Spartz defends decision not to serve on committees in next Congress

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Congresswoman Victoria Spartz says her refusal to serve on committees in the new Congress won’t impair her ability to work for her constituents.

Spartz has said she will not serve on any committees when the new Congress is sworn in on Jan. 3, nor will she take part in the House Republican conference. She said nothing gets done in the committees to benefit the American people.

In an interview with News 8’s Phil Sanchez for All INdiana Politics, Spartz said her decision actually frees her up to focus more on serving the needs of her constituents.

“I still enjoy working with my Republicans in the Senate and the House and a lot of them reached out to me personally and they want to deliver,” she said. “And I think that’s something, but we need to create a system where people are actually able to legislate.”

Spartz said she plans to work closely with President-elect Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency.

She said the Trump Administration will need federal legislation to give any of its changes to the federal bureaucracy the force of law. Otherwise, Spartz said it will be back to business as usual when Trump leaves office in January 2029.

In addition, she said she plans to continue filing legislation to bring down health care costs. She said consolidation and monopolization within the health care industry plays a big role in the prices consumers pay, as does the involvement of pharmacy benefit managers and insurance companies.

“I think that’s something that can be done at the federal level and it will save a lot of money for the consumer,” she said. “It will save money for the federal budget. But it will also help innovation and remove barriers of entry in health care.”

All INdiana Politics airs at 9:30 a.m. Sunday.