House

Democrats seen as more successful at passing legislation: Survey

The Republican National Committee logo is seen during the Republican National Committee spring meeting in Houston, Texas, March 8, 2024.

Democrats are seen as more successful at passing legislation in the House of Representatives than their party counterparts, according to a new Monmouth University poll

More than half of Americans surveyed, 53 percent, said that Democrats have been more successful at getting legislation passed when they are in control of the lower chamber. Almost 1 in 4, around 39 percent, said they were “unsuccessful.” 

In contrast, less than one-third of Americans in the poll said the GOP has been successful at getting bills through when they are in power. The majority of respondents, 65 percent, said they’ve been unsuccessful. 

“We’ve gone from one of the most productive to one of the least productive Congresses over the course of Biden’s time in office,” said Patrick Murray, the director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute. “Most Americans have noticed the disparity, but this metric does not appear to have much impact on their overall opinion. Views of Congress have remained largely negative over the past three years regardless of which party controls the House.” 

Democrats were far more likely to state that their party is more fruitful at passing bills compared to their counterparts, while Republicans see both parties’ ability the same way. 

The majority of Democrats, 73 percent, said their side is good at getting legislation passed, but only 21 percent said the same about Republicans, according to the poll. 

The Republicans said that both Democrats, at 40 percent, and Republicans, at 41 percent, are able to pass bills when they have the majority in the House. 

The poll also found that only 1 in 5 Americans want Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to be replaced. Additionally, his favorability among Democrats has grown since December. 

The Monmouth University poll surveyed 808 adults April 18-22. It had a margin of error of 4.1 percentage points.