On most of the major issues of the day, Americans of different parties and ideologies tend not to see eye to eye, but I’m pleased to report that there’s one thing 86% of the country can agree on: This Congress sure is awful.
Gallup reported on its latest national survey:
Americans’ approval of Congress has fallen to 10%, barely above its all-time low of 9%, while disapproval has climbed to 86%, tying the record high for the institution. […]
Congress’ approval ratings have been mostly underwater since 1974, averaging 28% approval and 65% disapproval. More recently, approval has remained below 30% for most of the past five years, with sustained stretches in the teens.
That historical context is highly relevant: Aside from infrequent bursts of support in the wake of national crises, Congress has never been especially popular, but it’s rarely been as deeply unpopular as it is right now.
The only other time in the past half-century when Congress had a lower approval rating was in the fall of 2013, when Republican leaders shut down the government and threatened a debt ceiling crisis that would’ve crashed the economy on purpose. At that point, Gallup showed Congress’ support falling to just 9% — a point lower than the pollster’s latest findings.
As recently as March 2025, Gallup showed the institution’s approval rating at a relatively high 31%, fueled largely by support among GOP voters for the Republican-led House and Senate, but that support has slid sharply over the past year, as approval for Congress among Republican voters has dropped from 63% to 20%. (Among independent voters, approval is down to 11%, while among Democratic voters, it now stands at just 3%.)
Donald Trump’s approval rating is woefully low for a president, but given the circumstances, House Speaker Mike Johnson would probably do just about anything to match Trump’s 33% support.
The data is no doubt discouraging for GOP leaders looking ahead to the midterm elections in the fall — when 86% of Americans disapprove of an institution, it should probably expect some voter-imposed changes — but it’s also worth emphasizing that the consensus view among Americans is entirely correct.
Though there’s still time for lawmakers to do something worthwhile before the end of the year, this has been a Congress marred by scandals, inactivity, resignations and shutdowns. What’s more, this a Congress that has voluntarily surrendered many of its responsibilities and prerogatives to the White House while proving itself to be an exceedingly dysfunctional and unproductive institution.
About a year ago, former Rep. Fred Upton, a Michigan Republican who served more than three decades on Capitol Hill, told The Washington Post, “I learned ninth-grade civics: You’ve got three equal branches of government. But right now, the Congress is not one of them.”
All things considered, it’s a little surprising the 86% disapproval rating isn’t higher.
This post updates our related earlier coverage.
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