Harry Reid Most Unpopular Congressional Leader

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat from Nevada, speaks to the media following a meeting with U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden at the Capitol building in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Monday, Aug. 1, 2011. Congressional leaders, leaving no extra time before a default threatened for tomorrow, are racing to push through a compromise sealed with President Barack Obama last night to raise the U.S. debt limit by at least $2.1 trillion and slash government spending by $2.4 trillion or more. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg *** Local Caption *** Harry Reid

As Congress heads into a major fiscal showdown over defunding obamacare, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid D-NV, is the least liked leading member. The budget battle could result in a government shutdown and the U.S. defaulting on its debt, which Americans are opposed to raising the ceiling on by a 2 -1 margin – so it is no wonder that few Americans approve of the job that top congressional leaders are doing.

Americans give low job approval ratings to Republican House Speaker John Boehner (37%), Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (33%), Democratic House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (39%), and Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (35%). We reported that Speaker Boehner was in trouble with Ohio voters for being seen as not willing to fight enough on principle. In fact, Republicans are more likely to disapprove of their leadership than Democrats, with Nancy Pelosi enjoying relatively wide support among Democrats.

Ironically, all have a higher approval rating than the U.S. Congress, the institution they currently lead. Republicans’ low approval ratings of Boehner and McConnell, the party’s congressional leaders, no doubt reflect the observation that they do not listen to the grassroots. Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi, however, do not have such as problem. Maybe they should think about it as they decided whether or not the American people would like to hold an up or down vote on funding the “train wreck” that is Obamacare.