GOP committee raises concerns about Biden agency’s actions in key state, citing alarming document.
The House Committee on Small Business has raised concerns over a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Biden administration and the state of Michigan. This agreement aims at registering voters in Michigan with a potentially unconstitutional political agenda in mind, according to the committee.
In March, Biden’s Small Business Administration (SBA) announced a MOU with the Michigan Department of State to “promote civic engagement and voter registration in Michigan.” This collaboration, deemed the “first-of-its-kind,” immediately caught the attention of the committee.
The MOU, now available in the Congressional Repository, details the coordination between Michigan and the Biden administration. The state will provide the agency access to training resources related to the online Michigan Voter Information Center (MVIC). Additionally, the agency will offer voter registration training to all personnel involved in activities under this agreement.
The MOU further discusses the creation of a unique URL for the SBA to drive online visitors to register to vote and allows in-person voter registration at the federal agency’s business outreach events. Committee Chairman Roger Williams expressed concerns over the SBA’s involvement in federal elections, emphasizing that their focus should be on supporting small businesses.
Referring to the Michigan agreement as a means for the state to act as a “campaign arm” for Biden’s re-election, the committee released maps overlaying SBA events, census data, Michigan Department of State data, and information on Democrat-targeted voter blocs. This suggests potential voter registration targets for the upcoming effort.
An investigation revealed that most SBA outreach events from January to April occurred in counties with high Democratic National Committee target demographics. Moreover, the Michigan counties with significant voter registration increases in the past year were populated by young and Black voters, crucial voting blocs for the left.
The House Small Business Committee vowed to hold accountable those misusing taxpayer dollars for electioneering efforts. Chairman Williams emphasized the importance of transparency in the SBA’s activities, particularly concerning Administrator Guzman’s travels and alleged indirect campaigning for Biden in battleground states.
Following President Biden’s 2021 executive order directing federal agencies to promote “access to voting,” the coordination between the SBA and Michigan garnered attention as a potential effort to influence voting in a crucial swing state.
The House committee recently subpoenaed SBA Chief of Staff Arthur Plews and his special adviser, Tyler Robinson, after they failed to appear for scheduled interviews and provide relevant documents. Plews, now represented by personal counsel, is in negotiations to meet with the committee.
