House Republican Spartz Considers Resignation If Debt Commission Not Created

Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.) questions Attorney General Merrick Garland as he testifies before the House Judiciary Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington on Sept. 20, 2023. Win McNamee/Getty Images

Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.) said she would resign her House seat if Congress does not create a commission to tackle the national debt.

“I’ve done many very difficult things being one woman standing many times with many very long hours and personal sacrifices, but there is a limitation to human capacity,” Ms. Spartz said in a statement released on Oct. 2.

“If Congress does not pass a debt commission this year to move the needle on the crushing national debt and inflation, at least at the next debt ceiling increase at the end of 2024, I will not continue sacrificing my children for this circus with a complete absence of leadership, vision, and spine,” she added. “I cannot save this Republic alone.”

Her remarks came just days after President Joe Biden signed into law a continuous resolution (CR), a stopgap funding bill passed by the House and the Senate, averting a government shutdown. Ms. Spartz was among 90 House Republicans who voted against the measure.

In a statement explaining her “No” vote, Ms. Spartz called called the need for a debt commission. She said, “I cannot support a CR—business as usual—without a debt commission to at least have a better plan for the next debt ceiling increase at the end of 2024.”

She added, “Congress must deal with the crushing national debt and inflation destroying opportunities for middle class and lower income Americans and leading to socialism—with D.C. oligarchs on top and everyone else equally poor.”

Commission

Weeks earlier, she also voiced the need for a commission while criticizing House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) over a proposed continuous resolution. In a statement, she said “It is a shame that our weak Speaker cannot even commit to having a commission to discuss our looming fiscal catastrophe.

“Our founding fathers would be rolling over in their graves to see how this institution is betraying our Republic for personal political ambitions and our children will be ashamed of another worthless Congress.”

Ms. Spartz is among a group of bipartisan House lawmakers that support a debt commission legislation introduced on Sept. 29 by Reps. Scott Peters (D-Calif.) Bill Huizenga (R-Mich.), who co-chair the Bipartisan Fiscal Forum (BFF).

Their legislation, officially called the Fiscal Commission Act of 2023, would create a 16-member, bipartisan commission to make fiscal recommendations on the nation’s debt. It would also create House and Senate lawmakers to vote on the recommendations.

The 16 members making up the commission would consist of 12 House and Senate lawmakers from both parties and 4 outside experts.

Ms. Spartz’s departure would mean that Gov. Eric Holcomb, a Republican, would have to call a special election.

Congress

In February, Ms. Spartz, who represents Indiana’s 5th Congressional District, announced that she would not seek reelection in 2024, saying she would like to spend more time with her family.

“2024 will mark seven years of holding elected office and over a decade in Republican politics,” she said in a statement. “I won a lot of tough battles for the people and will work hard to win a few more in the next two years. However, being a working mom is tough and I need to spend more time with my two high school girls back home, so I will not run for any office in 2024.”

Her decision not to run for any office in 2024 means that she will not take part in the Senate race to fill the seat held by Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.). Mr. Braun is running for governor of Indiana in 2024. The current Republican frontrunner in the race is Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), who has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump and the Indiana Republican Party.

Separately, in an interview with Indiana-based Wish-TV on Sunday, Ms. Spartz said she is “open-minded” to Rep. Matt Gaetz’s push to oust Mr. McCarthy as House Speaker.

“I’m open-minded,” she said. “I'll be open-minded because I want to see some leadership from Kevin.”