In this episode of The Crude Truth, Congresswoman Victoria Spartz joins host Rey Treviño and co-host Kristy Kerns to discuss America’s challenges and opportunities post-2024 elections. Drawing from her personal experience growing up under socialism, Spartz highlights the urgency of tackling the national debt, addressing inefficiencies in healthcare and agriculture, and preserving American values. She emphasizes the need for decisive action to restore economic stability and protect the nation’s future.
Congresswoman Victoria Spartz also sheds light on critical issues such as energy independence, border security, and fighting establishment politics. With a call to empower grassroots movements and ensure accountability, she inspires listeners to remain engaged in shaping the country’s path forward. Her perspective as an immigrant and political “outsider” offers valuable insights into overcoming systemic resistance and driving meaningful change.
Highlights of the Podcast
02:38 – Introduction of Congresswoman Spartz
06:09 – Preserving American Values
12:01 – National Debt and Health Care Crisis
17:24 – Agriculture Reform
23:57 – Energy Independence and National Security
27:01 – Border Security and Domestic Challenges
30:00 – Fighting Establishment Politics
38:49 – Optimism for America’s Future
The Crude Truth Ep. 109 Victoria Spartz, Congresswoman
Video Transcription edited for grammar. We disavow any errors unless they make us look better or smarter.
Rey Treviño [00:00:00] Well, the election is over and the American people have talked. We talked to one congresswoman. Do you know what’s next in Washington, D.C.? On this episode of The Crude Truth.
Narrator [00:00:11] In 1901, at Spindle Top Hill near Beaumont. The future of Texas changed dramatically as like a fountain of fortune. Thousands of barrels of oil burst from the earth towards the sky. Soon Detroit would be cranking out Model TS by the millions, and America was on the move thanks to the black gold being produced in Texas. Now, more than a century later, the vehicles are different, but nothing else has truly changed. Sure, there may be many other alternative energy sources like wind and solar and electric, but let’s be honest, America depends on oil and entrepreneurs. And if the USA is truly going to be independent, it has to know The Crude truth.
Narrator [00:00:55] This episode is brought to you by LFS Chemistry. We are committed to being good stewards of the environment. We are providing the tools so you can be to. Nape Expo, Where deals happen. Air compressor solutions. When everything is on the line, Air Compressor Solutions is the dependable choice to keep commercial business powered up. Sandstone group. Exec Crue. Elevate your network. Elevate Your Knowledge. Texas Star Alliance. Pecos Country Operating Fueling Our Future.
Rey Treviño [00:01:30] Well, hello again and thank you, as always for tuning in to another episode of The Crude Truth. Obviously, if you’re watching this episode or listening to it, we have survived the election of 2024 and for, I would say probably even more than half of the country and some of them probably won’t admit it. A lot of people are happy and excited that we’re going to see real positive change here in less than three months. And I just know that for me, it’s kind of like winning the Super Bowl and I’m very excited being somebody in the oil and gas space. Kristy, how are you doing?
Kristy Kerns [00:02:04] I’m doing amazing. Thanks for asking.
Rey Treviño [00:02:06] You’re welcome. And always excited to have you on. And
Kristy Kerns [00:02:09] as you should be, honest to.
Rey Treviño [00:02:13] Be we are. And well, today, as we were talking the other day, getting ready for this episode that I was just so excited when we had the opportunity. And what a time because we literally just had the election. And to have on somebody that knows the inside and outside of the political game, but also was there in Washington, D.C. today. Our guest without any further ado is Congresswoman Victoria Spartz. Congresswoman, how are you?
Victoria Spartz [00:02:38] Good, good. Always great to be in the great state of Texas. I actually was joking that this is my favorite state and Texas is my favorite country. Every time I get this great ideas, I want to make sure is that we are more competitive. So go back and give our time to my legislature back in Indiana because, you know, they call us as Texas or the Midwest, but I want to be competitive being them better than Texas by them good people and freedom loving people. A lot of us always love to be here.
Rey Treviño [00:03:06] Well, thank you so much. You again, you mentioned that you are U.S. representative for the state of Indiana. And I can’t thank you enough. And you are a Republican and you’ve been somebody that’s been definitely a proponent, a supporter of the energy sector in the oil and gas space. But also, you just been a true leader For those out there that don’t know you and maybe don’t know your journey, I kind of want to just tap into that real quick and, you know, kind of tell people how you got to become a US representative of Indiana.
Victoria Spartz [00:03:37] Well, listen, I grew up around socialism, communism, Marxism. And so it broke my heart when I came here. Yan Adventures and you know, the age almost 22 with great ideas to learn about America from Alexis de Tuckwell and Rhythm Friedman and HYG. And then I came here and I’m like, AMG A lot of things I have written remind me, so did you. And, and then there’s mob rule. I’m like, This cannot be happening in our country. I was crazy enough and mad enough to decide that I need to do something about it. Then here I am now. I’m a politician. But you know, this is a very challenging time for the country. And I truly believe that we have an opportunity now to get our country back to its greatness because we are the greatest republic. But we have been moving very rapidly in the wrong direction.
