In their own words: What it's like in a 'chaos' Congress and why these lawmakers keep coming back

Polarizing. Challenging. A lot of wasted time. That’s how lawmakers describe what it is like being in the U.S. House these days. It's a particularly tumultuous period in American history that has brought governing to a standstill and put their own lives in danger. The Associated Press sat down separately with six lawmakers, three Republicans and three Democrats, to hear what it’s like on Capitol Hill and what they — and Americans — can do differently to make Congress work better. They describe why they first ran for office and why they keep running for reelection to come back.