Indiana's Victoria Spartz was one of a handful of Republican representatives refusing to vote for Kevin McCarthy as speaker, although she changed her vote on the 12th round.
(Photo: Victoria Spartz on Facebook)
This story has been updated.
Like the rest of the country, Indiana representatives have been divided on the next Speaker of the House.
Anyone who’s looked at a screen in the past 48 hours is aware that the US Congress is locked in an interminable battle for Speaker of the House, unprecedented since the eve of the Civil War. On the two-year anniversary of the Jan. 6 insurrection, the House is headed into a 13th round vote of voting for a Speaker, and observers say there’s no clear path to consensus.
A handful of Republican representatives are responsible for the stalemate, refusing to vote with their party’s preferred speaker, Kevin McCarthy. Among them was one Hoosier congresswoman: Victoria Spartz.
Spartz of Indiana’s 5th district voted for McCarthy during the first three rounds but voted “present” for the subsequent eight – the only representative to do so. On the twelfth round of voting, Spartz once again cast a ballot for McCarthy.
She said she was voting “present” not because she objects to McCarthy, but because she believes her party should reconvene to find a candidate who’s acceptable across the board.
Watch my interview with @CHueyBurns@CBSNews this afternoon: -Stalemate is not an option -Making deals with Democrats is not an option -If Kevin can't get to the number we need, we will need to go back to HC-5, our conference room, and figure it out.
Spartz’s Republican colleague Jim Baird of Indiana’s 4th district doesn’t share this sentiment. Vietnam veteran Baird has made veterans’ issues a personal priority, and he said that continued delays could impact VA claims.
Every day that passes where we fail to elect a Speaker is a day my colleagues and I cannot assist my fellow Veterans with VA claims, help seniors get their social security, or fulfill any of our commitments to the American people. https://t.co/rjL8Iivo7B
Likewise, Rep. Larry Bucshon of the 8th district argued on Twitter that his intransigent coworkers were hurting the GOP’s legislative agenda.
Every hour the House fails to elect @GOPLeader as Speaker is time Congress cannot work to: - Secure our southern Border - Address the cost of living - Unleash American Energy - Conduct oversight of the Biden Administration’s actions
It wasn’t just Republicans who grew irritated with colleagues like Spartz. One of Indiana’s two Democratic representatives, André Carson, expressed frustration on Twitter over the deadlock, saying it impacted his ability to represent constituents of the 7th district.
Here’s what the lack of Speaker impacts:
1. My office’s ability to assist constituents 2. My ability, as a member of @HouseIntel, to respond to national security threats 3. My ability to introduce a single bill, as Indy residents elected me to do
Until a speaker is chosen with at least 218 votes, the US Congress will be unable to pass legislation or swear in new members. Prospective speaker McCarthy told his colleagues that he’s made progress on negotiations and is optimistic about reaching a compromise.
This story has been updated since the twelfth round of voting.