Rey Treviño [00:04:25] I tell you what, just, you know, for you to be here about 25 years now, 24 years, and for you to say that you were seeing these things already in 2000, 2005 and even 2010 really concerns me. That was I that blind as an individual during that time, Like, Hey, man, we’re already headed into this socialist istic ways or communism ways. You know.
Victoria Spartz [00:04:48] Listen, I think it’s like if, you know, you put a frog in the boil and what are your boiler products? I think a lot of Americans feel like a boiled frog, right? So they were incremental, incremental and taking more and more power. And then I think Obama really made big steps and very rapidly then taking power away. And so that’s my observation. So I was like a Tea Party organizer, started with that movement with a lot of actually all the Americans, different generations, a lot of people that I’ve been in the trenches with, a lot of them already, dad or don’t even can go in the trenches. So all but there were great generations of freedom loving Americans and me as a young person, getting engaged with them, you know, being part of that really had a lot of influence and impact on me understanding how important it is to win the battle and then win the war. Because this Marxist ideology kill millions of people around the world. And then people realize, look at the former Soviet republics, most of them, including Ukraine, that I grew up with, you know, that still fighting for freedom cannot get it back for over 30 years. So you go through bloodshed to get freedom back and it’s very hard to do it. And a lot of people here don’t really think about it. How many people sacrificed for our republic and how important it is not to let it fail because then you have to go through bloodshed. And we don’t want to do that.
Kristy Kerns [00:06:09] I think that you just hit that and I don’t know why I’m getting teary eyed, but I think I may be coming from a different country. You know, seeing us as Americans, we take for granted for what we have. And then so many people come from the country and then you want to just make you know where you come from. But coming here and pouring into this, that’s everybody’s dream is to come here. And then you see like little. Pick ups and stuff that needs to be addressed. And you just went balls to the wall for my French fry and made a difference. And that’s so powerful to me.
Victoria Spartz [00:06:38] Well, that’s what America is about. Yeah, Accountability is not country and D.C. that somehow gets some pure action. Most of these people, you wouldn’t pay them $10 an hour. Okay. If you think they should be running the country, we’re in trouble. Okay. So the greatness of the country is from bottom up with all the ingenuity, innovation. And this is what I know. And I think American people have spoken in this. You know, you can see how many people I went to and I was helping Trump campaign and win in Pennsylvania. And a lot of it was look at what people came to vote for. Us people. A lot of these people never vote, but they see that the only opportunity for them to have the bright future, to have the American dream, to be able not to be wrong by what is socialism, is you have elites, oligarchs on top and then everyone else equally poor. And the American people are dumb. And they say like, these people are garbage. That’s what this thing they’re not just say that they they really they have this elitist view that’s and I’m like, I mean, this is some of the stupidest people I’ve ever met in my life. I’ve concentrated in Washington, D.C., with no common sense, honestly. And I have all kinds of job in my life. I’ve never seen more incompetent people in my life. You know, we have college graduates from both colleges and bureaucrats who spend their 40 years of have the least in touch with reality. That’s who is running the country. And, you know, and then lobbies are trying to buy a politician. So it’s really a huge problem with that. But I think when you go back on the ground, you see that I always kind of joke in that, you know, Congress has 12% approval rating. That wasn’t, you know, presidents or but definitely in trouble. And you see the American people are sick and tired of that. And then send the message to us and they give us a show us a republic. And I’m very honored they give us a chance. But I told my colleagues, I’ll only be nice till November. Okay, after November. I’m brutal because if we screw it up and if we don’t deliver it, we might not have another chance.
Kristy Kerns [00:08:21] Exactly.
Rey Treviño [00:08:21] Let’s let’s talk about that. President Donald Trump was just reelected for the 47th president. The Republican Party got the Senate back. And we’re I think it’s now confirmed that we got the House. So you just said it. We got two years. We can’t screw it up. It’s almost like in the last four years during President Biden, it’s almost like we have to do something. I say that as a Republican. We you know, President Biden, I felt like undid everything that was done during the Trump presidency, but then also finished like shoved everything in that was supposed to be in during the Hillary term, which obviously there was no Hillary term. So it’s like we have 18 months. I heard a commentator say that the other day. We have 18 months to literally align this country back on track before the next election. So where do you see things going here on January 20th?
