In the wake of a congressional hearing on Tuesday that delved into the ways in which the Small Business Administration (SBA) under President Joe Biden has appeared to engage in electioneering, lawmakers and experts are pointing out the “lawless” nature of the practice as the November elections approach.
The hearing, conducted by the House Committee on Small Business, sought to expose how taxpayer funds are being used by the SBA for voter registration efforts in violation of federal law.
In March 2021, Biden signed an executive order stating that federal agencies “shall evaluate ways” to “promote voter registration and voter participation,” including “soliciting and facilitating approved, nonpartisan third-party organizations and State officials to provide voter registration services on agency premises.” As has since been uncovered, this EO has led to the SBA signing official agreements with the Michigan Department of State (MDOS) to fund voter registration efforts.
But as GOP lawmakers are highlighting, it just so happens that Michigan is a key battleground state that will play a vital role in electing the next president in November.
During the hearing, Committee Chairman Roger Williams (R-Texas) pointed out that the SBA “entangled itself in electioneering activities that not only lack a constitutional basis, but also betray the trust and purpose for which the Agency was established.” He went on to note that instead of pursuing policies that help small businesses, the SBA has “decided to dedicate their staff’s time and resources to register voters in a key swing seat ahead of the 2024 election.”