Ranking Member Ernst, House Chairman Williams Demand Documents on the SBA’s Voter Registration Activities and Political Travel
WASHINGTON – Today, Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Small Business, and Congressman Roger Williams (R-Texas), Chairman of the House Committee on Small Business, wrote to the Small Business Administration (SBA) demanding additional documents on the SBA’s voter registration activities and political travel. Chairman Williams and Senator Ernst issued the following statements.
“Biden’s Small Business Administration officials have absolutely no business pushing a partisan agenda on the taxpayer's dime,” said Ranking Member Ernst. “While our small businesses are struggling to make ends meet in Biden’s economy, leaders at the SBA should be fully focused on their official duties. It’s past time to open the books and bring transparency to all SBA activities involving voter registration and political travel. Bureaucrats breaking laws, be warned!”
“Today’s letter is a continuation of our Committee’s investigation into the SBA’s voter registration and electioneering efforts,” said Chairman Williams. “The SBA has shown a serious lack of transparency regarding the travels of senior SBA officials, including Administrator Guzman. Main Street – and the American People – have a right to know what exactly is going on and how the SBA is spending their hard-earned tax dollars. I hope the SBA will be forthcoming with us and provide us with the requested documents as we continue our investigation into this matter.”
Read the letter here.
Background:
Both the Senate and House committees are investigating the SBA’s activities involving voter registration and political travel. The letter underscores both committees' concern that the SBA is actively taking steps to obstruct congressional investigations into its voter registration efforts and alleged political activities.
Just last month, a video recording of an SBA special advisor alleged that SBA Administrator Guzman was indirectly campaigning for President Biden and other Democratic members of Congress in contested elections on trips the Administrator takes around the country.
Following the video, Ernst demanded answers from Guzman. Her letter has gone unanswered. Nearly seven weeks after members of the House committee requested information, the SBA provided a briefing to the House committee regarding the SBA’s voter registration activities. When asked about where the committee can find information about these trips, the SBA simply directed the committee to the Administrator’s Twitter account. Further, when asked about where small businesses can go on their website to find events with SBA officials, the SBA failed to provide a clear answer.
The committees believe the SBA is obstructing investigations and evading accountability from American taxpayers—the very people who fund these trips. The letter requests calendar entries and trip itineraries for senior SBA officials that have surfaced during the committee’s investigation.
Ernst and Williams will continue working to investigate the SBA’s voter registration and apparent political activities and overcome any obstructions the SBA throws in the face of the American people.
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