Biden admins' infrastructure law 'yard signs' may violate campaign finance law: Ted Cruz

Texas Senator Ted Cruz has accused the Biden administration of violating the Hatch Act by using taxpayer dollars to post signs crediting the president for the 2021 infrastructure law. These signs have been posted by infrastructure projects. Cruz says they are the equivalent of "yard signs."

In a letter written to the head of the Office of Special Counsel, Cruz pointed to White House guidelines specifying that signs should state, "Project Funded by President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law." Historically, presidents and public officials have included their names on signs announcing projects they supported. However, Cruz argued that the Biden administration has gone too far by "unilaterally rebranding the infrastructure law as President Biden’s. "

“I write to refer this to you for investigation as a possible violation of the Hatch Act, federal law that broadly prohibits using taxpayer dollars for campaign activity,” Cruz wrote in the letter, which was provided to Politico. “Congress, not President Biden, wrote [the infrastructure law], and it did not do so to aid the President’s reelection campaign.”

“These displays are nothing more than campaign yard signs courtesy of the American taxpayer,” he added. The White House responded to these allegations in a statement to Politico, with spokesperson Robyn Patterson asserting that the signs “promote transparency and inform taxpayers how federal dollars are being spent.” 

Patterson also criticized Cruz for not voting for the law, stating, “If Senator Cruz were half as concerned about Texas kids getting safe drinking water as he is about signs, he might have voted for the Infrastructure Law and to send $31 billion to tackle essential infrastructure needs across Texas,” she said. 

“President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is building roads, expanding high speed internet access, and replacing lead pipes across Texas,” Patterson added.

The White House sign guidelines include similar wording for other laws, such as the Inflation Reduction Act, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the American Rescue Plan, passed in 2021 as COVID relief. The guidelines specify that signs should read "Project Funded by President Joe Biden’s [Insert Name of Law]" along with the phrase "Investing in America."

Cruz also pointed out that the red, white, and blue “Investing in America” logo was “purposefully designed to look like the Biden-Harris campaign logo” and was created by the same firm. This, he argued, further blurs the line between government transparency and campaign promotion, potentially violating the federal law designed to prevent such misuse of taxpayer funds.