Once again, the priorities of Capitol Hill seeem to be out of step with those of voters:
Voters prioritize reducing gun violence and immigration reform far below other priorities Congress needs to tackle, according to a new poll.
Rather, the new Gallup Poll found that the top issue voters want Congress to tackle is creating more jobs and helping the economy grow. The poll found 86 percent said Congress should focus on job creation and 86 percent also said Congress should focus on improving the economy.
Of the twelve priorities listed in the poll, gun violence and immigration reform were at the bottom. Only 55 percent of those surveyed said reducing gun violence should be a top priority and a similar 50 percent said that Congress should focus on immigration reform.
Broken down by party affiliation, the poll found that slightly more Democrats prioritize creating more jobs than Republicans. Ninety percent of Democrats said creating more jobs should be Congress’s top priority. Meanwhile, 84 percent of Republicans said creating more jobs should be the top priority. On gun violence, 73 percent of Democrats said that should be Congress’s top priority while just 40 percent of Republicans said it should be the primary focus of Congress. For immigration reform, 44 percent of Democrats said reforming immigration should be the top priority while 55 percent of Republicans said it should be the top priority.
The poll also shows that Independents are more in line with Republicans on what Congress should prioritize on, with 85% saying that Congress should concentrate on creating jobs while 86% said Congress should concentrate on helping the economy grow. On the other hand, 40% said gun violence should be Congress’s top priority while 53% said reforming immigration should be a top priority.
Perhaps Congress should take this into account.
