The House Administration Committee is issuing subpoenas to 15 members of President Joe Biden’s Cabinet to investigate his 2021 executive order on “promoting access to voting”. The committee, chaired by Rep. Bryan Steil (R-WI), is seeking documents related to the implementation of the order, specifically regarding its compliance with the National Voter Registration Act of 1993.
In the letter, Rep. Bryan Steil is subpoenaing 15 members of Biden’s Cabinet for carrying out an executive order too close to the election. The committee is targeting an executive order Biden signed in March 2021 on “promoting access to voting.”
According to Steil, the committee has concerns about the order’s provision requiring federal agencies to submit strategic plans on promoting voter registration and participation. Agencies such as the Department of Education and Small Business Administration have already submitted their plans, sparking questions and concerns.
Steil framed the executive order as a partisan scheme and accused the agencies of trying to flood election administration sites, threatening election integrity and reducing Americans’ confidence in the process. He added that the committee is considering legislation to repeal the order and require the agencies to submit their plans to Congress.
The subpoenas, which were served on May 24 and are due by June 26, were sent to 15 Cabinet members, including Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra, Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, Attorney General Merrick Garland, Director of the Office of Management and Budget Shalanda Young, acting Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Adrianne Todman, and acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su.
The letter stated that the committee “has not received a response” to its May 24 request for documents related to the Department of Labor’s work on the order.
