Politics

Record Slim House Majority Faces New Problems As GOP Lawmaker Announces Exit From Republican Conference

Screen Capture/Architect of the Capitol

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson’s record slim majority could face greater division following a GOP lawmaker’s announcement that she will not be caucusing with House Republicans for the foreseeable future.

Republican Indiana Rep. Victoria Spartz, who ran for reelection in November after initially deciding to not seek a third term, announced her exit from the House Republican Caucus in a post on X on Monday evening, citing her discontent with House Republican leadership.

“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,” Spartz wrote on X. “I do not need to be involved in circuses. I would rather spend more of my time helping @DOGE and @RepThomasMassie to save our Republic, as was mandated by the American people.”

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. I would rather spend more of my time helping @DOGE and @RepThomasMassie to… https://t.co/ZNju2jvNHk

— Rep. Victoria Spartz (@RepSpartz) December 16, 2024

The Indiana Republican is pledging to spend her time assisting Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy’s cost-cutting commission known as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which will need the support of Congress to slash waste, fraud and abuse in the federal budget.

Spartz has also not decided whether to back Johnson’s bid for speaker during the upcoming Congress, a Spartz spokesperson told the DCNF.

Spartz released a follow-up statement Tuesday morning confirming her pledge to forgo Republican caucus participation and committee assignments. The Indiana Republican did not ask to be reappointed to her seat on the influential House Judiciary Committee, tasked with conducting oversight of the Department of Justice and FBI, a Spartz spokesperson told the Daily Caller News Foundation.

“This election the American people sent a resounding message and mandate to the Republican party to govern – not deliver talking points and messaging bills,” Spartz wrote in the statement. “Our country is on a fiscal collision course and it will take some courage and structural changes in Congress to challenge the status quo, which is not happening. As a serious legislator and finance professional, not a clown, I am not going to continue being involved in circuses.”

“I would rather spend my energy helping President Trump, his appointees and DOGE to deliver on their promises through reconciliation. And I will be working hard doing real work for the people I represent — not presentations in committees for the lobbyists, spectacles and posts on Facebook and X to raise money. The swamp will be back in business in four years if not drained through the law. Congress cannot fail President Trump and the American people again.”

House Republicans could hold a 216-215 majority for the first several months of President-elect Donald Trump’s second term due to Trump’s decision to tap three House lawmakers to serve in his administration and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz’s resignation following his failure to secure Senate support to serve as the president-elect’s Attorney General.

Spartz’s surprise announcement that she is declining to participate in the House GOP conference could also give the Indiana Republican outsized influence during the next Congress over whether GOP lawmakers are able to pass Trump’s legislative agenda.

A one-seat majority would require Johnson to secure the support of every Republican lawmaker to pass party-line legislation.

Spartz’s decision to leave the House Republican conference also raises questions whether the Indiana Republican will back Johnson’s quest to maintain the House speakership during the next Congress.

Spartz notably voted in support of Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green’s effort to remove Johnson as Speaker in May, which the majority of Republican and Democratic lawmakers resoundingly rejected.

In February 2023, Spartz announced she would not seek a third term, citing the need to spend more time with her family. The Indiana Republican later reversed her decision in February 2024.

“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,” Spartz said in a statement. “However, looking where we are today, and urged by many of my constituents, I do not believe I would be able to deliver this Congress, with the current failed leadership in Washington, D.C., on the important issues for our nation that I have worked very hard on.”

“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,” Spartz added.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect comment from Rep. Spartz’ office.