Two new polls taken around the midterm elections show American voters want Congress focused on affordability and ending the war in Iran. Incoming Democratic leaders in the House are signaling they intend to spend their time on something else entirely: investigating President Donald Trump.
An Associated Press-NORC and Center for Public Affairs Research poll conducted in October, before the midterm election, found voters in both parties ranked bringing down high prices and ending the Iran war as top priorities for the new Congress. The poll’s analysis concluded that “the results suggest that voters are ready for Congress to tackle core issues, despite Trump’s centrality in the midterm campaign.”
A separate Reuters/Ipsos poll asked voters to choose among eight priorities for Democrats once they take control of Congress. Investigating Trump and his administration ranked near the bottom of that list, behind lowering prices, ending the Iran war, and immigration reform.
What Democrats are actually saying
The stated priorities of voters have not lined up with what some incoming Democratic leaders have been saying publicly since election night. Incoming House Oversight Committee Chair Rep. Robert Garcia (CA-42) posted “LAWYER UP” shortly after results came in. Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) wrote, “They are going to need to plant new forests for all of the subpoenas we’ll be printing.” Rep. Analilia Mejia wrote that Democrats are “going to toss out subpoenas like Mardi Gras beads.”
“They are going to need to plant new forests for all of the subpoenas we’ll be printing.” — Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA)
White House Counsel Will Scharf has already sent warning letters to members, including Garcia, cautioning that an aggressive push on investigations could edge toward “blatant criminality.”
Fox News analysis has separately warned that Democrats’ midterm gains could slip away if the party prioritizes investigating Trump over concrete action on costs, energy, and security.
Voters told pollsters what they want Congress to work on. The incoming majority’s public statements since election night suggest a different set of priorities altogether.