Victoria Spartz [00:09:16] Well, October is actually that I have to give credit to either side. They’re brilliant move in their policy. I might disagree with the policy, but I have to give them credit. They’re advancing and they’re very smart because unfortunately, in 2016, where Republicans have control the House and the presidency, we didn’t do anything to move the needle legislatively. They understand in a legislative change will have enormous amount of impact. President Trump done a lot of great things for executive orders. That’s not a way to govern. That’s not a way to have stability and predictability and good policy have long term effects. So they came and eliminated executive orders. They move legislation. They’re very clever, very, you know, smart how they move that. And I think we need to make sure that we are smart enough to move it. And unfortunately, Republicans are never ready. And I’ll be honest with you, we don’t have 18 months. We have six months because then we go into the midterm elections. And if we actually not deliver, we might lose actually the House. And, you know, and they will start doing the impeachment of Trump, lose the House. Okay. So I think we actually have six months. You know, really you have very short windows where you can have ability to govern and move because that the last year before the election, it’s all campaign and then fundraising. No one is garbage. No one is going to be govern in 26. Okay. Let’s just be honest. In the next year years, the only year we’ll be able to do that. But you have to have policies ready. You cannot develop them overnight. And that’s why I’m going to be pushing my colleagues, you know, to start right now because some of this stuff we haven’t been working on, I’ll be honest with you. So we need to start working right now. So when we actually have President Trump, when we have started, we can move in the first six months and put some good policy fix and get fixed in health care, have good energy policy, dealing with our tax code, you know, securing the border, the country we need to make sure is that we have a treaty in the bill, more reconciliation package that we’ll have to move for. Unfortunately, we’ll have to go through reconciliation because we don’t have enough in the Senate. That will have important impact for the country to restore the economy, the gross and good economic policy to empower more Americans. And I. Think this is. Some simply have to be quick.
Kristy Kerns [00:11:33] Wow. I’m just here.
Rey Treviño [00:11:35] I know there’s so much there to impact. I’ll start with the. The national debt. You know, so many people and again, you know, national debt impacts the economy, impacts the border because of all the money that’s being created out of nowhere for the border, for the border and things like that. You know, how what what are some of the ideas that you have are ways that we can slow down how much debt we’re creating every day?
Victoria Spartz [00:12:01] Well, this, I think, is a combination of in print money creating debt. And really some of the major funds go insolvent with the next 4 to 8 years, which are going to be serious calamity, fiscal calamity looming. And it didn’t happen overnight. It’s been neglected for two decades by Congress. Yes. You know, I think Reagan said, you have 40 years to deal with this problem. Well, guess what? It’s passed. And Congress even got even worse. Okay. We didn’t deal with. So but the runways get in very short. And you have to have a plan because if a crisis hit, you know, the solutions are going to not be very good for the American people. So we need to start working now because we we don’t really have time to deal with this issue. So we need to be thoughtful how you reform some of this, you know, programs, how you reform some of the spending. But really, we can just start with just eliminated fraud and abuse through corruption in our spending. And we’re talking hundreds of billions of dollars, certainly in health care, corruption, overbilling, Medicare, all the bill. I mean, we have large monopolies. And I used to I’m a CPA, so I you know, I know enough to be dangerous about javelins and stingers. What I’m dangerous was finances. No one like people, no finances. No, no, no. But I that’s something I’ve done for even so I can claim expertise. I was get got pay money in the real world. Yeah. So so I understand what’s happening in our balance sheets and my income statement which is really when a calamity bankruptcy situation we collect and right now 5 trillion and spend and 7 trillion was major funds will go insolvent and already have 35 trillion of debt. I mean this is going to be huge. We’re spending more the interest trillion dollars on the national defense. And this is going to have and now serious, serious effect on the economy and our, you know, our for one case, instead of investing in businesses, investing in that now subsidize government, that also has additional negative effects. But health care is human. 40% of our spending, we’re given to all big monopolies. Number one hospital my not my be the number two insurance numbers for pharma. That’s that they spend so much money trying to shuffle money around to all of this funds. And I said, you know what? Everyone should be on the table on the menu. We have high inflation. The price of health care outcomes are going down. One of seven Americas insolvency for medical debt. And we’re not getting health is a country and enormous of money is spent to subsidize, you know, all oligopolies. You know, that’s what we’re doing. It needs to stop. You know, that will help health care also have a focus on state budget, on businesses. And everyone is good and hard right now by this outrageous increases of prices of health care. So we have to stop the subsidies. It’s truly defrauding the taxpayer.
Kristy Kerns [00:14:43] Great. I, I my background is medical. And so I that’s actually why I got out of it is all this. It’s not it’s not medicine anymore. It’s complete politics. And who can write the script just because to get paid for it and nobody understands that. And it’s just to me, it’s like you said, we’re not getting healthier. We’re getting worse.
