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Ukrainian-born Victoria Spartz has recently made headlines, not just for her decisive victory in a hotly contested primary, but also due to the contention surrounding her voting patterns on key Ukraine-related matters in the United States House of Representatives. Spartz, who is representing Indiana’s 5th congressional district and is the first naturalized citizen born in Ukraine to be elected to the U.S Congress, has been in the eye of a hurricane due to votes considered by some critics as failing to align with the interests of her birth nation, Ukraine.
One of the examples that have drawn particular criticism is her vote against the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for the fiscal year 2021. The NDAA is a significant annual legislation that sets the budget and policies for the U.S defense department. This bill contained an amendment – the ‘Russia Sanctions’ amendment – proposing harsh sanctions on Russia. Proponents asserted that the amendment was necessary to dissuade Russia from actions undermining the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. Spartz voting against the bill attracted sharp censure from critics who saw the move as at odds with the interests of Ukraine, notwithstanding her Ukrainian lineage.
In a similar vein, Spartz also voted against H.R. 9051 – an upgraded version of the ‘CASH Act’ aimed at increasing direct stimulus payments to Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic. This bill had another important amendment addressing Ukraine, named the ‘Protecting Europe’s Energy Security Act’, that proposed imposing punitive sanctions on companies involved in the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project, a Russo-German joint venture, generally perceived as threatening to Ukraine’s economic and security interests. Again, critics highlighted a seeming dichotomy between Spartz’s votes and her Ukrainian origin.
In response to these criticisms, Spartz and her team maintained that her position reflected her commitment to fiscal conservatism – a principle that involves economizing public expenditure and advocating for judicious use of taxpayers’ money, rather than any antipathy to Ukraine. They underlined that these votes were in line with her commitment to smaller government and fiscal responsibility.
Moreover, as a naturalized U.S citizen, Spartz argues that her primary duty is to serve the interests of her constituents and the United States, irrespective of her birthplace. This view is one she has consistently upheld. When pitted against Democrat Christina Hale in the November election, Spartz made a compelling case for her candidacy, arguing that her unique life experience, marked by living under Soviet oppression in Ukraine and subsequently immigrating to the U.S, has given her a nuanced understanding of the importance of safeguarding America’s freedoms and liberties – the American Dream, as she put it.
As Spartz faces further scrutiny and pressure, these instances reiterate the complexity and delicate nature of her unique role – both as the first Ukrainian-born U.S Congresswoman elected and as a representative of the interests of her constituents in Indiana’s 5th congressional district. In the coming days and years, her actions could continue to serve as a focal point of discussions regarding what it means to balance constituent, national, and international interests.