What is Congress's approval rating in 2026?

Congressional approval in spring 2026 averages approximately 18-22% approve, 65-70% disapprove across major pollsters (Gallup, AP-NORC, YouGov). This is within the normal range for Congress, which has not averaged above 30% approval in over a decade. The 119th Congress (2025-2026) faces particular challenges: a polarized Republican majority using reconciliation to push through a bill that most voters oppose in its specific provisions, combined with a Democratic minority that has no legislative power and can only amplify opposition messaging.

Does congressional approval affect midterm elections?

Congressional approval correlates with midterm outcomes, but less directly than presidential approval. Low congressional approval generally contributes to an anti-incumbency environment, but voters tend to direct that anger toward specific parties or candidates rather than Congress as an institution. In 2010, when Congress's approval was 21%, Democrats lost 63 House seats. In 2018, when approval was around 20%, Republicans lost 40 House seats. The key variable is which party is perceived as responsible for Washington dysfunction — and that perception is heavily shaped by which party controls the White House and the legislative agenda.

Is the Republican or Democratic Congress more popular?

Partisan approval of Congress is, predictably, partisan. Republicans approve of Congress at approximately 35-40% (reflecting approval of the Republican majority's agenda), while Democrats approve at approximately 8-12% (reflecting opposition to that agenda). Independents, the most consequential swing group, approve at approximately 15-18%. These patterns are nearly the inverse of Trump's approval among the same groups, suggesting Congress is not an independent political institution in public opinion but rather an extension of presidential politics.

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Issue Polling · 2026

Congressional Approval Rating Tracker

How Americans rate the job Congress is doing — and why it almost never matters as much as presidential approval.

Key Findings — April 2026

Congressional approval in April 2026: 19% approve, 67% disapprove (−48 net) — within the historical norm for Congress, which has not averaged above 30% in over a decade
Independent approval of Congress: 15% — the key swing group; voters direct dissatisfaction not at "Congress" abstractly but at the party controlling the agenda, making this a proxy for anti-Republican sentiment in 2026
Historical pattern: when Congress approval was ~20% at a midterm (2010: 21%, 2018: 20%), the president's party lost an average of 50 House seats; the party in control bears the political cost
Congressional approval is reinforcing the structural pressure already visible in presidential approval (43%), the right/wrong track (71% wrong), and generic ballot (D+6.2)

19%

Approve (April 2026 avg)

67%

Disapprove

−48

Net approval

15%

Independent approval

Historical Congressional Approval

Period	Approve	Disapprove	Net	Context
Spring 2026	19%	67%	−48	Reconciliation bill fight; 119th Congress
2024 (election year)	17%	72%	−55	118th Congress, prolonged dysfunction
2022 (midterm year)	21%	67%	−46	Inflation peak, IRA passage; Ds lost House
2020	23%	66%	−43	Pandemic relief; COVID gridlock then action
2018 (midterm year)	20%	68%	−48	Rs controlled Congress; lost 40 House seats
2010 (midterm year)	21%	71%	−50	ACA fight; Ds controlled Congress; lost 63 seats
2001-2002	50%	37%	+13	Post-9/11 rally effect — all-time modern high
All-time low (2013)	9%	85%	−76	Government shutdown; debt ceiling brinksmanship

Source: Gallup, RealClearPolitics averages. Note: Congress has not averaged above 30% approval in any 12-month period since 2009.

Partisan Breakdown — Spring 2026

Group	Approve Congress	Disapprove	Net
Republicans	38%	45%	−7
Independents	15%	70%	−55
Democrats	9%	82%	−73
All adults	19%	67%	−48

Congressional vs. Presidential Approval

Congressional approval is consistently lower than presidential approval regardless of which party controls either. This reflects a well-documented phenomenon in political science: Americans tend to approve of their own representative but disapprove of Congress as an institution. When asked about their own member of Congress, approval rates are typically 40-50% — far higher than the 19% institutional number. The gap between institutional disapproval and member-level approval partly explains why incumbents tend to win despite Congress's terrible ratings: voters blame "Congress" in the abstract while continuing to re-elect their own member.

The Republican-controlled 119th Congress faces an unusual dynamic: their legislative agenda (the reconciliation bill) is actively unpopular in its specific provisions, which may make it harder for incumbents to separate themselves from congressional disapproval in 2026 races. Normally, members can say "I opposed the bad stuff Congress did." But if the reconciliation bill passes with Medicaid cuts, every Republican incumbent voted for those cuts — and Democratic challengers will make that the centerpiece of virtually every competitive race.

Senate vs. House Approval

Senate — 22% Approve

Slightly higher than the House, reflecting the Senate's "deliberative" reputation and the individual prominence of major figures like McConnell, Schumer, Collins. The Senate reconciliation drama — with Collins and Murkowski as swing votes — has elevated Senate visibility in 2026.

House — 17% Approve

Lower than the Senate, driven by perception of chaos, Freedom Caucus brinkmanship, and narrow majority dynamics requiring constant negotiation. Speaker Johnson's difficulties maintaining his coalition visible to the public, generating a "dysfunction" narrative that hurts all House members.

Related Analysis

Trump Approval Rating → Generic Ballot Tracker — Democrats +6.0 as of May 2026 → Politician Favorability → All Polling Data — Trackers, Crosstabs & State Polls →