Victoria Spartz [00:15:02] Yeah. And productivity of our nation. Almost 30% of our children, I actually eligible to go in the military, you know, and majority of them not qualify because of health conditions. So, I mean, I’m like zero said, this is a national security crisis. We cannot have such on the Hill subpopulation. So we have we have to start thinking about that. But this is the discussion of how our farm bill should be. Also discussion of how can have healthier food, you know, not also subsidizing oligopolies. You know, I put like, it’s funny because I was trying to bring some transparency on some of their farm bills. So I was dragged through March by, this dumb woman doesn’t know what she’s talking about. Well, I might be a dumb woman, but I know what I’m talking about. A farmer. Okay. I actually can drive a combine. And I’ve been involved in farming, you know, so I’m going to start talking about that. I think that got a wrong person. Okay. And so stop is dumb, too. I have a working farmer working on my stock. We probably the only office has to work an actual farmers working in the office. So like, don’t tell me all that as this. People never seen probably a tractor in their life and real that sit on DC and lobby for big you know oligopolies meat processing that mostly controlled by Brazil and China and using slave labor right now from cartels you know under age children on their meat processing plants. And I mean it’s happening in Indiana and across this country. And I’m in we’re subsidizing them. And we actually do protection and they lobby against farm in Washington. C and before us farm it to pay billion dollar. To lobby against pharma. I said, I want to know. I’m, as a farmer, paying this check office. I want to know where they’ve got to go. OMG. Congresswoman demanded transparency. They viciously attacked me, but I said okay. You know, I kind of a personal like I fly, you’re going to attack me. I’ll make sure that the amendment is going to make it to the floor. So it was brutal, you know, but I think I hope we’ll have a serious discussions how we can actually have more innovation in agriculture, how we can have a healthier food, how we can help smaller farmers, you know, not just try to do so much consolidation that smaller farmers will not be able to survive in this world. So we need to think about that and maybe we’ll have a better discussion, not continue status quo. The same with health care. With all of this, issues are extremely, extremely important. They might be a lot of sexy issues that people like to talk about, but they’re extremely important for the American people.
Kristy Kerns [00:17:24] They’re real in their role. And it’s the how are we going to survive if we don’t have healthy food, the proper health care, We’re not there. To me, it’s like they’re trying to kill us.
Victoria Spartz [00:17:34] I mean, this happens now in medicine. And, you know, as long as, you know, dad will keep you on dialysis, you make a lot of money. Your perfect person. I mean, you know, they don’t want no one is there is no like outcomes based, value based payment system. It’s fee for service as long as they can do a lot of processes and maybe not the right even processes. And we keep subsidizing payment more in mandated, more wrong things, you know so which is actually make us unhealthy, less and less healthy as a nation. Yes, this is unacceptable. This is like destroying the productivity of a nation and the future of our children. So this is this Thompson number one priority. And I’m going to push my Republicans to start prioritizing that. So I hope more people will put pressure on. I’m glad that there is much more discussion on this issues on our side.
Kristy Kerns [00:18:23] Very much so. Yeah. I mean, you just go back to even the kids and the die and, you know, the all that stuff, radiation, you know, if you have cancer, go get radiation. They’re killing you. Like people don’t understand that.
Victoria Spartz [00:18:35] Like you, you know, instead of like, prescribe antibiotics or any medications over prescribe. I wasn’t prescribe ten, 15 medication. It’s crazy. Yes. You know, and then, you know, I always get, you know, like, you know, like you cannot like I know when I first came here, you know, I had like, you know, just climate diversion clients come in like from Europe. I had like sore throat. And they were like, you just do antibiotics every day. I’m like, Are you kidding me? I’m not going to do it. So I have some family in Germany, you know, my mother was German, so I said that, you know, I went to Germany and they gave me some hemming paddocks, things like doing it for a week and I’ve never had any problems with them, you know. But what if, like the guys that prescribe is this antibiotics? I would be taking them for several months and then I would need them some day They will not work.
Kristy Kerns [00:19:16] Because you become immune to that.
Victoria Spartz [00:19:17] Problem, you know, resilience citizen. And then I always get surprised how like in Europe, you know, you can have actually stronger painkillers and aspirin, but they’re not addictive. And here you go from like very like Aleve and admiral to something that is going to make you that should be used in the rare cases when you have a big surgeries and opioids that can make you addicted and destroy your life.
Kristy Kerns [00:19:38] And now they’re doing paying me and.
Victoria Spartz [00:19:40] Then they’ve got to be training them to spend on my now we’ve become the biggest drug dealer government selling all that stuff. And, you know, I mean, this is becoming a huge problem. So how we don’t have anything in the middle. I mean, I go to Germany and you go to Ukraine and you give them stuff. There’s so how is that we don’t have access to so much innovation. I mean, this is strange and this is role one.
Kristy Kerns [00:19:58] It’s interesting that you tapped into the drug dealers. I mean, we’re so concerned with drug dealing drugs coming over here. You know, your whatever, drugs right here, we are probably the number one drug dealer because of all the opiates that are sold. I mean, the money that they make on those is crazy. Yeah.
