Voters Want Roll Calls for Bills in Congress

Voters overwhelmingly support a Republican congresswoman’s demand for roll call votes in the House of Representatives, and also believe members of Congress should read the bills they pass into law.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 89% of Likely U.S. voters believe the votes for passing bills in Congress should be recorded on roll calls, with every member on the record as voting yes or no. Only six percent (6%) disagree and think it’s OK for bills to be passed on unrecorded voice votes. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

Eighty-one percent (81%) of voters also believe members of Congress should be required to read every word of a bill prior to voting on it, while just 11% disagree.

Georgia Republican Rep. Majorie Taylor Greene this year introduced the Congressional Voting Accountability Act to require roll call votes on legislation in the House. “For too long … Congress has escaped accountability for actions that destroy the American way of life by passing legislation in an empty chamber with no Members on record," Greene said. “Legislation affecting the entire nation should not pass the House without a recorded vote. Constituents have a right to know how their Representative voted."

Solid majorities across the political spectrum agree. Ninety-three percent (93%) of Republicans, 87% of Democrats and 88% of voters not affiliated with either major party think votes for passing bills in Congress should be recorded on roll calls. Requiring all Congress members to vote on legislation in recorded roll calls is supported by 92% of whites, 81% of Black voters and 86% of other minorities.

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The survey of 1,000 U.S. Likely Voters was conducted on June 6-7, 2022 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

There is also strong support across all categories – 85% of Republicans, 81% of Democrats and unaffiliated voters, and more than 80% of every racial group  – for requiring members of Congress to read every word of a bill prior to voting on it.

Forty-seven percent (47%) of voters think it is at least somewhat likely that their representative in Congress reads every bill they vote on, while 40% don’t think it’s likely their representative reads the bills they vote on, and another 13% aren’t sure.

More Democrats (58%) than Republicans (46%) or unaffiliated voters (40%) believe their congressional representative reads every bill they vote on.

Women voters (84%) are more likely than men (78%) to support requiring members of Congress to read every word of a bill prior to voting on it.

Voters under 40 are more likely than their elders to think their representative in Congress reads every bill they vote on.

Voters with annual incomes over $200,000 are less supportive of requiring members of Congress to read every word of a bill prior to voting on it.

President Joe Biden’s strongest supporters are most inclined to think members of Congress read the legislation they pass. Among voters who Strongly Approve of Biden’s job performance as president, 65% think it is at least somewhat likely that their representative in Congress reads every bill they vote on. By contrast, among voters who Strongly Disapprove of Biden’s performance, just 35% believe their congressional representative reads every bill they vote on.

The new documentary “2000 Mules,” which investigates evidence of widespread cheating in the 2020 presidential election, is hitting home with voters who have seen the film.

The 2022 midterm elections are now less than five months away, and Republicans have an eight-point lead in their bid to recapture control of Congress.

Additional information from this survey and a full demographic breakdown are available to Platinum Members only.

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