Rep. Victoria Spartz Won’t Join Committees or House GOP Caucus

Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.) returns for a closed-door deposition with Hunter Biden in the O’Neill House Office Building in Washington on Feb. 28, 2024. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.) announced on Dec. 16 that she will not join any committees and not participate in the House Republican caucus and instead will be helping a Trump initiative aimed at rooting out waste in the federal government.

She says she will remain a Republican.

Spartz, who has represented Indiana’s Fifth Congressional District since 2021, said Congress has not done what it should be doing.

“I will stay as a registered Republican but will not sit on committees or participate in the caucus until I see that Republican leadership in Congress is governing. I do not need to be involved in circuses,” she wrote on X.

“I would rather spend more of my time helping” the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), she said.

The nongovernmental group led by entrepreneurs Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will advise the incoming Trump administration on how to cut federal regulations, programs, and wasteful spending. Its work is slated to last until no later than July 4, 2026.

Spartz will join Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) in assisting DOGE. The House will have a subcommittee to conduct oversight of DOGE and a caucus to assist its mission.

In a Dec. 11 post on X, Massie said, “DOGE is like the U.S. Constitution. It’ll be great … if you can get my fellow lawmakers to follow it.”

“We welcome your help on that,” Ramaswamy replied.

“Count me in!” Massie responded.

The House GOP will retain its narrow majority in the 119th Congress, which begins on Jan. 3.

Spartz, the first and only Ukrainian-born member of Congress, initially decided in February 2023 not to run for reelection in 2024 before reversing course.

“It’s been my honor representing Hoosiers in the Indiana State Senate and U.S. Congress and I appreciate the strong support on the ground,” she told The Indianapolis Star at the time.

“[The year] 2024 will mark seven years of holding elected office and over a decade in Republican politics.

“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.”

In a Sept. 18, 2023, statement, Spartz was critical of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), saying he “cannot even commit to having a commission to discuss our looming fiscal catastrophe.”

“Unfortunately, real leadership takes courage and willingness to fight for the country, not for power and a picture on a wall,” she said.

“The Republican House is failing the American people again and pursuing a path of gamesmanship and circus. Neither Republicans nor Democrats have the backbone to challenge the corrupt swamp that is bankrupting our children and grandchildren.”

“Anybody who criticize[s] you has never worked harder than you,” McCarthy told reporters. “And I mean, if Victoria is concerned about fighting stronger, I wish she would’ve run again and not quit. I mean, I’m not quitting, I’m gonna continue to work for the American public.”

McCarthy was ousted as speaker in October 2023 and succeeded by Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.).

Spartz announced in February that she would be running to keep her seat.

“Deciding where your duty lies—family, work, or country, is never an easy task. Earlier last year, I decided to take some time off from running for public office to recharge and spend more time in Indiana with my family,” she said in a statement.

“As someone who grew up under tyranny, I understand the significance of these challenging times for our republic, and if my fellow Hoosiers and God decide, I will be honored to continue fighting for them.

“We must carry on the sacrifice of countless Americans for our liberties and keep the American dream alive for our children.”