DO-NOTHINGS

A plurality of registered voters believes congressional Democrats have accomplished less than they expected since taking control of the House and Senate, according to a new poll. Conducted by Morning Consult and Politico, the poll found that 41 percent of respondents believe Democrats in Congress accomplished less than expected while only 10 percent said they accomplished more than expected. Roughly 32 percent said the lawmakers have accomplished about what they expected. The poll — which was conducted from Dec. 18 to 20 — found similar numbers for President Biden, with 42 percent of voters believing he has accomplished less than expected. Eleven percent believe he accomplished more and roughly 38 percent say he accomplished what they expected.

The poll’s findings come on the heels of Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.) spiking the president’s sweeping Build Back Better Act on Sunday — citing inflation, the spiraling national debt and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Manchin’s opposition to the measure makes it nearly impossible for Democrats to pass the social spending bill — which the party has been working on for months.

The Build Back Better Act was passed by the House last month with a $2.2 trillion price tag. However, estimates calculated by the Congressional Budget Office revealed the legislation could cost about $4.5 trillion — and add $3 trillion to the federal deficit — if its programs were extended over 10 years, the same period as the proposed revenue streams.

In the survey released Monday, 45 percent of respondents said they supported the Build Back Better Act, while 40 percent said they opposed it and 15 percent said they didn’t know or had no opinion. However, 28 percent of respondents said they “strongly” disapproved of the social spending bill, compared to 24 percent who strongly approved of it and 21 percent who “somewhat” supported it.