Dear John,

I have been closely following the events in Israel and in Congress over this past week. I want you to hear the latest straight from me.

First of all, I strongly and unequivocally condemn Hamas' assault on Israel and Israeli citizens and I unwaveringly affirm Israel's right to defend itself. There is never a justification for intentionally targeting civilians. The reports of brutal murders and kidnappings are horrifying, and Hamas must release all hostages immediately.

I am proud of the Biden administration's swift response to this conflict, and I strongly support efforts to provide Israel with emergency funding to continue to defend itself.

Unfortunately, the current paralysis in the House of Representatives caused by Republican chaos is making it difficult for Congress to effectively respond to this situation.

Since the beginning of this Republican majority, I have warned of the consequences of polarization and extremism winning the day. I have been clear that we cannot govern under this divided Republican majority.

As a result, Congress has endured intermittent states of paralysis, leaving us unable to carry out our most basic duties. We have seen extremist Republicans hold their party hostage, bring us to the brink of a default on our nation’s debt, and hours from a government shutdown. Now, they have left the House without a Speaker. When five or six members of Congress have disproportionate influence, they can control our policy decisions – including whether and how we support our allies abroad.

If you allow the most extreme of the extreme to run the show, it puts the worst of our Democracy on display.

This paralysis isn’t just an inconvenience; it leaves our nation vulnerable. It shows the world – allies and enemies – that we can’t govern.

We have numerous and pressing domestic challenges – natural disasters, gun violence, immigration reform – that Congress needs to address. We are also experiencing international crises in Israel and the war in Ukraine that demand a response.

Make no mistake: We can and we must address challenges and support our allies. But without a Speaker, we are unable to initiate the most basic response.

We must swiftly and firmly take action to show extremists around the world what we stand for. We must come to the aid of those in need around the world. And here at home, we must defeat this unique strain of polarization.

I will continue to closely monitor the developing situation in Israel. I will also continue to urge my Republican colleagues to work across the aisle to end the chaos so we can get back to doing our jobs.