Most in new poll say Biden isn’t paying attention to most important issues

A poll released Monday showed a majority of Americans believe President Biden has not devoted enough attention to what they view as the nation’s most important issues.

A CNN poll, which was conducted before the passage of a bipartisan $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill, found 58 percent of those surveyed do not think Biden has paid enough attention to the most important problems facing the country. The same poll found 48 percent of adults approve of Biden’s job performance, while 52 percent disapprove.

The poll found 36 percent of those surveyed said the state of the economy is the most critical problem for the country, the most of any issue. Of those respondents, 72 percent said Biden hasn’t paid enough attention to the right issues.

However, among the 20 percent who pegged the coronavirus pandemic as the biggest issue, 79 percent said Biden is prioritizing the right topics.

The poll found 14 percent say immigration is the biggest issue facing the country, a topic the GOP has relentlessly hammered Biden over amid high border-crossing numbers. And 11 percent say climate change is the most pressing issue.

The CNN poll was conducted from Nov. 1-4 and surveyed 1,004 adults. It has a margin of error of 4 percentage points.

The poll was taken prior to Friday’s passage of the bipartisan infrastructure bill in the House, which Biden has yet to sign into law. The White House is still hoping for passage in the coming weeks of a larger spending plan that focuses on climate change, health care, family care and education priorities.

The CNN survey shows concerns among many Americans have shifted away from the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more than 750,000 people in the U.S., and toward the economic recovery. While the recovery slowed at times over the summer, the Biden administration was buoyed by a strong October jobs report and is hopeful passage of the president’s “Build Back Better” agenda will further boost growth and rein in inflation.