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Q: Rate your personal job satisfaction as a member of Congress.
DEMOCRATS (36 votes)
Very satisfied 50% Somewhat satisfied 33% Somewhat dissatisfied 11% Very dissatisfied 5%
Very satisfied
"I cannot believe they allow me to do this job and even pay me."
"I still 'pinch myself daily' that I have the privilege to serve in Congress."
"Let me be clear. I am a House member, not a senator. We know how to get things done, and I've had a meaningful impact."
"The only caveat to this rating is my frustration with the acrimony that is now ubiquitous between political parties -- no good can come of this."
"This is the most fulfilling professional experience of my public service career."
"Best job I've ever had."
"What better place could you work? You're always indoors, and there's seldom any heavy-lifting."
Somewhat satisfied
"The 111th Congress needed to accomplish unfinished business. It has failed to live up to expectations."
"My job would be a lot better if my Republican colleagues would do theirs."
Somewhat dissatisfied
"The House has been a change agent, but the Senate is dysfunctional. It's not satisfying to take the blame for the ineptitude, corruption, and dysfunction of the Senate which we in the House cannot control."
Very dissatisfied
"At times I've been very satisfied, like at the beginning of the year when we were actually getting things done. Today, we're really at the real bottom of things."
REPUBLICANS (32 votes)
Very satisfied 47% Somewhat satisfied 37% Somewhat dissatisfied 9% Very dissatisfied 3% Other 3%
Very satisfied
"The privilege of fighting for the preservation of liberty for an entire society is exhilarating."
"It is the world's most frustrating job. And I thank the Lord I have been given the privilege to serve every day."
"While I often get frustrated at the pace of change and the partisanship, it is an honor to represent my constituents in the halls of Congress."
"Even in the minority, I have been able to work across party lines and get things done for my district."
"I am trying to make a difference for constituents."
"It's a great job!"
"I came here well aware of the hyperpartisanship. I'm doing my part to counter it, but not by retiring."
Somewhat satisfied
"While I'm somewhat satisfied with my performance and abilities, most if not all my constituents would say very satisfied."
"There are so many enormous challenges facing our nation, the extreme partisanship is frustrating, but [we've] got to keep engaged and try to get some things done."
"It's a good time to be a Republican, but we're not in the majority quite yet."
Very dissatisfied
"Congress, these days, is an embarrassment. If you want to be proud of where you work, this ain't it."
Q: On a scale of 0 to 10, rate the likelihood that major legislation will be enacted in these areas this year.
DEMOCRATS (36 votes)
Energy 3.7 Average 0 to 3 44% 4 to 6 50% 7 to 10 6%
Financial regulation 6.5 Average 0 to 3 17% 4 to 6 19% 7 to 10 64%
Health care 7.1 Average 0 to 3 14% 4 to 6 22% 7 to 10 264%
No Child Left Behind 5.0 Average 0 to 3 25% 4 to 6 258% 7 to 10 17%
Energy
4. "A scaled-down bill is quite likely."
5. "The House completed its work; it's up to the Senate."
Financial regulation
5. "But it depends on how you define 'major.' "
8. "Members need to shun their Wall Street contributors and protect the public good."
Health care
6. "The House and Senate got us to the finish line. It's up to the White House to cross it."
10. "We've come further than we ever have before, and we're now inches from the finish line. We'll get this done."
No Child Left Behind
2. "There's no group that wants to be left behind in the November elections."
5. "I don't know what support we'll get from Republicans."
8. One of the few areas where bipartisanship looks possible. Both parties acknowledge shortcomings of law."
Volunteered
"Jobs, health reform, and Wall Street accountability are political necessities. Everything else can wait until a new session."
"The Senate is broken and will accomplish nothing meaningful unless Republicans decide to discontinue holds and cloture tyranny. Or, the Senate returns to the Constitution and the use of majority votes. All of these can be done, but unless the Senate changes none will be."
REPUBLICANS (33 votes)
Energy 2.0 Average 0 to 3 82% 4 to 6 15% 7 to 10 3%
Financial regulation 5.0 Average 0 to 3 24% 4 to 6 52% 7 to 10 24%
Health care 3.0 Average 0 to 3 55% 4 to 6 39% 7 to 10 6%
No Child Left Behind 3.7 Average 0 to 3 52% 4 to 6 33% 7 to 10 15%
Energy
0. "Time to shake the 'Etch A Sketch' and start over ... next year."
