Biden’s approval ratings rise as infrastructure bill heads to his desk

A new Navigator Research poll shows Biden’s approval rising based on the House passing his infrastructure bill and the FDA’s approval of children’s Covid-19 vaccines

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President Joe Biden’s approval ratings bounced back from late-October lows after the House approved his $1.2trn bipartisan infrastructure, a new poll from Navigator Research found.

According to the survey of approximately 1,000 registered voters conducted from 4 November to 8 November, 47 per cent of Americans now approve of the way Mr Biden is handling his job as president, with 50 per cent disapproving and three per cent responding that they were not sure. That’s a seven-point jump from a similar poll conducted in late October.

The president’s approval rating on his handling of the economy also jumped two points, though he remains in negative territory by 10 points (43 per cent approval to 53 per cent disapproval) on that subject.

But one area where he gets the highest marks from Americans is his handling of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, with 52 per cent of respondents reporting that they approve of the job he has done towards bringing it to a close.

Of the 1,000 voters contacted for the poll, a 52 per cent majority of them — including half of independents — said Mr Biden is trying to do what’s best for the country. Almost as many ­— 51 percent — say he stands up for the middle class, and 55 per cent say he values hard work.

Mr Biden’s rising approval ratings appear to be the result of a burst of good news which kicked off with the 5 November House of Representatives vote to approve the bipartisan infrastructure bill that he will sign on Monday.

Respondents who were asked what positive things they’ve seen, read, or heard about Mr Biden offered a variety of responses, but the most-mentioned positive items were the infrastructure bill, along with the FDA’s announcement that the agency was approving Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine for children ages 5-11 years old.

“He got his economic bill passed yesterday. He is working on making strides towards climate change. He is focused on coronavirus,” said one respondent.