The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll released Friday reports that 60 percent of U.S. adults surveyed approve of President Joe Biden’s handling of his job, including 94 percent of Democrats and 22 percent of Republicans.
Biden got an even higher rating for his handling of the coronavirus health crisis, with approval crossing party lines. Overall, Biden’s handling of the crisis rated him a strong 70 percent that includes 97 percent of Democrats and 44 percent of Republicans, reports Politico.
Biden’s support numbers dipped slightly on his handling of the economy, although he still maintains majority support on that issue, with 55 percent of adult respondents – including 88 percent of Democrats and 17 percent of Republicans approving of his handling of the economy.
Other major polls also give Biden a similar approval rating this week. A POLITICO-Morning Consult poll pegged the president’s job approval rating at 57 percent among registered voters, and a Reuters-Ipsos poll put the number at 58 percent of Americans.
Reaching across the aisle
The partisan divide has been deep in this country, yet there are some noticeable changes – as reflected in the latest poll since Biden took office in January. In December, 67 percent of Republicans and just 15 percent of Democrats described the economy as good.
Now, 35 percent of Republicans and 41 percent of Democrats describe the economy positively. There’s been little change in overall growth or unemployment over that time. Figures out today rate unemployment at 6.2 percent for February, down from 6.3 percent in January.
The course of Biden’s presidency will probably be determined by how he handlers the coronavirus pandemic, which seems to be doing very well,. But there are a number of other issues besides the pandemic and economy that the Biden administration is working on – including infrastructure, policy reforms, and voting rights.
The next thing on the agenda today is getting the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill passed through the Senate. Majority leader Chuck Schumer said this morning that the Senate will not recess until the bill is voted on, according to CNN News.
