Nine months into 2025, members of Congress have endured a dozen starkly partisan confirmation fights, multiple grueling all-nighters to pass Republicans’ reconciliation bill, an ugly battle over clawing back billions in government funding and a spate of political assassinations that have many of them fearing for their safety.
And now they’re less than 24 hours from a government shutdown.
When NOTUS asked dozens of lawmakers returning to Congress on Monday how they were feeling, the most common response was a deep, weary sigh. Multiple senators, including Democrat Amy Klobuchar, laughed at the premise of the question. After all, it’s become almost a given on Capitol Hill that the vast majority of lawmakers are utterly miserable.