Since its inception, the 118th Congress, under the GOP majority, has been in a nonstop race to the bottom. It began with Kevin McCarthy giving up every concession to gain the speaker title — in a 15-round marathon vote — just for him to end up with absolutely nothing. This unraveling revealed that he wasn’t a skilled nor trusted negotiator, and certainly not a leader. It proved he could never hold a candle to his predecessor, Nancy Pelosi, who governed with the same slim majority.

What exactly has the House GOP, better labeled as the “chaos caucus,” managed to accomplish in my first 10 months in office? They have panicked the markets, left Ukraine on edge, downgraded our credit rating and allowed the farm bill to lapse — causing uncertainty for farmers and SNAP recipients alike. Their biggest accomplishment has been bending the knee to a con man who has been held liable for sexual abuse: the twice-impeached, four-time indicted, 91-criminal-count-facing Donald Trump.

When the chaos caucus failed to do one of the basic jobs of Congress — fund the government by Sept. 30 — 99% of Democrats and only a little more than 50% of Republicans pulled together to avert a GOP-manufactured crisis.

So where are we now that a 45-day extension passed? Without a speaker, no bills can move. Time moves right along, but Congress is at a standstill. The chaos caucus failed to support Ukraine in our extension, which sent a dangerous message to our allies and our enemies. And within a week of the House speaker drama unfolding, the ongoing conflict in Israel escalated, as Hamas attacked Israel. How can anyone trust Republicans to solve our most complex issues around the border, national security, foreign affairs or the economy, when they literally can’t even choose a speaker or pass a budget?.....

The dysfunction in Congress puts our country and the rest of the world at risk. I cannot underscore the importance of electing serious people, based upon their dedication to our democracy. The safety of the United States, and the world is endangered, because of the former president, and now the chaos caucus. It is far past time for them to get the House in order for the good of not only our country, but for our allies around the world.