The resolution that kept the government from shutting down has fractured the Republican Party. While some blame Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL) for forcing the GOP to concede on the resolution, Representative Victoria Spartz (R-IN) has stated she is considering resigning if a similar incident occurs regarding a debt commission in the coming year.
Rep. Spartz spoke of the sacrifices she has made in Congress, blasting the House as a "circus with a complete absence of leadership, vision, and spine."
"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. 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. I cannot save this Republic alone," said Rep. Spartz.
Spartz voted against the resolution, demanding it contain a debt commission "to at least have a better plan for the next debt ceiling increase at the end of 2024." Without the debt commission, she warned, the United States would descend into socialism "with DC oligarchs on top and everyone else equally poor."
Today, Rep. Spartz issued the following statement on her NO vote on the Continuing Resolution: pic.twitter.com/6QCpRmG18m
— Rep. Victoria Spartz (@RepSpartz) September 30, 2023
Other House Republicans, as mentioned, are blaming Rep. Gaetz for his refusal to budge against a continuing resolution and his repeated threats to vacate Speaker Kevin McCarthy. As a result, they argue, Republicans were backed into a corner from which the concession of border security was the only escape.
Representative Mike Lawler (R-NY) spoke outside the Capitol calling Rep. Gaetz a "charlatan" who would be solely responsible for a government shutdown" had it happened.
Moreover, Rep. Lawler called Gaetz's cooperation with Democrats to vacate McCarthy "a joke."
"As far as I’m concerned when you’re working with Democrats to try to vacate the speaker, you’re a joke," said Rep. Lawler.
Similarly, Representative Carlos Gimenez (R-FL) blasted Gaetz as "Biden's favorite Republican."
"I have serious disagreements with Mr. Gaetz. I think that he is actually Joe Biden's favorite Republican because he causes a lot of confusion and dissension inside the Party itself. If it were not for Matt Gaetz, we would have had a funding resolution that actually controlled the border and would have had close to 10% cuts in government, but because of Matt Gaetz, we did not get either of those," said Rep. Gimenez.
