Poll: US Congressional Approval at 5 Percent - 62% Blame Republicans For Shutdown

VOA News

A new poll indicates more Americans blame Republicans for the partial government shutdown than blame Democrats, while the approval rating for lawmakers is appallingly low.
A poll released Wednesday by the Associated Press and GfK shows some 62 percent of more than 1,000 people surveyed said Republicans are to blame for the government shutdown that began last Tuesday, while about half of the respondents said the Democrats or U.S. President Barack Obama bore the greater share of responsibility.
Approval for members of Congress was all the way down to 5 percent.
On Tuesday, as the country faces a deadline to raise the debt ceiling or default on its debts, President Obama tried to reassure the world that the United States has always paid its bills.
Obama told journalists on Tuesday that remarks from Congress indicating a debt default may not damage the world economic recovery make investors nervous. He called on Congress to hold a clean vote on raising the debt ceiling -- a vote with no other issues attached.
Obama also appealed to Congress to pass a clean spending bill and reopen the government.
Republican House Speaker John Boehner said he is disappointed the president is refusing to negotiate on the debt limit or a spending bill. He said this is not the American system of government.
Boehner said the debt limit has always been fair game for bargaining, and he said the United States cannot keep spending money it does not have.
The U.S. Treasury expects to exhaust its remaining borrowing capacity under the current $16.7 trillion limit by October 17.
The U.S. government shut down all but essential services on October 1 when Congress could not pass a funding bill. House Republicans insist on defunding the president's signature health care initiative. Hundreds of thousands of government workers are still furloughed and many important services remain unavailable.