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

WASHINGTON (AP) — Polarizing. Challenging. A lot of wasted time.

That’s how six lawmakers described what it is like being in the U.S. House — a particularly tumultuous period in American history that has brought governing to a standstill, placed their lives in danger and raised fundamental questions about what it means to be a representative in a divided democracy.

And yet, they keep at it, running for reelection.

The Associated Press sat down separately with lawmakers, three Republicans and three Democrats, to hear what it’s like on Capitol Hill and what they — and other Americans — can do to make it better. All hail from safe districts and are expected to easily win another term.