Rep. Victoria Spartz talks about affordability but consistently acts against the economic interests of Hoosier families. In 2022, she criticized the Biden administration for raising lumber tariffs from 9% to 18%, calling it "the worst time when we already have an increase in prices." But in February 2026, she initially opposed a rule to block Congress from repealing Trump's far more sweeping 25% tariffs on Canada — then flipped and voted to protect those tariffs after being pressured by House leadership. She voted against the Inflation Reduction Act, which capped insulin at $35 per month for seniors and lowered energy costs, even as the law brought $7.8 billion in clean energy investment to Indiana. She then voted for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which cuts $186 billion from SNAP over a decade — threatening food assistance for roughly 600,000 Hoosiers who rely on the program — while the Yale Budget Lab estimates the tariffs she voted to protect cost the average American household $1,700 per year. Indiana, where manufacturing accounts for 26% of GDP and is among the states most exposed to tariff disruptions, is paying the price for Spartz's inconsistency.
Spartz Criticized Biden Administration Lumber Tariffs As Coming At "The Worst Time" For Consumers. According to WIBC, Spartz opposed the Biden administration's proposal to raise tariffs on Canadian lumber from 9% to 18%, saying, "That is the worst time when we already have an increase in prices." She added, "It's just strange for me to see when we have all these challenges we put more bad laws and policies into place." [WIBC, 1/17/22]
Spartz Then Voted To Block Congress From Repealing Trump's 25% Tariffs On Canada. According to Reason, Spartz initially told reporters she opposed a House rule that would have prevented Congress from voting to terminate the national emergencies Trump used to impose 25% tariffs on Canadian imports — far exceeding the Biden-era lumber tariffs she had criticized. But Speaker Mike Johnson persuaded her to flip, and she voted for the rule. The rule ultimately failed 214-217 after three other Republicans held firm. [Reason, 2/11/26]
Spartz Voted Against The Inflation Reduction Act, Which Capped Insulin At $35 Per Month And Lowered Energy Costs. According to GovTrack, Spartz voted Nay on H.R. 5376, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which passed 220-207 on August 12, 2022. The law gave Medicare the power to negotiate prescription drug prices for the first time, capped insulin at $35 per month for Medicare beneficiaries, capped total out-of-pocket drug costs for seniors at $2,000 per year, and included tax credits to lower home energy costs. [GovTrack, 8/12/22]
Spartz Voted For The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Which Cuts $186 Billion From Food Assistance Over A Decade. According to CNBC, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act initiates a near 20% cut to SNAP, the nation's largest anti-hunger program, cutting federal funding by an estimated $186 billion through 2035. The law imposes new work requirements on adults aged 55-64, parents of school-aged children, veterans, and people experiencing homelessness — groups previously exempt. [CNBC, 8/8/25]
Roughly 600,000 Hoosiers Rely On SNAP Benefits. According to USAFacts, approximately 610,700 people in Indiana received SNAP benefits in fiscal year 2024, representing 8.8% of the state's population. These recipients face potential benefit reductions or loss of eligibility under the new law's expanded work requirements and state cost-sharing provisions. [USAFacts, Viewed 2/16/26]
Spartz Initially Opposed The Bill Over Deficit Concerns, Then Flipped After Trump Called Her "A Fake Republican." According to The New Republic, Spartz declared she was a "hard no" on the reconciliation bill, but flipped after Trump screamed at her in a phone call, calling her "a fake Republican set on undermining his agenda." She then told reporters she had a "great conversation" with Trump and that she "trust[s] his word." [New Republic, 2/27/25]
A Ball State Economist Said Indiana Is Among The Three Most At-Risk States From Tariffs. According to the Indianapolis Business Journal, Michael Hicks, a Ball State University economics professor, stated, "If we're not the most at-risk state, we're one of the three most at-risk states because of tariffs." Manufacturing represents 18% of Indiana's workforce and nearly 26% of GDP. [Indianapolis Business Journal, Viewed 2/16/26]
The Yale Budget Lab Estimated Tariffs Cost The Average American Household $1,700 Per Year, With The Poorest Hit Hardest. According to the Yale Budget Lab, the 2025 tariffs imply a consumer price increase of 1.2% in the short run, representing a loss of $1,700 for the average household. The burden is regressive: households in the bottom income decile face a cost equal to 2.4% of their income, more than three times the 0.8% burden on the top decile. [Yale Budget Lab, 11/17/25]
Indiana Farm Income Is Projected To Drop By Over $1 Billion In 2026 As Tariffs Reshape Agriculture. According to Purdue University's Center for Commercial Agriculture, Indiana cash farm receipts are expected to decline by $1,033 million in 2026, with corn receipts falling 3.7%, soybeans 7.2%, and wheat 9.8%. China, Mexico, and Canada — the primary targets of tariffs — account for more than 70% of U.S. corn exports and 60% of soybean exports. [Purdue Center for Commercial Agriculture, 2/16/26]
New Car Prices Could Rise $2,000-$7,000 Due To The Auto Tariffs Spartz Voted To Protect. According to CBS News, a 25% tariff on imported vehicles and parts could raise new car prices by $2,000 to $7,000 depending on the model and country of origin. Indiana is a major auto manufacturing hub, and northern Indiana's auto and parts manufacturing zones face disproportionately high tariff exposure. [CBS News, Viewed 2/16/26]
A Constituent Told Spartz At A Town Hall That She Felt "Not Represented." According to WFYI, at a March 2025 town hall in Westfield, constituent Christine Kassebnia expressed worry about potential cuts to Medicaid and Medicare, stating she felt "under-represented." The crowd chanted "Do your job" when asked why Republican members had not restrained the president's orders. [WFYI, 3/28/25]