Record Low Approval Ratings Show We Need Better Members of Congress

Statement

An interesting study came out the other day. It showed that just 10 percent of Americans approve of the job Congress is doing.

It's a stunning indictment of the job our elected officials are doing. Just 10 percent of us think that the people who are elected to represent our interests in Washington are actually doing their job. The finding is the lowest in Gallup's 38-year history of polling on Congressional approval.

Given that Congress has done little to help the American people recover from the Great Recession, it is not surprising, however. But record-low ratings show that the current members of Congress, including Representative Justin Amash, are not getting the job done and need to be replaced.

We send our elected leaders to Washington to represent us, to work hard crafting legislation that helps our middle class families succeed and our seniors to receive the services they've worked their entire lives for.

Instead, we get the 10 percent approval Congress, one in which the House of Representatives passed the disastrous Paul Ryan budget, which would gut Medicare, forcing seniors to pay $6,400 more per year for health care in order to give enormous tax breaks to millionaires and big corporations.

That highly unpopular budget doesn't go far enough for Rep. Justin Amash, by the way. (Grand Rapids Press, March 22, 2012.) He apparently feels our families and seniors should suffer more than that.

When draconian legislation like that doesn't go far enough, it's little wonder Justin Amash and others in Washington have historically low approval from the very people they are supposed to represent.

In their minds, dysfunction and obstruction are more important than representing you in Congress.

When our representatives don't do the task the Constitution lays out for them -- representing us -- it leads to 10 percent approval. The people are watching, and expect their representatives to do their jobs.

I am running for Congress to represent you, the people of West Michigan, people I have known my entire life. I will fight in Washington for our middle class families, our senior citizens, our West Michigan way of life. I have the background in both small business and public service to deliver results for people throughout the Third Congressional District.

A do-nothing Congress that is only supported by 10 percent of the people is not good enough.

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