Republicans are challenging President Joe Biden’s executive order to funnel federal taxpayer funds to get-out-the-vote efforts that favor Democrats.
Nine states have filed an amicus brief adding to a lawsuit against the administration’s unlawful election takeover, West Virginia MetroNews reported.
The funds come from Biden’s 2021 Executive Order 14019.
Opponents believe the order provides too much federal influence in the state elections.
Joining legal action against the Biden administration are the Secretaries of State from Montana, Wyoming, Indiana, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, New Hampshire, and West Virginia.
Mac Warner of West Virginia cited the U.S. Constitution to challenge the order.
“The President’s use of executive action to convert federal agencies into get-out-the-vote operations is prohibited by the United States Constitution,” Warner said.
“The Elections Clause of the Constitution specifically declares that the manner of running elections is left to the states, not the federal government.
“Registering eligible people to vote is an essential component and manner of running fair and secure elections,” Warner added.
Opponents specifically object to the executive order’s scheme to pay college students to register people to vote, Fox News reported.
In March, Democrat Vice President Kamal Harris touted the order as a positive move for the American system.
“We have been doing work to promote voter participation for students, and, for example, we have, under the federal work-study program, now allowed students to get paid through federal work-study to register people and to be nonpartisan poll workers,” Harris claimed.
“As we know, this is important for a number of reasons.”
The vice president claimed it was a way to “engage our young leaders” in elections and “activate them in terms of their ability to strengthen our community.”
Jason Snead, who is the executive director of Honest Elections Project, instead believes it’s all for the benefit of Biden’s reelection.
“The Biden administration is weaponizing the federal government to aid its own re-election efforts,” Snead pointed out.
“Using tax dollars to pay overwhelmingly liberal college students to register and turn out voters is only the latest scandal.”
“With Executive Order 14019, President Biden turned the entire federal government into a get-out-the-vote operation, and agencies are collaborating with left-wing nonprofit groups to get the job done,” Snead added.
“Using the levers of the federal government to aid an incumbent is an abuse of power and a threat to the democracy President Biden claims to cherish.”
Republicans are pushing back on this effort on several fronts.
Most recently, Wisconsin GOP Rep. Bryan Steil, who is the chairman of the House Administration Committee Chairman, sent a letter to Jay Rothman, University of Wisconsin president.
In a letter sent last week, Steil said:
“I am sure you would agree that it should not be the prerogative of a public institution that receives funding from American taxpayers to lead partisan ‘get out the vote’ (GOTV) activities or to enlist the participation of self-identified partisan advocacy groups for voter registration drives.”
Steil objected to “work-study funds” being used for “partisan purposes” at the institution.
“As we head into another election season, I ask for your assistance in guiding the Universities in a direction that avoids these pitfalls this year,” Steil said.
“I am also seeking your assistance in determining whether any federal funding sources, such as work-study programs, are being used in voter registration drives.”
Steil’s action was in addition to a lawsuit filed by 27 Pennsylvania GOP lawmakers who objected to the executive order, The Federalist reported.
Their lawsuit was dismissed by a lower court but could be reviewed by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Federal taxpayer money has no place in these efforts to increase voter turnout, especially when it was an action taken by the incumbent that allowed for it.
The administration is run by Democrats and any meddling in voting will certainly be done in favor of them over the GOP.
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