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PhilGoetz comments on Mechanics without wrenches - Less Wrong
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I doubt understanding differential equations would help Congressfolk make better decisions. It is the economic concepts that would be useful for them, not so much the math.
Also, our basic ideology of democracy says that ordinary people can make wise decisions about policy without expert knowledge. So it is hard for voters to say politicians are unqualified without such knowledge without admitting that voters are also unqualified.
Curious that you say that economics, which should be quantitative, doesn't involve a lot of math. That strikes me as a flaw. Why isn't it math-heavy? What use is it when it isn't quantitative? If I can't plug numbers in and get numbers out, am I left with anything other than a collection of just-so stories with no ability to judge which is more applicable in any given situation?
The most valuable part for politicians is understanding that incentives matter, and the ideas of public choice theory, the concept of regulatory capture and the like. These don't require any facility with numbers. They inform decision making and direct the design of institutions.