Just 16% of American voters now say that Congress is doing a Good (14%) or an Excellent (2%) job. That’s down from 19% in mid-June and from 26% at the end of May. Today, 35% say Congress is doing a Fair job while 46% say Poor (see history).

The current ratings for Congress are just a single point above the ratings for the Republican controlled Congress heading into Election 2006.

Among Democratic voters, 26% now say Congress is doing a good or an excellent job. That’s down from 35% a month ago. Thirty-seven percent (37%) of Democrats say their team is doing a fair job while 32% say poor. Only 13% of Republicans say Congress is doing a good or excellent job and just 9% of unaffiliated voters share that assessment.

Culprits are easy to find. Most Americans say that the Democrats in Congress have not done enough to change President Bush’s policy on Iraq. Additionally, of course, the Senate has spent most of the past month trying to overcome public opinion as pass a very unpopular immigration reform bill. While energy legislation passed by the Senate may be potentially popular, voters weren’t paying any attention.

Sixty-two percent (62%) of voters say Congress has not passed any legislation over the past year that will significantly improve life in America. That’s up from 55% on Election Night 2006. The number believing that Congress has passed significant legislation is now 15%, down from 17% last November.

Overall, just 9% of Americans say it’s Very Likely that Congress will seriously address the important issues facing the nation this year. Another 29% say it is Somewhat Likely that Congress will do so. Most (58%) say Congress is Not Very Likely or Not at All Likely to address the important issues before us. Those figures have changed little since Election 2006.

While voters are frustrated with Congress, Democrats continue have reclaimed a double-digit lead on the Generic Congressional Ballot. Voters continue to trust Democrats more than Republican on nine of ten key issues tracked by Rasmussen Reports.

Seventy-three percent (73%) of American voters believe that Members of Congress are primarily interested in their own careers. Just 12% believe the legislators are primarily interested in helping people. Those figures have changed little over the past seven months.

Rasmussen Reports regularly tracks public attitudes towards Congress, the War on Terror, and other topics. Rasmussen Reports also continuously updates favorability ratings and general election match-ups for all Democratic and Republican Presidential candidates along with ratings for Members of Congress, Other Political Figures, and Journalists.

Rasmussen Reports releases updated polling data on the Democrat Nomination Process every Monday and on the Republican contest every Tuesday. Results for the Generic Congressional Ballot are updated monthly.