Victoria Spartz [00:20:14] And I think incentivizing doctors, I mean, that was, you know, just because we stand, doctor, by evaluating on base, you know how you feel good on pain and all this I mean this is really malpractice of government, truly killing all people. So corruption and greed and no one and there is no accountability for that because there is so much money laundering. The CEO like there is there is so much immunity, you know, for we give to different companies that they have no liabilities even if they harm you. I mean, this is crazy. Most of the businesses have responsibility and liability. That’s what not regulation but tort system that protects you from doing something wrong. And you can’t stop when you be able to be sued. And then we put a bunch of immunities in so many businesses. I mean, it’s crazy. You would be shocked when you read that code. I don’t like in Judiciary Committee. I’m like, wow, that’s pretty clever. You know that now? And we’re gone. Instead of going in court, they go to legislation much cheaper to put something in this omnibus that no one knows about. It’s about, you know, and then we know I mean, some of this stuff is crazy. So I think we need to make sure I put pressure on our branch. I mean, our branch completely abandon the American people. Congress. I mean, Congress is guilty no matter what. We blame presidents for a lot. But honestly, we have Article one branch was power of the purse and power of the war, you know, for a reason of foreign fathers give us the most power because the one powers to be disbursed. You don’t want to have kings and queens. That was extremely important for them. And our branch betrayed American people. And if we don’t get our act together and now, look, we have no excuse.
Kristy Kerns [00:21:44] No, no, no.
Victoria Spartz [00:21:46] You know, we had. We always blamed for this. Okay. Now we have both chambers and it will willing to govern. Then I’ll personally campaign to get rid of all of you.
Kristy Kerns [00:21:56] You do not.
Victoria Spartz [00:21:56] Deserve them to govern if we want to let the American people down. And we are not going to deliver and be wicked afraid of big money machine and don’t have a backbone to do the right thing. That will not work. And we’ll let Marxists win that. Unfortunately, we will fail our public. So this is our last chance. I truly believe American even American’s given us another chance. But this is our last chance. We either do it or we’re going to fail. And we are going to be guilty. My party will be responsible for this republic failing. That’s truly is. Because if we cannot do something, then that Marxists win and we’ll just see what Marxism is. I live in Marxism, then mob rule. So as long as I have lots of guns and ammunition, I’m ready. But I don’t think most American people got the most American people ready to know what mob ruler is a wanted man if that’s what they.
Kristy Kerns [00:22:51] Want to do.
Victoria Spartz [00:22:52] Well, that will get it. But I think that will be pretty tough for them to get out of it.
Rey Treviño [00:22:59] Wow. Congresswoman Christie, you guys, I’m loving this, the passion. And I love how you go. We’re killing each other. You say it’s conquered like you were there. Your buck stops with you. The fact that, Joe, you’re talking about the opioids and crazy that we’re the number one drug dealer. I actually never thought about that. Yeah, And how you’re saying our founding fathers didn’t mean for the president to do that. And you’re saying it is up to us for, you know, our security in our war. And we got something that we have a big issue with right now. Our borders are insecure and we are unofficially, in my word, at war right now with two different places right now, Iran and Israel. And we’re there in Ukraine and we’re spending more money over there doing that. I mean, what you know, what are we going to do about that? What do we do about the border and where do we see Ukraine going? Do you think Ukraine will get fixed before President Trump gets in?
Victoria Spartz [00:23:57] Well, listen, this is peace under ownership through stress, right? When America strong, you know, when we have good energy policies, you know, Russia, I mean, we took down Soviet Union by weapons, by energy policy. We made a deal with Saudi Arabia. Right. And by limited access to financial markets for Soviet Union. What we did, Hiroshi, did we put sanctions on oil? No. We harassing our own production? Yes, I went to Alaska oil pipeline. Enough capacity. You know, we we couldn’t do Keystone Pipeline, Right. We are destroying energy production domestically and let Russia to finance bloodshed, but lifted sanctions on Iran and they can finance bloodshed in the Middle East. You know, we let China run wild, take over Africa and promote enslaving the continent with the help of and back in the group. You know, I mean, take your resources and take them to into South America. So, I mean, we have the worst I mean, the most idiotic foreign policy that I’ve seen. So I think that’s why all this aggressors are moving. So if you think about what’s happened in Ukraine, it didn’t happen overnight. It started under Bush not being strong. Yeah. You know, then when you know, when Russia entered Crimea, Eastern Ukraine, Obamacare blankets to Ukraine. Yeah. So President Trump was the first president since Reagan actually had toughness with Russia. And he was probably the toughest on Russia than any other president. He said, not under my watch. He put sanctions on Russian pipeline Nord Stream two. He actually the one who increased production of our energy. He was among the Germans. No, no. You cannot be dependent on Russian gas. You got to be allies. Get to your 2%. You know, if you want to be strong as a neighbor. So he did a lot of things that transcend the nature. They might not appreciate it. And now maybe they’ll change your tune. Yeah.
Kristy Kerns [00:25:53] Yeah, yeah.
Victoria Spartz [00:25:54] You know, but he actually raised some issues of, well, not because energy security is a national security. International security. Yes. When United States for a reduces energy we able to help our allies and help to stabilize the economy, but also to not let the adversary to destabilize the world. You know, when we have strong economy and strong borders and America is strong, then our adversaries understand, don’t rule. But when we open borders, let terrorists runs through our borders, let the cartels control it, enslave bunch of people, overwhelm the system. Welfare system is crumbling. The economic system is crumbling. You know. Well, we have all this, of course, is going to be destabilize is contingent more and more. So we have to stabilize the country domestically, get our economy back on track, protect our borders, and toss some of this the adversaries, don’t you, dear? Malls and shit. All the president was able to do it right now is President Trump, whether you like him a lot, his style, he has toughness. When this leaders know.
