A GOP congressman who earlier this year mulled running for statewide office says Congress has become a 'childish' place that isn't attracting 'the cream of the crop'

• Rep. Garret Graves of Louisiana recently told Politico that Congress has become a "childish" place.
• "I mean, this isn't a place where you attract the cream of the crop," he told the outlet.
• The House in October ousted Kevin McCarthy as speaker, an act that continues to reverberate to this day.

Divided government isn't the easiest thing for many members of Congress, as the legislative gridlock that ensues often prompts lawmakers to question their effectiveness as elected officials.

Some lawmakers move into their ideological corners, hopeful that their respective political party can win the White House and both chambers of Congress in the next election, while others thrive in times of divided government, using the opportunity to seek bipartisan consensus.