Congress

Most U.S. adults say President Joe Biden (65%) and Republican leaders in Congress (61%) will be unsuccessful getting their agendas enacted in the next two years; only about a third say the president and GOP leaders will be successful. Republicans are less confident than Democrats in midterm vote counts – but more confident than they were after the 2020 election.

21% of the roughly 1,000 candidates for U.S. Senate, House or state governor on the fall ballot claim some degree of military experience.

The current Senate has managed to clear the 60-vote hurdle to avoid a filibuster on several of its main legislative achievements.

At least 110 representatives and senators in the current 117th Congress have publicly stated or otherwise confirmed that they own a gun.

While the economy remains the dominant issue in this fall’s midterm elections, the issue of abortion has increased markedly in importance. More voters continue to view their midterm vote as an expression of opposition to Joe Biden than support for him. But across both parties, more voters now say Biden is not much of a factor in their vote.

Joe Biden’s political standing is at the lowest point of his presidency. Yet Biden is hardly the only focal point of the public’s political discontent: Americans express unfavorable views of both major parties and a range of leading Republican and Democratic political figures, including Biden’s predecessor, Donald Trump.

When Congress convened in 2021, 72% of House members and 65% of senators were new since the start of the 111th Congress in 2009.

In the event that a Senate seat becomes vacant, governors in 46 states have the power to appoint a temporary replacement.

71% of Republican voters say their vote for Congress is “against Biden.”

On average, Democrats and Republicans are farther apart ideologically today than at any time in the past 50 years.