Kristy Kerns [00:27:01] We need things that we need, that they care.
Victoria Spartz [00:27:03] About war. So, you know, they have described your statement on Twitter, my gosh, these people are bandits and criminals. But we laugh as we I mean, they’re like tough talk. We have terrorists. We’re dealing with is we’re not dealing with the sophisticated like like Europeans that talk for weeks or weeks about nothing. But you can talk at least with them. There’s a different people that truly understand the language of power and weapons. And they’ve they understand that we’re serious. They are we can have stability and then we can negotiate peace in the Middle East, which we need to we need to tell the scale and say enough is enough. Putin let Iran doing what they’re doing destabilize, you know, the whole Middle East. And I think there are a lot of, you know, countries there, even Arab countries, that I don’t think they want that stability. So I think they will if we work with them, they could actually have lasting peace with, you know, with Israel. And we need to make sure we support them. But Israel is doing the right thing. They total the scale and the direction to. No, don’t you dare. Yes. And. The peace committee was trying to Ukrainian president the horseless carriage. These were spies. I mean, I feel so bad. There are so many brave, great young people dying for freedom and the fact that they have to die. And unfortunately, elected government, their pain was blocked when pain was a lot of money and some blood to, you know, But there was a lot of blood, you know, but people need to think about leaders they lack. If they would have strong country, if they wouldn’t be stealing money, lose oligarchs and run the country and will be ready for the invasion, They did nothing before the invasion. Putin wouldn’t have ruled it. We would have a strong president. Heroes and people took serious not what he did. I’m going to some he’s not that.
Kristy Kerns [00:28:39] Domino.
Victoria Spartz [00:28:40] Okay? He understand the opportunity when he can move and he will move as much as he was want to led to be more. So we’ll need to have some toughness and you know, but this is going to be analogous. Conflicts are very hard to resolve. The longer this war continues, the harder they get to resolve. So it’s not going to be some some going to be resolved overnight. But President Trump can get something that we have to stop it from escalating.
Kristy Kerns [00:29:02] Yes, Agree. And that’s so exciting for every buddy. Everybody. Yeah.
Rey Treviño [00:29:08] Yeah. I mean, to the congresswoman, there’s just so much that’s going on. And how can you get through to the I’m going to call you the outsider. You know, I didn’t know that you were part of the Tea Party, which here in Texas was very strong at one time. Ted Cruz was was part of the Tea Party. And here in Texas, I think it’s transformed into something called a true Texas. But so you’re considered an outsider even in Republicans today. And as we talked about a few things during before before that, before we started this episode about how, you know, you’ve got, you know, forces working against you, how do you get the the regime or the long term congresspeople to actually take note over this six months and do something and lack of better words make a real change and make a difference?
Victoria Spartz [00:30:00] I said no. Establishments like to have me where I can go, walk and chew gum at the same time. I know the picture. But don’t underestimate the threat of Republican women. We have a lots of lots of both parties are coming out full speed, so we have to be strong still. But as a mothers, I believe in the future of our children understand how important we’re going to. You know, I’ve said I always say we need to pick our heels to die on, but we take them. Yes. You know, so I used to say Syria at least. I said, let’s just do one at least, you know. But I’ll tell you the problems that will be solved not in Washington, D.C., but will have to be bottom up. So I think we need to make sure that the movement that elected President Trump and the left are really a lot of Republicans with him. This is a Trump movement. Trump movement really elected a lot of this Republicans, you know, and they need to remind them that they’re not going to be there forever. And if not govern, they just get trade of them. So that pressure needs to continue and not just celebrate right now and think, we have this hooray, we have all this branches and continue business as usual, but actually become tougher. Yeah, more demanding now from Republicans and say we got you in through this power we would trust in you. You better believe it’s time. You know not such a bill not talking points. We don’t need to deliver talking points and I’m done for fighting China and Fox News. Give me a break. Okay. It’s a joke. Okay. That real is Karen. Yeah. Let’s put Thomas in an excerpt. We’re allowed to, you know, like we’re all people. I’m like, seriously, It’s a joke. You know, All the actions met, all the results matter. You will not be able to deliver results. Then we’re not worthwhile to govern, and we need to be replaced with other people. People need to start to think and demand accountability from each congressperson, senator that represent them. You know, and if they’re not, no matter how they personally give presentation and how they like this and they spend a lot of money to do good presentations and tell the right charging points, right. This is what the most politicians do, collect a bunch of money and then pull What what is Portland Good. What do you want to hear? Like retired now and you’ll hear what the how great I am. I’m like, no, no, no, don’t buy the BBC. Yes. You know, now make sure that you demand your representative to deliver on issues that they ran on, you know, and we need to make sure that we’re not hypocrites because we’re fiscally conservative. Only when Democrats are in charge. Yes. And then suddenly when we’re in charge of it, forget.
