Trump was supposed to have GOP control of Congress. That’s out the window.
Because Donald Trump just lost U.S. House control in the most unpredictable way.
House GOP Faces Growing Division as Speaker Johnson Struggles to Rally Support for Trump’s Agenda
The already fragile majority held by House Speaker Mike Johnson faces an even greater challenge as Republican Indiana Rep. Victoria Spartz announced she will be stepping away from the House GOP caucus. Spartz, who initially declared she would not seek a third term but reversed that decision in early 2024, has made it clear that her discontent with the current GOP leadership in Congress has led to her decision to withhold her support.
In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday evening, Spartz stated, “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.” The move is a significant one for both Spartz and the Republican Party, signaling frustration within the ranks over what she perceives as ineffective leadership that fails to meet the expectations set by the American people.
“I do not need to be involved in circuses,” she continued. “I would rather spend more of my time helping @DOGE and @RepThomasMassie to save our Republic, as was mandated by the American people.”
Spartz is committing her time and energy to supporting the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an initiative led by Elon Musk and presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, which seeks to reduce waste, fraud, and abuse within the federal budget. This unexpected focus on fiscal reform highlights the growing dissatisfaction among some Republican lawmakers with the party’s inability to take meaningful action on the nation’s most pressing issues, especially when it comes to addressing out-of-control spending.
Her departure from the caucus raises serious questions about Speaker Johnson’s ability to maintain unity within his party, especially given the slim 216-215 Republican majority in the House. A one-seat majority means that Johnson will need to secure the backing of every Republican lawmaker to pass crucial party-line legislation, a task that could now be more difficult with Spartz stepping away from the fold.
Spartz’s announcement is not without precedent, as it follows a series of tense moments in which she has voiced her discontent with GOP leadership. In May, she supported Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s bid to remove Speaker Johnson, an effort that ultimately failed but demonstrated Spartz’s growing frustration with the current direction of the party.
While Spartz has yet to publicly state whether she will support Johnson’s continued tenure as Speaker in the upcoming Congress, her absence from the House GOP caucus could give her significant leverage over the party’s legislative agenda, especially in the context of the ongoing struggle to fulfill President Donald Trump’s policy goals.
In a follow-up statement released Tuesday morning, Spartz clarified her position further, asserting that she would not participate in any committee work. She also made it clear that she would not seek to return to the powerful House Judiciary Committee, which is tasked with overseeing the Department of Justice and the FBI. “This election the American people sent a resounding message and mandate to the Republican party to govern – not deliver talking points and messaging bills,” she wrote.
According to Spartz, the GOP’s current approach to governance falls short of the bold actions needed to address the nation’s fiscal challenges. “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,” she warned.
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
As a finance professional with a keen eye on the nation’s budgetary woes, Spartz is adamant that Congress must act with more than just empty rhetoric. She expressed her desire to work with President Trump and his appointees, as well as the DOGE initiative, to drive real reform. “I would rather spend my energy helping President Trump, his appointees and DOGE to deliver on their promises through reconciliation,” she said. “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.”
Her comments underscore her deep dissatisfaction with the so-called “Swamp” of Washington, D.C., and the perceived failure of Republicans to deliver on their promises. Spartz’s frustration aligns with the sentiments of many voters who feel that Congress has become mired in partisan infighting and empty gestures rather than meaningful action.
While her anti-establishment rhetoric is popular with her conservative constituency, and drawing a line in the sand against the Washington, D.C. “Swamp” is what conservatives want to see more of, Spartz has been facing criticism for this announcement. Some have been saying this sounds like a dereliction of duty on the basis of being fed up with the D.C. politics. It’s understandable that GOP leadership would be frustrating, but some see this announcement as washing her hands of anything that happens on her watch.
So then you are going to resign from your house seat & just volunteer for doge? You weren’t elected to just work for doge, people elected you as a Republican doing work for the Republican voters values. So it’s ok to resign & have someone willing to work the job!
— Vi Mattila (@ViMattila68) December 17, 2024
The timing of Spartz’s decision adds another layer of complexity to the GOP’s efforts to push Trump’s legislative agenda forward in the next Congress. With the specter of a narrow majority looming and key Republicans like Spartz expressing disillusionment with leadership, Speaker Johnson’s ability to unite the party and deliver on the expectations of conservative voters is increasingly in doubt.
Spartz’s remarks also point to the broader struggles within the Republican Party, which has struggled to maintain cohesion in the face of competing factions and growing pressure to deliver on key policy priorities. Whether or not Spartz’s decision will have a significant impact on the GOP’s future legislative success remains to be seen, but her call for structural changes within Congress is a stark reminder of the challenges facing the party as it seeks to navigate the complex and often divisive political landscape.
As she continues to distance herself from the House GOP conference, Spartz’s warning is clear: Congress cannot afford to fail President Trump and the American people again. The stakes are high, and the clock is on for Republicans to prove they are capable of governing effectively in the years to come.
Stay tuned to the DC Daily Journal.
