![shutterstock_691976461 (5)](https://www.rightwing.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/07/shutterstock_691976461-5-696x464.jpg)
(RightWing.org) – The government is facing pushback over a scheme to register key swing state voters. The administration is trying to use federal agencies to get people registered. A conservative think tank argues that this is an abuse of taxpayers’ money for partisan political reasons.
Biden Weaponizes Agencies to Boost Vote
On July 12, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration related to a voter registration scheme being run by the Small Business Administration (SBA). The taxpayer-funded federal agency is carrying out a directive under Biden’s Executive Order 14019, which forces federal agencies to promote voter registration.
As part of this initiative, the SBA is working with the Michigan Department of State to enroll more voters in the state. Michigan is one of seven key swing states that will likely decide the outcome of November’s presidential election — and Biden is losing ground to Trump in all of them. The AFPI says EO 14019 is using federal resources to “turn federal agencies into partisan voter registration machines.”
The AFPI has filed its suit in the Northern District of Texas, and it’s being supported by several Republican legislators. As well as the group itself, it’s brought in two legislators — Representatives Ronny Jackson (R-TX) and Beth Van Duyne (R-TX) and Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R) — as additional plaintiffs. In a statement, Jackson accused the Biden administration of “unfairly and illegally” trying to win the election with help from the “well-oiled DC swamp.” LaRose called the voter registration program “cynical” and wrong.
Pointing out the fact that Biden used an executive order to force agencies to register voters, AFPI election integrity chair Ken Blackwell said that Congress hasn’t authorized the initiative or funded it. He said AFPI wants to make it “easy to vote but hard to cheat.”
As well as the lawsuit, the AFPI is trying to find out exactly what was discussed before the Michigan SBA launched its voter registration plan. The group has filed a Freedom of Information Act request asking for communications between the Biden administration, the SBA, and Michigan officials.
There’s already evidence the plan is aimed at signing up more Democrats. After Biden signed the executive order, administration officials held a meeting to discuss how to implement it — and all the attendees at that meeting were left-wing groups, including the ACLU and an activist group linked to failed Democrat gubernatorial candidate Stacey Adams.
Are these groups likely to target groups that lean Democrat when they go looking for potential voters to register? The AFPI is worried that’s exactly what they’ll do.
Copyright 2024, RightWing.org