Congressional approval lowest since 2017 at 13%
- Congressional approval hit a low of 13%, according to Gallup
- The poll was done before the House elected a new speaker
- Approval from Democrats dropped substantially
FILE – The Capitol in Washington, is seen at sunrise, Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023. On one side of the U.S. Capitol, two senators have steered the debate over government funding mostly clear of partisan fights, clearing a path for bills to pass with bipartisan momentum. Steps away, on the House side of the building, things couldn’t be more different. House Republicans, trying to win support from the far-right wing of the party, have loaded up their government funding packages with funding cuts and conservative policy priorities. Democrats have responded with ire, branding their GOP counterparts as extreme and bigoted and withdrawing support for the legislation.(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
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(NewsNation) — Congressional approval has dropped to 13%, the lowest approval rating since 2017 and one that is barely above the all-time low of 9% in November 2013 according to Gallup.
The low job approval score comes after a period of confusion following the removal of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in a rebellion led by just eight Republicans. The main push for McCarthy’s removal had to do with his efforts to work with Democrats to pass a bipartisan bill funding the government through mid-November, averting a government shutdown that would have closed many government services and left federal employees without paychecks.
When the survey was completed, Republicans had not yet elected Louisiana Rep. Mike Johnson as speaker in their fourth attempt to fill the role. All three previous candidates failed to muster enough votes within the party to succeed.
While Congress’ approval has historically averaged 30%, since 2010 it has fallen to teens and 20s. When asked about important issues, 19% said government is an important problem, 14% said the economy and 13% cited immigration as a top policy concern.
Members of both parties held a negative view of Congress, with 8% of Republicans and 10% of Democrats approving of the job the body is doing. Democrats saw the biggest drop, falling 12 points from September. Republicans, on the other hand, had the same approval as they did in September, which was a drop from August ratings.
Republicans, Democrats and independents were about as likely to say government is the nation’s top problem, with 18% of Republicans naming the issue, along with 19% of Democrats and 17% of independents.
It’s not just Congress that Americans are dissatisfied with either. President Joe Biden’s job performance came in at 37%, a low for the president.
