House GOP subpoenas Biden's agency heads over 'potentially partisan' get out the vote 'scheme'

15 Biden Cabinet officials have been sent subpoenas by the House GOP, asking for documents related to a voter mobilization "scheme" that allegedly stemmed from an executive order handed down by the Biden White House in 2021. 

Rep. Bryan Steil (R-WI), who chairs the Committee on House Administration, issued the subpoena to the 15 Biden Cabinet secretaries over the order. The executive order, Promoting Access to Voting, states, "Executive departments and 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," per a report from Fox News.  

Senate Republicans have already called the order into question, calling it a federal "voter mobilization" effort with "potentially partisan impacts." Steil issued the subpoena, citing the 15 members' roles in carrying out the order from Biden.  

"The 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," Steil wrote to the agency secretaries in a subpoena letter.  

EO 14019 states that its goal is to "ensure that registering to vote and the act of voting be made simple and easy for all those eligible to do so." 

Steil added in his letter, "Congress delegates to federal agencies specific functions and missions, which by law they are required to follow. Congress's delegation of authority to HUD does not include using funds and resources to provide Americans with voter registration materials." 

"Moreover, E.O. 14019 requires every federal agency to submit a strategic plan outlining how the agency can promote voter registration and voter participation," Steil added. "Over the last few months, some agencies have taken actions that were likely outlined in their strategic plans. Examples include the Department of Education's new federal work-study requirements, and the Small Business Administration's entrance into a voter registration agreement with Michigan." 

"Both of those actions and the actions of other agencies raise substantial questions and concerns, some of which may be answered by access to the strategic plans drafted by the agencies."  

Steil added in the letter that the House committee is considering legislation that would repeal the executive order from the Biden White House. The subpoena list includes the Department of Commerce, Department of Defense, Homeland Security, Department of Education, Department of Energy, Health and Human Services, Justice Department, Department of Interior, Department of Labor, Office of Management and Budget, Housing and Urban Development, Department of State, Department of Transportation, Treasury Department, and the Department of Agriculture.  

In a statement to Fox News, Steil stated, "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." 

He said that the order is a "scheme" to carry out "partisan activities" that Congress did not appropriate funds, adding, "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."