Dem Leader Hoyer: Voters to Blame for Congressional Gridlock

(Newsroom America) -- House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer said on Tuesday that voters are partially to blame for the paralysis and gridlock in Washington.

In comments to reporters on Capitol Hill, Hoyer said Americans were "absolutely right" to think "Congress isn't working very well."

But he said part of the reason for that was voters themselves.

"The American people have every right to be angry [and] disappointed by the performance of the Congress," he said. "Of course, the American people have also elected people with hard stances, so that to some degree the American people are realizing the results of their votes.

"If elections have consequences — which I think they do — some of those consequences are getting what you vote for," Hoyer continued. "In this case, many people voted for people who thought compromise was not something that they ought to participate in."

His comments come as Americans, according to national surveys, are holding Congress in its lowest esteem ever. Millions are angry about congressional inaction on a range of issues, though most have to do with the country's sluggish economy and poor employment picture.

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