15 Biden Cabinet Secretaries Subpoenaed over Alleged ‘Tile the Scales’ Scheme
The chairman of the Committee on House Administration has issued subpoenas to the heads of 14 executive departments, as well as the director of the Office of Management and Budget—all members of President Joe Biden's Cabinet—to gather information on how each has implemented or plans to implement one of Biden's executive orders.
In a news release on Thursday (full text below), the committee announced it had started an investigation into Biden's Executive Order 14019, "Promoting Access to Voting," shortly after Biden signed it in March 2021, as reported by Fox News.
Committee Chairman Bryan Steil requested documents from the 15 Cabinet members on May 15 regarding what he termed "Bidenbucks" and described as an "attempt by the Biden Administration to tilt the scales ahead of 2024," and had received no response after nearly a month. Hence, the subpoenas were issued.
Biden's order mandates that "[e]xecutive departments and agencies (agencies) should partner with State, local, Tribal, and territorial election officials to protect and promote the exercise of the right to vote, eliminate discrimination and other barriers to voting, and expand access to voter registration and accurate election information."
In the cover letter accompanying the subpoenas, Steil wrote that his committee "has concerns about the implementation of E.O. 14019, particularly regarding its compatibility with provisions of the National Voter Registration Act (NRA) of 1993."
He argued that Congress—not the president—funds the executive departments and grants them the authority to engage in specific activities.
"Congress’s delegation of authority to [the departments] does not include using funds and resources to provide Americans with voter registration materials," he stated.
The Wisconsin Republican told Fox in a statement that the order was a "scheme" to get federal agencies to engage in "partisan activities" that Congress has not funded.
“[I]t’s no wonder Team Biden is using their authority and resources to target welfare populations with a federally funded get-out-the-vote effort,” said Foundation for Government Accountability president and CEO Tarren Bragdon to Fox.
“If they are allowed to fully execute their plan, it could swing the election outcome,” Bragdon added.
In the Senate, several Republicans in November requested details from the White House on how the order was being carried out and later wrote a letter to Biden "admonishing" him for the administration's lack of response.
“In April, a lawsuit challenging the executive order alleged it targeted key demographics to benefit the president’s political party and his own re-election,” Fox reported.
That suit, brought by 27 Republican lawmakers, was later dismissed but has since been appealed to the Supreme Court.
You can read the news release from the Committee on House Administration in its entirety below.
Today, Committee on House Administration Chairman Bryan Steil (R-WI) issued subpoenas to 15 Biden Administration cabinet officials for documents related to the Biden Administration’s Executive Order on Promoting Access to Voting. President Biden’s Executive Order 14019 directs federal agencies to promote access to voting through the use of federal agency resources. Evidence already shows that the Executive Order partners federal employees with partisan advocates to register voters ahead of the 2024 elections.
The Committee on House Administration began an investigation into this Executive Order shortly after it was announced. Chairman Steil first requested documents related to the cabinet secretaries work related to E.O. 14019 on May 15, 2024 and, to date, has not received any materials in return.
“Elections are partisan, but our election administration should never be partisan. Allowing federal employees from the Biden Administration to flood election administration sites threatens election integrity and reduces Americans’ confidence,” Chairman Steil said. “This Executive Order is another attempt by the Biden Administration to tilt the scales ahead of 2024. I will continue working to provide transparency and accountability on this Administration’s latest scheme as Congress did not appropriate taxpayer funds for partisan activities.”