Republican Rep. Victoria Spartz of Indiana said Monday she will focus her time in Congress next year on furthering Elon Musk’s mission. cut trillions of dollars I will not participate in government spending, meet with Republicans, or sit on any committees.
In her presentation Posted on Social MediaSpartz made it clear that although he is still a Republican, he is taking this step to avoid a “circus” in the party.
“I will remain a registered Republican, but I will not sit on committees or participate in caucuses until we see Republican leadership governing in Congress,” said Rep. Spartz.
“I don’t need to join the circus. “I want @DOGE and @RepThomasMassie to spend more time saving our republic at the behest of the American people,” she added, referring to the newly created Office of Government Effectiveness. that Delivering superior government efficiency It is reported that they will cooperate with. edentate DOGE, led by billionaire Elon Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.
Spartz’s decision confused some colleagues. But sources said Politico Her seemingly sudden announcement came after Spartaz was handed a popular seat on the House Ways and Means Committee.
Spartz said he would spend his time focusing on Musk and Ramaswamy’s efforts to use chainsaws on federal spending while he waits until his party can begin “governing” effectively. But it’s unclear what impact she will have on the accompanying congressional caucus. Especially DOGE own subcommitteechairman Who once denied 9/11 Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene.
despite no one understands How the DOGE Caucus will work is unclear to many Republicans (And some Democratic lawmakers) is foaming at the mouth for the opportunity to work with President-elect Donald Trump’s planned advisory board. Trump said the group led by Musk will advise him On how to cut public spending, Musk has promised to cut spending by $2 trillion. However, because DOGE is a commission and not a government agency or department, it actually has no authority.
So it’s clear that Spartz’s decision to criticize the Republican Party had less to do with her willingness to prioritize the health of the nation and more to do with her petty squabbles over leadership.
Don’t misunderstand. Spartz is a proven conservative. On Monday, she joined the hard-line conservative House Freedom Caucus and said she supported the group’s proposals to crack down on immigration and immigration. deport millions of people Undocumented immigrants.
But Spartz sometimes butted heads with members of his own party. As House Republicans work to select a new Speaker of the House in January 2023, she repeatedly said,present” Instead of voting for former Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s bid.
More recently, in November, Spartz released a statement titled:Republicans must show courage or go to hell,” she criticized the party for what she saw as a lack of courage.
“Aristotle once said that courage is the first human quality. Because courage is a quality that ensures others. “The American people have given us another chance to restore our republic, but this may be our last chance.” “If our party betrays the American people and shows no courage to stand up to D.C.’s ‘money machine’ and address the looming fiscal disaster, we will no longer deserve a chance.”
The immediate question after Spartz’s announcement Monday was whether her decision would further endanger House Republicans. Already very thin voting margins.
After the final House races were called, the Republican Party was scheduled to be held A majority of 5 permanent members. But with former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz. resign After his bid for attorney general failed, Florida Rep. Mike Waltz decided to resign. Become National Security Advisorand New York State Assemblywoman Elise Stefanik. He is leaving to become the next U.S. ambassador. According to the United Nations, that number could fall further. Any uncertainty could make things especially difficult for the Republican caucus and House Speaker Mike Johnson.
Spartz may want to spend some of his newfound free time finding ways to retain his office staff. According to the Congress database: lawmakingThis member’s turnover rate is 3.5 times the average for the House of Representatives in 2024. She also did it earlier this year They say they threw furniture To the terrified employees.
