(Angus Reid Global Scan) - Few adults in the United States are content with the House of Representatives and the Senate, according to a poll by Ipsos released by the Associated Press. 37 per cent of respondents approve of the way Congress is handling its job, a four per cent drop since March.

In the November 2004 congressional ballot, the Republican Party elected 232 lawmakers to the U.S. House of Representatives, while the Democratic Party secured 202 seats. The Republicans also have a majority in the Senate, with 55 members in the 100-seat upper house.

Reports published last month suggest that the House of Representatives may allow a floor vote on the restrictions U.S. president George W. Bush imposed on stem cell research in 2001.

Bush cited ethical questions in his rationale to ban federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. In a nationally televised statement, Bush said, "While we're all hopeful about the potential of this research, no one can be certain that the science will live up to the hope it has generated."

Human stem cells come from embryos left over from in vitro fertilization, which are habitually destroyed. Some scientists believe the research could be useful in the treatment of several diseases, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

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