retrieve anything, sir,
so that makes him a bad golden retriever.
Yes,
okay. Anyone else want to go who hasn’t gone? Rita, go ahead. Congress was an animal. What animal would it be? I would say there would be a lion, because they’re predators and they would be willing to attack anyone at any time. Okay, that was pretty cool.
You’ve been pretty negative. Now I want you to think positive. Who is your favorite member of Congress? You can choose a senator. You can choose a House member who’s your favorite member and why? Lucas from Massachusetts. We’re going to start with you Corey Bush, because she has more life experience, I think, with some of the struggles that everyday people deal with. And yet, Corey Bush, if I’m correct, was defeated in her re election, yeah, but you know, she’s still my favorite for now,
Amber from Georgia, your favorite member of Congress. And why? Yeah, rich McCormick. He’s actually my senator, and I like him because I think he is attempting to be accountable. He is intelligent. He’s a doctor. He had several campaign events. I found him accessible. He does listen, and I think he represents me well.
Theresa from New Hampshire, your favorite member of Congress. And why? Senator Rand Paul? Because he is not afraid to take on a lot of issues. Doctor Fauci, you know, he’s there to represent the people, and I just really like how he handles himself overall.
Obi, you’re up.
I mean, I like Bernie Sanders, because he does speak his mind. Does know a lot about economics, and you know, he is one of those kind of people that you don’t want to see at a congressional hearing.
Felipe your favorite member of Congress, and why? MJT
she’s, uh, she’s, she’s a conspiracy theorist, and she’s probably the only one that will will bring these, these topics to the floor
and tell everyone who that is, so they know who you’re speaking of.
MJT.
Uh, Marjorie Taylor,
great. Max, your favorite member of Congress, and why? I would say AOC, because recently, she’s been speaking out about the complacency within both the Republican and Democratic Party, and how neither of them are really serving the workers needs.
Carol from Colorado, Europe. Nancy mace, she’s very strong willed, and I think she’s doing a great job at actually holding up, you know, trying to hold up her job.
Jeff from Georgia, I’d have to agree, Bernie Sanders, because he holds people accountable. And I
think if it wasn’t for his age, he would have made a great president.
Thomas from South Carolina, yeah, I agree with the guy before MTG, when she she was standing up for president, elect Trump, prior
to even the election, she went out of her way to really advocate for him, same way too. She, she’s kind of bringing a lot of this stuff to the forefront that we’ve all been talking about. She was talking about it way before, you know, it was spotlighted, you know, since our current administration was hiding most of this and from Virginia. Anthony, yeah, Ryan’s Paul. I think someone else said that
just because, you know, he brings things to the table, he has courage to do that. And, you know, I don’t know anyone else who fought as hard, you know, against some of the lies of Dr Fauci Yeah, Braden from Ohio, your favorite member of Congress. I’ll make it a third and say Bernie Sanders, if not for anything that I feel like he’s one of the few members of congress that’s had the same things he stood for since he joined politics. He’s not swayed his opinion on anything he fought for, what he believes in, for better numbers. Anybody else want to go? Anyone else want to give me your favorite member, Renee and Rita. I’ll say ALC also, I love how she gives it to Marjorie, Taylor, Greene, she gives it to her,
and Rita, you’re up.
I’m going to say Rick Scott, who is from
Florida. He is always talking to the people, talking to the public, makes himself available, and has done, I think, some really good things for us in Florida.
Okay, hands down, because now we’re going to do the other side.
I want you to tell me what member of Congress you dislike the most.
Put your hands up if you’re willing to volunteer. I want to know the individual in Congress that upsets you, that annoys you, that you really, really don’t like Alethia from Nevada. You’re going to start AOC because arrogant and just she’s she?
What she says out of her mouth is
very juvenile.
Teresa from New Hampshire, the one you dislike the most. Oh, that’s easy. That’s AOC. The woman is clueless. Bailey had a degree from Boston University of Boston College, and they should just take back their degree. She’s just a flipping idiot.
We pay from California, you’re up Mitch McConnell tell me why he’s he’s actually on his way out. He’s been, he’s been the leader for many, many years, and the regime is finally over. But he is. He’s always against voting, against the majority of the time, against his own party.
And he’s, I just find him, you know, very be very two faced
on the other side of the country. Jeff from Georgia, Matt gets because he basically is a criminal. While he was a congressman
going back to the west Max from Arizona, the member you dislike the most, I’m going to say, someone from my own state here Kristen cinema. She was a member of the Democratic Party, but she enthusiastically voted no on raising the minimum wage, which is something that all voters, not even just Democratic voters, want to have happen.
Braden from Ohio, Marjorie Taylor green, I think she represents the biggest issue we’ve talked about, this big divide in this country. I think she’s a big reason behind it. Obi, you did not raise your hand, so I’m calling on you. What member of Congress do you dislike the most everybody’s been choosing Marjorie Taylor green so I’m going to choose Lauren Bobert, because unlike Marjorie Taylor Greene, she really doesn’t do much. I don’t really know what she does. Like, she’s just one of those annoying people that talks about her guns, and that’s it. Like, she doesn’t really.
Do anything. She just causes a lot of drama in Congress. And just, I don’t know, like, what does she really do?
Carol, I’m calling on you because I really am curious, of all the members of Congress, which one do you dislike the most? Doug Schumer, Nancy Pelosi,
tell me why they just they, I mean, don’t cooperate on anything. They just enforce what they want, and they’ve been there forever
in no more than two sentences. Give Congress advice for the next 24 months. Felipe, I’m going to start with you. Right wing, left wing, it’s part of the same bird. Let’s make that pigeon an eagle. That’s pretty cool. Teresa, you’re up
to have both sides of the aisle to work together and not have the Democrats just be anti Republican.
Renee, your turn to have both sides to get work together and not be so
not not have the Republicans be so anti democratic. To answer her Max, I would say biggest piece of advice is just look out for what the actual American people want, and not your biggest donors. Please have some form of bipartisanship and please listen to the people.
Raven, be an adult. You know, work together, but don’t make this all about you.
Amber, listen to Doge, cut, cut, cut.
Lucas, leave the influencer money alone and stop lying. It’s not a good side job trying to get that YouTube money. Aletheia be open minded to Trump, and don’t be immature like Pelosi and rip up Trump’s speech. Anthony work for America. Don’t work for special interests, and don’t be partisan. Rita,
listen to the people, listen to the President, and try to work accordingly. That was a fascinating conversation, but actually it was incredibly important, and your words and your feelings will be presented to members of Congress in the weeks ahead. This is what we try to do on America speaks only on straight arrow news is to include the opinions of average Americans like you all from across the country, so the politicians not only know what you think, but they know exactly how you feel. On behalf of America speaks here on straight arrow news, thank you for watching, and we look forward to seeing you again soon. You.

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