Congress enacts laws that affect everyone’s daily lives. Its responsibilities include funding the government, holding hearings to inform the legislative process and overseeing the executive branch.
Congress’s approval rating reaches an all-time low as it begins to grapple with a range of issues including soaring prices, lagging incomes and burdensome social security payments. The public is angry at their elected leaders who have not acted to address these problems and frustrated with the partisan bickering and dysfunction in Washington. The result is a national wave of discontent that threatens the GOP’s hold on power and could usher in new Democratic leadership.
The Senate heads into the weekend without a clear path toward speedy confirmations for President Trump’s nominees before lawmakers leave on their August recess. The White House and Senate Majority Leader John Thune say they are pursuing an agreement in which Democrats would agree to unfreeze the broader appropriations package in exchange for concessions on some of Trump’s nominees.
Some Republican members face rowdy constituents at town hall meetings as they try to sell their party’s big domestic policy bill to voters. The NRCC discouraged members from holding in-person town halls earlier this year but it has begun to recommend that they do so now in order to “sell the bill.” Rep. Bryan Steil of Wisconsin was confronted by jeers and boos when he held a meeting with local Democrats. He is among many Republicans who will host town halls over the next week.