Congress' Ratings Up

A new CBS News poll shows Congress' approval rating has taken a sharp jump over the past month, apparently reflecting public satisfaction with the announcement of a balanced budget deal.

Of 1,228 adults surveyed by telephone last Tuesday through Thursday, less than a week after the White House and GOP congressional leaders had announced a budget agreement, 42 percent approved of Congress' job performance, while 44 percent disapproved. That compares with the April rating of 32 percent approval and 59 percent disapproval.

Democrats polled were responsible for changing that picture, giving the Republican-led Congress a 43-43 percent positive-negative rating this month compared with a 65-27 percent negative-positive margin in April. The survey has a 3 point error margin.

President Clinton's approval rating also went up from April to May, but much less markedly. In the latest poll, 58 percent approved of Clinton's job performance overall, while 31 percent disapproved. This compared with a 56-34 percent showing last month.