WASHINGTON, D.C. — Amid a prolonged search for a new House speaker that paralyzed the House of Representatives for three weeks while two U.S. allies are engaged in wars, Americans’ approval of Congress’ job performance fell from 17% to 13%. This is the lowest approval rating of Congress since October and November 2017, when it was also 13%, and is just four percentage points above the all-time low from November 2013.

Gallup has measured Americans’ opinions of the job Congress is doing since 1974, including monthly updates since 2001. Congress’ approval rating has mostly been in the teens and 20s since 2010. It has averaged 30% historically.

The U.S. House of Representatives ousted Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Oct. 3 after eight Republican members led a revolt against him. The action came in response to McCarthy negotiating a bipartisan bill to fund the government through mid-November to avoid a government shutdown at the end of the 2023 fiscal year. The eight members objected to McCarthy relying on Democratic votes for passage of the spending bill, in […]