[vypusknye]

Gallup: http://www.gallup.com/poll/145538/Co...-Rebounds.aspx

Americans' approval of the job Congress is doing rose in early January to 20%, after falling to a record-low 13% in mid-December and registering 17% in November. Support for Congress had been at or near 20% from about May of last year through October.

The poll was conducted Jan. 7-9, the same weekend that Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was critically wounded by a gunman who reportedly targeted her at a constituent outreach event in Tucson. However, there is no evidence in the day-by-day results that the Saturday shootings had any effect on attitudes about Congress as a whole.

Americans' 13% approval of Congress last month was recorded shortly after President Obama and congressional Republican leaders came to agreement on a plan to extend tax cuts put in place under George W. Bush, but before Congress passed that plan and several other major bills. The record-low rating was mainly the result of a drop in approval among Democrats, who may have either disagreed with the compromise plan or been unhappy about the enhanced role Republicans were playing in the legislative process.

Republicans' approval of Congress is up since December, and the 22% currently approving is the highest in nearly two years. Approval also improved among Democrats, from 16% to 24%. Still, Democrats' approval remains significantly lower than what it was for most of 2010, clearly reflecting those partisans' diminished approval now that Republicans have majority control of the 112th Congress. Independents' approval today is similar to December and to their ratings all of last year.