May Capitol Pulse Results: Congress Rejects Partisan Redistricting, Backs Lutnick’s Resignation, and Splits on Abortion

Congress Rejects Partisan Mid-Decade Redistricting

64.03% of Congress opposes allowing states to redraw congressional maps mid-decade to benefit their party , while 34.36% say it depends on the situation and 1.61% support the practice.

The partisan difference is substantial. 82.89% of Republicans oppose mid-decade partisan redistricting , compared with 45.16% of Democrats. Democrats are more likely to say the answer depends on the situation, at 51.61% , compared with 17.11% of Republicans.

The result shows broad opposition to the practice overall, while Democrats and Republicans differ considerably over whether circumstances can justify it.

Congress Is Divided on Most Favored Nation Drug Pricing

Congress is divided over whether to use “most favored nation” pricing to set prescription drug costs in the United States . 47.97% say they are unsure or need more information , while 18.29% support the policy, 15.31% support it with concerns, and 18.43% oppose it.

The partisan results show a much clearer difference. 56.10% of Republicans either support the policy or support it with concerns , compared with 11.11% of Democrats. Among Democrats, 66.67% say they are unsure or need more information , while 22.22% oppose the proposal.

The result leaves the largest share of Congress seeking more information, with the parties differing sharply in their levels of support and uncertainty.

Congress Backs Lutnick’s Resignation

69.10% of Congress says Secretary Lutnick should resign over his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein , compared with 19.16% who say he should not and 11.74% who are unsure.

The result crosses party lines, although Republicans and Democrats differ in the strength of their support. 82.05% of Democrats favor resignation , compared with 56.14% of Republicans . Republican opposition reaches 28.07%, compared with 10.26% among Democrats.

The result places Lutnick’s resignation among May’s clearest overall positions, with majorities in both parties supporting it.

Congress Narrowly Favors Suspending the Federal Gas Tax

Congress narrowly favors a temporary suspension of the federal gas tax to lower gas prices. 40.18% support a suspension outright , while another 23.37% support it if Congress offsets the resulting funding losses . Opposition stands at 30.60%, with 5.84% unsure.

That puts 63.55% of Congress in favor of either an outright suspension or a suspension conditioned on replacing lost funding .

The parties are relatively close on the question. 39.34% of Republicans support suspension outright and 26.23% support it with an offset , compared with 41.03% and 20.51%, respectively, among Democrats.

The largest partisan difference comes in the conditions attached to the policy rather than the overall direction of support.

Congress Is Divided on When Abortion Should Be Allowed

No single position commands a majority on when abortion should be allowed. The largest response is abortion in extreme circumstances at 24.76% , followed by never at 23.09% , always at 18.75% , early pregnancy at 18.66% , and most of pregnancy at 14.73% .

The partisan differences are pronounced. Among Republicans, 34.71% select extreme circumstances, and 23.97% select never . Among Democrats, 25.93% select always , while 22.22% select never, 20.37% select most of pregnancy, 16.67% select early pregnancy, and 14.81% select extreme circumstances.

The results produce one of May’s widest differences between the parties, with Republicans concentrated more heavily on restrictions tied to extreme circumstances and Democrats more distributed across the available positions.