Kristy Kerns [00:32:15] Yes.
Victoria Spartz [00:32:16] And also because we have big machine of money that like to get a lot of money from federal government, too. And bankrupting the country will have a lot of oligarchs there that want to be on both sides. So we need to have enough is enough, you know, and I think that some some will be, you know, also important that people from ground up with enormous pressure on the Republicans to govern. And if they’re going to fail, get rid of them. And people need to send a clear message that we’re going to get rid of all of you and just have a clean slate.
Rey Treviño [00:32:44] You know, you talk about the fiscal responsibility. You know, does Congress respect the power of the person and like, you know, because you just don’t like respecting money, like, you know, good, bad or indifferent, you have to respect it. And it’s almost like they. Don’t respect it. It’s like, it’s okay, We’ll just go get another billion over here. Just go do it.
Victoria Spartz [00:33:03] So listen, the challenge is like we usually like, we don’t even know what numbers we’re voting on much, you know, like, what do you wish novel are usually have variations of numbers. That’s how bad it is. You know, we’re like, we don’t have any space in the county working for Congress at all like them. No one is interested. Nope. I’m going to put spreadsheet together. So this is what it is. I mean, we completely forgot that that is our function and structurally we just don’t have a structure now. So we need to really revisit. We have some short term things we need to do, which is dealing with reconciliation and have some plans, but revisit revisited a few times. I think one we did at the beginning of last century and then we did in the 70s. You know how the budgeting process work and it’s completely failed. Right now we have no we cannot pass budgets. I mean, unless it’s a joke, it’s a dog and pony show. It’s a circus and presentation. We have that ceiling coming up. We’ll have all of this grandstanding all going to raise and then we’re going to increase that ceiling. We have no plan to deal with it. Okay. So because you have to do it overnight, you will going to have all these presentations. We’re going to cut all this fat and this and this. We couldn’t even cut 1% cut with inflated spending. So it was already even if you adjust for inflation, it was 30% increase just in one year, you know, So we’re going to do nothing. And that’s a joke because you need to have a plan. You know, you need to you cannot overnight make big changes. You need to, first of all, socialize with people as your colleagues with stakeholders have a plan, make sure it’s good. You know, you need to have a thoughtful approach to something that’s been neglected for such a long time now and put people competent people to help us. Because most of people busy was, you know, was campaigning and fundraising. And as you council in the district, it’s a very, very difficult job, very demanding. So you don’t have time to actually spend as much time personal as you should be spending on governing and you don’t have help. We have a bunch of young college graduates running the country. They have no idea and they had no job. So so we need to put professionals, help us pick some big issues and have a serious conversation. Let’s move health care. Let’s start with some issue. Let’s let’s move energy policy, not politics. We have a lot of energy politics, but no policy. Let’s move this large policy, put it part of our consolidation that will help to grow the economy and relieve pressure from all of this debt and spending so we can have more money on spending on the right things like protecting our border, you know, like protecting our country and have more innovation in our military. Right now. We don’t you know, we actually need to think through all of this. And our adversaries are doing things that quite advanced, too, which shouldn’t be underestimated. Other countries, what they’re doing and they’re they’re watching us, you know, so we have to get much better. And a lot of things. I think the only good thing that innovation from private capital is still so significant in our country. Right? We have so much and we need to see how we can as a government think about it, how are we going to be solving this problem, but how we can help more innovation? I mean, you used to you never could imagine that you would have, you know, person can go in a spaceship and have a you know, I mean, the only, you know, all the trillion is Russia. And the United States could build spaceship. Now billionaires are building their budgets.
Kristy Kerns [00:36:12] Yeah.
Rey Treviño [00:36:12] Yeah, yeah.
Victoria Spartz [00:36:13] Let’s get it cheaper and cheaper. So become more and more. That is actually we have a lot more innovation and a lot of more interesting things happening in Brazil and other things, which is another conversation we should have, how we can protect people from potential abuses and from data collection, which was still weak. We were afraid even to put on the House floor that discussions because big tech is so powerful in Washington, DC. You know, on a bipartisan basis, I guess both parties are afraid of it, you know, But we have to have a serious discussion how to protect the people, private property, the framework, but also how we can make sure we don’t destroy innovations that can be made it happen, whether it’s in health care or whether it’s, you know, and I mean, in a lot of every area could be actually utilize and is already doing A.I.. But I think the data collection piece, we have to think through that and that’s has to be a deliberation discussion. So is there a lot of big issues of Congress has to deliberate, but Congress is doing circus and presentations, then messaging and then talking points and all of them fundraising. They’re nonstop. I mean, as I said, like a please, we need to govern at least a little bit. Okay? We cannot just have two years of the from election to start doing campaign. And again, everyone is campaigning nonstop, structural. It’s very bad for the country. But, you know, we have to do that. And I think that will be job of my party now and I’m going to resist that. I’m probably not going to be very nice. I’ll have to do some special operations to make Republicans great again. No, but I am responsible for my party. I can complain about either side. We’re very far apart in a lot of issues, but I’m responsible for my party leadership of my party and they’ll challenge them. That’s why, you know, my establishment. So my party would never elect me. I truly people of my party, people on the ground that I all. You know, and it’s a great honor representing them and kind of shows that, you know, what leaders and money can have actually, you know, you know, can be overcome by just people. People have still a lot of power in our country by people who don’t have power. I wouldn’t be someone who crossed the ocean, you know, barely speaking English, you know, and I still have my Yankee accent after 24 years in common with my suitcase and adventurous with all my ideas of greatness and you know how great the country is and everything about a republic and, you know, become, you know, have the honor of representing the American people in the United States Congress. I think this shows that American dream is still alive in America and people do have the voice. But we need to see less and less available for people. So we have to keep it strong and we have to be tougher.
