Biden officials summoned for sworn testimony on voter mobilization EO by GOP chairman.

A House Republican has issued subpoenas to five Biden administration officials for sworn depositions, alleging that their respective agencies did not comply with previous congressional subpoenas to provide strategic plans for implementing President Biden's Executive Order on Promoting Access to Voting.

In March 2021, Biden signed an executive order titled "Promoting Access to Voting" that directs executive departments and agencies to collaborate with state, local, tribal, and territorial election officials to safeguard and enhance the right to vote, eradicate discrimination and other impediments to voting, and enhance voter registration and precise election information.

Senate Republicans have scrutinized the plan, labeling it a federal "voter mobilization" effort with "potentially partisan impacts."

In June, Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Wis., as chairman of the Committee on House Administration, issued subpoenas to Biden's 15 cabinet secretaries for their detailed plans regarding the order, which is just five months before the November election.

On Thursday, he issued another set of subpoenas, targeting officials he alleges possess "direct knowledge" of how their respective agencies executed the EO.

Officials from the Department of Labor, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Justice, and Department of Agriculture were subpoenaed to appear before a court and give testimony under oath.

Steil stated that Americans are entitled to transparency and trust in their elections. Nevertheless, the Biden Administration has disregarded a legally binding congressional subpoena and declined to cooperate with our inquiry into their strategy to employ federal agencies to boost voter turnout.

The National Voter Registration Act of 1993 raises concerns among the Committee regarding the implementation of E.O. 14019.

By law, Congress assigns specific functions and missions to federal agencies, but does not authorize the use of funds and resources to distribute voter registration materials.

"The subpoena declares that only U.S. citizens who choose to register to vote must have the opportunity to do so, and every lawful vote must count according to law. Additionally, the subpoena emphasizes the importance of increased voter registration and participation, which is a shared goal among all Americans. However, the subpoena also highlights the need for our actions to always comply with the Constitution and federal law."

According to Steil, the Constitution grants States the primary responsibility for establishing election laws and administering elections, including voter registration, under Article I, section 4.

According to Steil, the Elections Clause contains a federal "fail-safe," which delegates power to Congress, not the President. As a result, the President's role is limited to enforcing enacted legislation passed by Congress, and the President must exercise great restraint when attempting to act on election law.

Additionally, the Constitution's voting rights amendments and federal law safeguard the right of U.S. citizens to vote. To preserve these rights, Congress has enacted laws that make it illegal for noncitizens to vote in federal elections and for anyone to aid noncitizens in their attempts to vote.

The DOJ, HHS, HUD, Dept. of Labor, and Dept. of Agriculture were contacted by Planet Chronicle digital for comment.