1. "No chance unless the president is serious about promoting natural gas and nuclear power while dragging his party to the negotiating table."
Financial regulation
2. "Government policies caused the meltdown."
7. "There is a decent chance here as long as [Sen. Christopher] Dodd is willing to let [Sen. Richard] Shelby shape the bill."
8. "The country still deeply distrusts Wall Street in the wake of the financial meltdown, and new regulations look inevitable."
Health care
0. "Should be health insurance reform, not takeover."
5. "The media focus is on the Senate due to reconciliation, but the game is in the House. Given the fact that every member of the House is on the ballot while only one-third of the Senate is up [for re-election], reaching 51 in the upper chamber will be easier than getting to 218 in the House."
No Child Left Behind
2. "Health care, cap-and-trade, the stimulus, etc. have taken up all the political oxygen and floor time available to enact the NCLB. It is unlikely to move this year."
7. "Education is the one area Obama agrees with a few conservative ideas."
Volunteered
"Vulnerable Democrats are getting hammered. They don't want politically tough votes this year."
National Journal Insiders
Democratic Congressional Insiders Sens. Sherrod Brown, Ben Cardin, Thomas Carper, Christopher Dodd, Frank Lautenberg, Barbara Mikulski, Mark Pryor, Jon Tester, Tom Udall, Mark Warner; Reps. Jason Altmire, Robert Andrews, Michael Arcuri, Tammy Baldwin, Melissa Bean, Xavier Becerra, Howard Berman, Marion Berry, Rick Boucher, Lois Capps, Michael Capuano, Dennis Cardoza, Chris Carney, James Clyburn, Gerry Connolly , Jim Cooper, Joseph Crowley, Elijah Cummings, Artur Davis, Diana DeGette, Rosa DeLauro, Eliot Engel, Anna Eshoo, Sam Farr, Chaka Fattah, Bob Filner, Phil Hare, Alcee Hastings, Rush Holt, Mike Honda, Steve Israel, Frank Kratovil, Jim Langevin, John Lewis, Zoe Lofgren, Nita Lowey, Carolyn Maloney, Ed Markey, Jim McDermott, Jim McGovern, Mike McMahon, Kendrick Meek, Jim Moran, David Price, Silvestre Reyes, Linda Sanchez, Jan Schakowsky, Mark Schauer, Jose Serrano, Adam Smith, John Spratt, Pete Stark, Bart Stupak, John Tanner, Ellen Tauscher, Bennie Thompson, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Henry Waxman, and Peter Welch.
GOP Congressional Insiders Sens. Lamar Alexander, Jim Bunning, John Cornyn, Jim DeMint, John Ensign, Lindsey Graham, Kay Bailey Hutchison, Johnny Isakson, George LeMieux, Richard Lugar, Lisa Murkowski, Jeff Sessions, Olympia Snowe, John Thune, David Vitter; Reps. Michele Bachmann, Brian Bilbray, Marsha Blackburn, Roy Blunt, John Boehner, Charles Boustany, Kevin Brady, John Campbell, Eric Cantor, John Carter, Michael Castle, Tom Cole, Mike Conaway, David Dreier, Jeff Flake, Scott Garrett, Bob Goodlatte, Kay Granger, Doc Hastings, Pete Hoekstra, Bob Inglis, Darrell Issa, Peter King, Jack Kingston, Mark Kirk, John Kline, Christopher Lee, Dan Lungren, Kenny Marchant, Kevin McCarthy, Patrick McHenry, John Mica, Candice Miller, Sue Myrick, Devin Nunes, Mike Pence, Tom Price, Adam Putnam, Dave Reichert, Mike Rogers of Michigan, Peter Roskam, Paul Ryan, Pete Sessions, John Shadegg, Adrian Smith, Mark Souder, Pat Tiberi, Fred Upton, and Joe Wilson.
About Insiders Poll
- A weekly survey of members of Congress or political operatives about topics in the news.
Previously in Insiders Poll
- Political Insiders Poll (02/20/2010)
- Congressional Insiders Poll (02/13/2010)
- Political Insiders Poll (02/06/2010)
- Congressional Insiders Poll (01/30/2010)
- Political Insiders Poll (01/23/2010)
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