Staff Reports
During a congressional hearing, Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ) voiced concerns about the Small Business Administration (SBA) and its alleged efforts to assist President Joe Biden in securing the swing state of Michigan in the upcoming election. The House Small Business Committee convened to investigate the SBA’s involvement in voter registration efforts in Michigan, which is viewed by both parties as a crucial battleground for the November elections.
Witnesses at the hearing expressed alarm over the SBA’s actions, with Elaine Parker of the Job Creators Network Foundation labeling it as “election interference.” SBA Administrator Isabel Guzman described the SBA's collaboration with the Michigan Department of State to promote voter registration as a “first-of-its-kind collaboration,” framing it as part of the Biden administration's broader initiative to enhance “access to voting” within federal agencies.
.@RepEliCrane puts it simply: the SBA is going into Michigan to get out the vote because President Biden needs to win that swing state.
This is not a normal or fair process. pic.twitter.com/3GYE6wVvPC
— House Committee on Small Business (@HouseSmallBiz) June 4, 2024
Stewart Whitson, another witness at the hearing, highlighted Michigan’s critical role as a battleground state, suggesting that the SBA’s involvement could significantly influence the election outcome. Whitson also claimed that other federal agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Labor, were similarly engaged in voter registration efforts to benefit the Biden administration.
Rep. Crane referenced comments made by Tyler Robinson, a special adviser to the SBA, which indicated that SBA Administrator Guzman had traveled extensively to swing states with Democratic members of Congress, indirectly campaigning for President Biden by emphasizing investments in specific communities.
The testimony from witnesses and Rep. Crane’s concerns highlighted the partisan implications of the SBA’s actions and the potential misuse of federal resources for political purposes. Recent polls showing former President Trump leading in Michigan by a narrow margin underscored the state's importance as a battleground in the upcoming election.
In the 2020 election, President Biden won Michigan by a slim margin. The SBA’s involvement in voter registration efforts has raised questions about the agency’s impartiality and its adherence to its federal mandate.
