Most Americans blame Republican congressmen for the partial government shutdown, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos survey, which also showed a slight increase in approval ratings for Republican President Donald Trump, BTA reports.
The six-day survey, which ended yesterday, shows a 42 percent approval rating for Trump - 2 percentage points more than at the beginning of the month. The survey has a margin of error of up to two percentage points. Trump's approval rating has hovered between 40% and 44% since early April.
According to the same survey, 50% of respondents believe Republican leadership in Congress is most to blame for the government shutdown, while 43% believe Democratic leaders are the main culprits.
Today marks the 21st day of the third-longest government shutdown in U.S. history. It began on Oct. 1 and has furloughed hundreds of thousands of federal employees, affecting a small portion of the workforce. Economists say that is causing a slight slowdown in economic growth, although many Americans are feeling the effects of the shutdown through a wave of air travel delays.
About one in five people surveyed said they have been financially affected by the shutdown, and two in five said they know someone who has been.
Republicans have majorities in both houses of Congress, but they need the votes of Democratic senators to pass legislation to reopen the government. Democrats say they will not support the legislation unless Republicans agree to extend expiring health insurance subsidies, which the survey found to be widely popular.
About 72% of those surveyed – including almost all Democrats and half of Republicans – believe the subsidies should be preserved. Only 22% said they should be cut, the survey found.
Among supporters of the subsidies, 60% said they were important enough to keep the government shut down until a deal can be reached to keep them, and 37% said lawmakers should find a way to keep the subsidies after the government reopens.
About nine in 10 Republicans continue to approve of Trump's job as president, while only about one in 20 Democrats in the latest survey said he was doing a good job.
Trump's approval rating has fallen 5 percentage points from the 47 percent he enjoyed shortly after he returned to the White House in January.
The Reuters/Ipsos poll, conducted online and nationwide, surveyed 4,385 American adults.