Kristy Kerns [00:38:49] That’s a lot.
Rey Treviño [00:38:50] That’s a lot of Congresswoman, Very powerful very powerful. Well, you know, as we kind of wrap up here, if you will, and that was so amazing what you just said and powerful and you’re taking ownership. So I don’t I mean, I love you like I’m responsible for my party. And I think that’s awesome. But as we wrap up here, you know, is there anything you want to say to your constituents or just the American people out there on where you hope we go or what you hope to do or where you see us going? You know, just, you know, in a minute, you know, if anything else, one of the forgers covers.
Victoria Spartz [00:39:24] Listen, I just want to say I want people not to get discouraged when people have said I think this election show that people have the power. We’re still, you know, the government for the people, by the people. Don’t let somebody believe you otherwise as an American. We have different ideas. I want to pursue happiness, but just do it. Otherwise, we’ll be competing for the same thing with different skills, desires. And that is what really, you know, our country is about. You know, it’s about equality of rights, you know, and then you can pursue whatever you want, but nobody is going to tell you what to do. And this elitism and this is what superiority that they tried to built in D.C. is not accepted by American people. So we can see that people, you know, stood up and say not enough is enough. We’re not going to tolerate that. We need to get contraband drugs. So I think it’s a very positive things know, and I think our republic is getting back in the right direction and people understand, this is crazy. So I’m not you know, I know everybody wants to drink champagne on the beach. I, too. But at some point, black people are like, wow, we need to wake up. This shows that, you know? So I still believe the great times for our country are going to be ahead of us. We just need to make sure that we stay on my party. Yeah, I would encourage just not that Republicans failed the American people because there are so many powers. They’re going to move a lot of my colleagues in the wrong direction. There is so much pressure on Washington, D.C. not to do the right thing. You know, I always say there is no lobby for the people that we are doing the lobbying and we have to remind people that represent who they represent. You know, I know that all of our about money position, leadership and this and this, but they need to remember that people spoken and that’s who elected them. You know, and we need to remind that. So I think that is something very important because this is going to be a very important year. This is next year will be extremely important. And I think if Republicans don’t deliver the right thing, we might not have the House in two years. People will get really pissed off at us, rightly so. So I think I would encourage people to be involved and not get discouraged because I’m as an American, this is an amazing thing to be in America. You know, you you know, as someone who naturalized and came here. So I have a lot of appreciation for Americans. I hope a lot of Americans have an appreciation that you are powerful as an individual and you don’t have anyone superior to you. That is a very powerful thing. That was our country was built. We don’t have this class an elite, and somebody has to be, you know, we don’t have that. People don’t believe success or so and all these people don’t like that. And that is very powerful. So I have, you know, great admiration for our republic and for resiliency of our Republican Constitution and great hopes because people have spoken and they made a difference.
Kristy Kerns [00:42:06] That was powerful.
Rey Treviño [00:42:08] Well.
Victoria Spartz [00:42:09] It makes me cheer as
Kristy Kerns [00:42:12] This is. Yeah. Wow.
Rey Treviño [00:42:14] High fives all around. I mean, this was awesome. Congresswoman,
Victoria Spartz [00:42:17] thank you for having me. Thank you.
Kristy Kerns [00:42:19] Thank you.
Rey Treviño [00:42:20] And make sure because, you know, you’re you’re the you’re the epitome these days of representing what the American dream is. I can only do my best to fight to continue being your friend. And we all can only continue that we know whether we were born here or not. People are dying literally to get here. And I just you know, for everybody out there, your congresswoman, Victoria Sparks, please. You know, if you are, I’m going to go ahead and say this. I’ve never said this. Sit herself. Don’t wait for the next four years with her. I’ve never said something like that on my show with anybody. But this woman is just amazing. The power in this room right now and to our listeners out there, it’s awesome. We are blessed as Americans no matter who won. But again, we do are all bright side, bright eyed and bushy tailed and excited for the next year. And we have a year, America, to get this going and get it right. And that’s the Crude Truth. Victoria, Kristy, thank you all so much. Thank you all. And we’ll see you again on another episode of The Crude Truth.
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