Poll: 26 percent approve of Obama's handling of economy

A Gallup poll released Wednesday shows only 26 percent of voters surveyed approve of President Obama's handling of the economy, a new low for the administration.

71 percent of voters surveyed said they disapproved of the president's economic policies.

Gallup reports that 24 percent approve of the president's handling of the federal budget deficit and 29 percent approve of his efforts to create more jobs.

While the president retains the support of Democratic voters on the economy, with 53 percent approving of his efforts, only 23 percent of independents and 5 percent of Republicans back his policies.

The weak economy remains a critical issue for the White House. On Wednesday, the president completed a three-day bus tour of the Midwest intended to draw attention to recovery efforts. The president increased pressure on Congress during his tour to focus on legislation to boost the economy.

The president will deliver a speech in September presenting a package for boosting jobs. His economic proposal is expected to include tax cuts, increased infrastructure spending and deficit cuts that will surpass the $1.5 trillion in cuts the congressional deficit supercommittee has been tasked with reducing.

On Tuesday the president also announced efforts to use the Department of Agriculture and the Small Business Administration to bring more jobs to rural areas.

With Republicans opposing calls for a new stimulus package, the White House is intent on searching for ways to tackle unemployment without congressional cooperation.

The Gallup poll was conducted Aug. 11 to Aug. 14, before the start of the president's Midwest tour. The margin of error for the poll is 4 percentage points.

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