PRESS RELEASE Contact: press@congressionalintegrity.org
For Immediate Release
Date: August 30, 2023
Nearly 60 Percent of Voters Also Say the House of Representatives Should Have to Vote to Authorize An Impeachment Inquiry
Washington, D.C. – The American people believe that House Republicans’ impeachment plans are more of a political stunt than a serious investigation, according to a new national poll commissioned by the Congressional Integrity Project and conducted by Public Policy Polling. Kevin McCarthy is trying to push through an impeachment inquiry without a vote, but the poll found that a majority of voters including a majority of independents believe that Congress should have to vote on it.
“MAGA Republicans’ impeachment promises are nothing more than a partisan political stunt designed to hurt President Biden, and the American people know it. Republicans have failed to find a single shred of evidence of wrongdoing by President Biden and voters see right through their partisan games,” said Congressional Integrity Project senior advisor Leslie Dach. “Kevin McCarthy and his MAGA allies are trying to push through an impeachment inquiry without even taking a vote because they know how unpopular this bogus impeachment is outside of the MAGA echo chamber. No wonder Congressional Republicans are so unpopular.”
Topline findings include:
- A majority of voters (56%) think an impeachment inquiry would be more of a partisan political stunt, including 53% of independent voters, while only 38% think it would be more of a serious effort to investigate important problems.
- A majority of voters (59%) think the House of Representatives should have to vote to authorize an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden before it begins, with just 30% believing the House should not have to vote to authorize the proceedings. Those in support of requiring a House vote include a majority of independent voters (57%), while only 29% of independents think the House should not have to vote to authorize an impeachment inquiry.
- A majority of voters (61%) including 59% of independents say that President Biden should not be impeached if no evidence is found that he received any bribes or changed government policies in relation to the activities of his son, Hunter Biden.
- 51% think an impeachment inquiry would be more about damaging President Biden politically rather than finding the truth, including 51% of independent voters.
- A majority of Americans have an unfavorable view of Republicans in Congress. Republicans in Congress are unpopular, with a net favorability of -18 points (35% favorable, 53% unfavorable). House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is also unpopular, with a net favorability rating of -27 points (26-53) among voters. Reps. James Comer, Jim Jordan, and Marjorie Taylor Greene, three Republicans who either chair or are members of the House Oversight Committee, are all underwater in favorability as well. Oversight Chairman Comer is underwater by 20 points (21-41) overall and 25 points (17-42) with independents. Jordan is underwater by 9 points (34-43) overall and 16 points (30-46) with independents, and Taylor Greene has a net negative favorability rating of 31 points (26-57) with all voters and 42 points (21-63) with independents.
View the poll HERE.
Public Policy Polling surveyed 606 voters nationwide from August 23-24 2023. The margin of error is +/- 4.0%. 67% of interviews for the survey were conducted by text message and 33% by telephone.
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