As 2025 winds down, it’s a moment to reflect on the year’s highest and lowest points.

After a historic year on Capitol Hill, from the longest government shutdown on record to the most discharge petitions in a single year to circumvent Republican leadership in the House, lawmakers have expressed a lot of emotions about the body in which they serve over the past 12 months.

So when we asked Democrats and Republicans to describe this past year in one word, they didn’t hold back. Some of their answers may even surprise you.

“Dysfunction,” said Rep. Deborah Ross, D-N.C., with a grimace.

“Wow. I’ve never seen such uselessness. Wow,” replied Rep. Juan Vargas, D-Calif.

“Circus,” said Rep. Lou Correa, D-Calif. with a smirk. “It’s a three-ring circus without a ringmaster. Everything and anything can happen.” 

“I can’t say the word that I want to use, but I will just say it’s been a crapshow, and you could kind of fill in the blank,” said Rep. Gil Cisneros, D-Calif., with a laugh. “Republicans can’t govern. They’re a lot better at creating noise and creating chaos than they are about actually trying to get things done.”

Two Republicans who spoke to Spectrum News, Reps. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Wis. and Ralph Norman, R-S.C., said their word for the year was “progress.”

“I think we made a lot of progress on the economic front. I think we’re trying to reverse a lot of the Biden-era changes that were made. A lot of spending that was unnecessary. And I think where I think we’re changing now,” said Fitzgerald.

“Borders shut. Inflation’s down. Gas prices are down. No tax on tips. We’re returning power back to the people,” reasoned Norman.

Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., called it a “productive” year for his office, highlighting the passage of the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, for example, which is headed to President Donald Trump’s desk and will benefit the Wisconsin dairy industry.  

His fellow Wisconsinite, Republican Rep. Tony Wied, said, “deliberate” was how he would classify the year.

“We’re getting back to regular order. That’s what we’re supposed to do in Congress, going through the appropriations process the right way, continuing to put more money back into people’s pockets, cutting down on regulation and growing our economy,” said Wied. “And we’re doing it in a deliberate way through the committees, the way Congress is supposed to work.”

But some Republicans didn’t have such rosy terms for the year.

“Stupidity,” said Rep. Jay Obernolte, R-Calif. “These last six weeks have been very frustrating for many of us. We went through six weeks of a completely nonsensical government shutdown, followed by the first week back in session — which was the week before Thanksgiving — where we spent most of our floor time dealing with five different censure resolutions. That’s pretty frustrating for people that are here just trying to get things done, which I would actually say as the majority of House members.”

“Typical,” was the word Rep. Tim Burchett chose. “This place is designed for failure. It’s designed not to do anything for either party. The sewer maintains it, and the people that play the game with the sewer, they get rewarded.” 

“Interesting. Does that work?” Rep. Kevin Kiley, R-Calif., replied with a laugh when asked by Spectrum News what word he would use to describe the year. “It’s been an interesting year. Look, I actually think I’ve been able to do a lot for my district this year in spite of all.” Kiley pointed to the House overturning California’s ban on gas-powered vehicles, the cancellation of funding for high-speed rail in the state, and infrastructure projects in his district.

But Kiley, who has been a growing critic of his party’s leadership, took a swipe at the body in which he serves.

“I think at the end of the day, I’m pretty happy with what I’ve been able to accomplish. But I do think that the House as a whole could be doing a lot more to tackle the important issues facing the country.”

Rep. Mike Levin, D-Calif., was more pointed in his criticism of Republican leadership in the House, telling Spectrum News his word for the year was “difficult.”

“It’s been the most difficult year of my professional career. Not just because of what’s happened here in Congress, where [House Speaker] Mike Johnson really has lost control,” said Levin. “I call him the deputy speaker, and I don’t say that lightly. Because the Speaker of the House really is down the street at Pennsylvania Avenue calling the shots.”

Los Angeles Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, D-Calif., chose the word “fascinating” for the first year of the 119th Congress.

“It’s been fascinating to see all of the capitulation, duplicity and hypocrisy coming out of this Republican conference,” said the two-term lawmaker. “I am amazed to see adults act like children for a whole year.”

For freshman lawmakers like Rep. George Whitesides, D-Calif., little could have prepared him for what this past year would bring.

“It’s been wild,” he said. “The dysfunction that we’ve seen is crazy, but we’re trying to do some good for the American people.” 

Other Democrats had a darker outlook.

“Failure,” said Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., his frustration palpable. “What have we done for the American people? This is the least productive Congress — only to be compared to the last Congress — which was the least productive Congress. This Congress has let the American people down.”

The House and Senate return for the second year of the 119th Congress the week of Jan. 5.