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February Capitol Pulse Results: Congress Pushes to Unredact Epstein Files, Backs Citizenship Proof, and Draws a Line on Trump’s Iran Powers
February’s Capitol Pulse results show Congress taking strong positions on the release of Epstein files, proof-of-citizenship requirements for voting, and presidential authority over the Iran conflict. The results also show the job market leading as Congress’s preferred measure of the economy, while dating across party lines remains a minority position.
Congress Favors Unredacting Names in the Epstein Files
80.06% of Congress supports unredacting all names in the Epstein files, excluding victims , while 10.66% oppose and 9.28% say it depends.
Both parties support unredaction, but Democrats show stronger support. 88.24% of Democrats favor unredacting the names, compared with 71.88% of Republicans. Republican opposition stands at 15.62%, compared with 2.94% among Democrats.
The question places the two parties on the same side of releasing the names, while showing a difference in the strength of that support.
Congress Backs Proof of Citizenship for Voting
63.05% of Congress supports requiring proof of citizenship to vote , compared with 32.40% opposed and 4.55% unsure.
The partisan divide is substantial. 98.84% of Republicans support the requirement , compared with 27.27% of Democrats . Among Democrats, 63.64% oppose requiring proof of citizenship, while only 1.16% of Republicans oppose it.
The result places voting requirements among February’s clearest areas of partisan disagreement.
Congress Says Trump Needs Approval to Escalate the Iran Conflict
75.57% of Congress says President Trump needs congressional approval to escalate the Iranian conflict , while 24.43% say he does not need Congress’s approval.
Democrats overwhelmingly select the congressional-approval position, with 96.43% saying Trump needs Congress . Republicans are more divided: 54.72% say he needs Congress, while 45.28% say he does not .
The result shows the parties much closer on presidential war powers than they are on several other February questions, while still leaving a clear overall majority on the side of congressional approval.
Congress Names the Job Market as the Best Economic Indicator
48.75% of Congress identifies the job market as the best indicator of the state of the economy , putting it ahead of grocery prices at 29.39%, the stock market at 8.93%, other indicators at 8.25%, and gas prices at 4.68%.
The parties differ in how they measure the economy. 60.00% of Democrats select the job market , compared with 37.50% of Republicans. Republicans are more divided across indicators, with 26.79% selecting grocery prices and 17.86% selecting the stock market .
The results put employment ahead of consumer prices and financial-market measures overall, while showing a clear partisan difference in which economic measure ranks first.
Congress Draws a Partisan Line on Dating Across Party
40.42% of Congress members say they would date someone from the opposite political party, while 59.58% say they would not.
Republicans are nearly evenly divided: 48.05% would date across party lines and 51.95% would not . Democrats are less likely to cross the party line, with 32.79% saying yes and 67.21% saying no .
The question produces one of February’s narrower partisan gaps, with Republicans and Democrats differing by about 15 percentage points on whether they would date someone from the opposing party.