Gallup: Reid's Approval Rating Lowest Among Congressional Leaders

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has the lowest job-approval rating among the nation's top four congressional leaders, according to Americans surveyed by Gallup.

Only 33 percent of the 794 adults polled Sept. 5-8 approve of the Nevada Democrat's job performance, Gallup said on Friday. His disapproval rating was even higher, at 53 percent.

Reid was followed by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, whose Gallup approval rating was 35 percent.

But even though the Kentucky Republican's disapproval rating — at 47 percent — was higher than his approval rating, it was the lowest among the four congressional leaders.

In the House, Speaker John Boehner's approval rating was 37 percent — and the Ohio Republican's disapproval rating was the highest, at 54 percent.

And House Minority Leader House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi garnered a 39 percent approval rating, but the California Democrat's disapproval rating was the lowest among the congressional leaders, at 51 percent.

This is the first Gallup survey on a specific group of congressional leaders.

"Previous polls have found that all four legislators suffer low favorability ratings," Gallup said. "Although all four leaders have relatively low approval ratings, each does have a higher approval rating than Congress' 19 percent."

In addition, "Americans historically have given congressional leaders relatively low approval and favorability ratings," the survey research firm said.

The poll comes as Congress and the Obama administration square off over legislation to prevent the government from shutting down on Oct. 1 and whether to extend the nation's debt ceiling.

The GOP-controlled House of Representatives voted 230-189 on Friday to finance the federal government through mid-December while stripping funds for Obamacare.

Boehner sent the legislation to the floor with both issues linked in one vote. The House bill was sent to the Senate for consideration.

But Reid has said that the House bill will pass without the Obamacare portion, and President Barack Obama has said that he would veto any bill that does not include funding for his signature domestic policy achievement.

In developing legislation to raise the government's $16.7 trillion debt limit, House Republican leaders said this week that they were considering several options, including blocking White House plans to curb coal ash pollution; forcing civil servants to contribute more to their retirement plans; requiring Congress to approve many major regulations; and defunding Obamacare for a year.

President Obama has said he wants Congress to send him legislation that only extends the debt limit and that he will not negotiate the matter.

He called Boehner late on Friday to reiterate that his position was not open to negotiation, a spokesman for the House leader told Newsmax.

The government is expected to exhaust its borrowing authority by late October. That would threaten a first-ever federal default, which many analysts believe would deal a severe blow to the nation's economy.