(CNN) -- These are some of the facts from tonight's broadcast that you might find interesting.
Congressional Job Approval
ABC News/Washington Post Poll
May 29-June 1, 2007
N = 1,205 adults nationwide. MoE ± 3. Fieldwork by TNS.
RV = registered voters.
Except where noted, results below are among all adults.
"Do you approve or disapprove of the way the U.S. Congress is doing its job?"
5/29/07-6/1/07
• Approve: 39%
• Disapprove: 53%
• Unsure 8%
4/12/07-4/15/07
• Approve: 44%
• Disapprove: 54%
• Unsure 3%
2/22/07-2/25/07
• Approve: 41%
• Disapprove: 54%
• Unsure 5%
1/16-19/07
• Approve: 43%
• Disapprove: 50%
• Unsure 8%
Source: ABC News/Washington Post
56% of Americans believe that most members of Congress are willing to sell their vote for either cash or a campaign contribution. That view is held by 60% of Republicans, 49% of Democrats and 59% of those not affiliated with either major party.
Source: Rasmussen Reports
Seizures and Apprehensions
• 2006 Illegal Alien Apprehensions: 1.1 million
• 2006 Narcotic seizures: 1.3 million pounds
• 2007 (so far) assaults against Border Patrol agents: 596
Source: U.S. Border Patrol
"If we're being resourced at an unprecedented level with unprecedented types of equipment and resources, we find better ways to get our job done. Therein lies the challenge for us organizationally, for us to tell our officers, our organization, that change is coming. Change is going to come at a tremendous rate. AND MANAGE THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE COUNTRY. Too often we hear, 'Well Chief you're going to be at 18,000 agents, and we will be -- 18,319 by the end of calendar year 08 -- you should have the border solved.' That's not the case. We're going to be working toward solving the border, we will be implementing SBI-net, but there's a maturation process."
Source: Border Patrol chief David Aguilar at Thursday's U.S. Mexico Congressional Border Issues Conference.
Passports
• In Fiscal Year 2006, the state department issued 12.1 million passports; and is on pace to issue 17.5 million passports this year.
• For the first eight months of Fiscal Year 2007, October 2006 to May 2007, the Department issued 10.3 million passports, a 37 percent increase over the same period last year.
• Today, approximately 78 million Americans -- a little over one-quarter -- have valid passports.
• The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) was mandated by Congress in the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004.
• WHTI requirements for air travel took effect on January 23, 2007. As early as January 2008, the Departments of Homeland Security and State will begin to implement WHTI at land and sea ports of entry.
Source: U.S. Department of State
Soaring gas prices
Gasoline price increase
June 1997- June 2007
$1.26 per gallon - $3.20 per gallon (154%)
Source: Department of Energy, Energy Information Agency
Nominal wage growth
June 1997 - May 2007
39%
Source: Jared Berstein/Economic Policy Institute
Big Oil Lobby Money
1990-2006
$200,938,491
Source: opensecrets.org
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