WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Roger Williams (TX-25), Chairman of the House Committee on Small Business, released an interim staff report on the Committee’s investigation into the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) voter registration activities including its Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Michigan Department of State (MDOS). Chairman Williams, Speaker Mike Johnson, and Congressman Bryan Steil (WI-01), Chairman of the Committee on House Administration, issued the following statements.

“The SBA was created to ‘to aid, counsel, assist and protect’ the interests of small business concerns. They have strayed so far beyond their intended mission as they have expanded their reach into registering voters,” said Chairman Williams. “The evidence found by this Committee is extremely alarming and more importantly - it is a disservice to Main Street America. As this Committee continues to investigate this alarming issue, we will use every tool available to put an end to this abuse of taxpayer resources.”

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“The investigation led by Chairman Roger Williams and the Committee on Small Business has exposed not only the improper use of executive authority but also significant concerns about actions taken by an agency that may jeopardize the integrity of U.S. elections.

“The stark contrast between the SBA’s core mission and its involvement in voter registration activities highlights the urgent need for greater transparency and accountability. The American people have a right to know how their tax dollars are being spent, especially when it involves actions that could influence elections,” said Speaker Johnson.

“I commend the Committee for its crucial work in holding the SBA accountable, and House Republicans are committed to working with the Trump Administration to end the weaponization of government power and countless abuses imposed by the Biden-Harris Administration.”

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“Elections are partisan, but election administration should never be partisan,” said Chairman Steil. “The Biden-Harris Administration partnering with the Michigan Department of State to use your taxpayer dollars for a partisan purpose should never be allowed. Americans deserve safe and secure elections. Thank you, Chairman Roger Williams, for your work on this important issue.”

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Read the story here.

Read the full report here.

Background:

Throughout the 118th Congress, the House Committee on Small Business has investigated the SBA for various reasons including the implementation of E.O. 14019, Promoting Access to Voting, a MOU between the SBA and the Michigan Department of State (MDOS), as well as allegations of partisan political activity at the SBA.

The apparent partisan designs of the E.O. and MOU, along with the relationship between the agency and left-leaning organizations regarding the E.O.’s implementation and the partisan history of senior SBA officials leading the agency’s voter registration efforts, appeared to position the SBA to provide a competitive edge for the 2024 Biden and Harris presidential campaigns.

The Committee expanded its investigation after disturbing allegations were made by an SBA political appointee indicating how SBA Administrator Guzman was indirectly campaigning for President Biden. These statements, in addition to the MOU’s partisan design and the SBA’s potentially partisan behavior, raise serious doubts that this MOU merely promotes civic participation or is an appropriate use of SBA resources.

The allegations of partisan activity have also precipitated a parallel investigation by the Office of Special Counsel into potential Hatch Act violations by SBA officials under the Biden-Harris Administration. Not only is this far outside the scope of what the Small Business Administration should be engaged in, federal agencies shouldn’t be using taxpayer resources to insert themselves into our elections to begin with.

Throughout this investigation, the SBA has consistently failed to be forthright and transparent with the Committee. Despite the Committee’s accommodations to the SBA to expedite document production, the agency has consistently provided unresponsive, conflicting, and misleading information to the Committee. The SBA’s unwillingness to cooperate with the Committee’s constitutional duty to conduct oversight has forced the Committee to issue three subpoenas into the agency’s voter registration efforts.

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