House Republicans are planning to grill Small Business Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman over allegations of taxpayer-funded electioneering in Michigan. They are questioning the Small Business Administration’s behavior in registering voters in Democrat-heavy precincts in the state. Republicans are seeking documents and information regarding the agency’s voter registration agreement with Michigan officials, which was made in response to President Joe Biden’s Executive Order promoting access to voting. Lawmakers, led by Texas Rep. Roger Williams and Sen. Joni Ernst, have criticized the agency for allegedly diverting resources from assisting small businesses to voter registration efforts.
The House Small Business Committee has been demanding documents and travel schedules of top agency officials, including Guzman, who has been referred to as the “most-traveled” cabinet member. However, the agency’s compliance with these requests has been deemed insufficient by lawmakers, who claim that the agency has been uncooperative in producing relevant documents. The SBA has refuted these claims, stating that they have provided extensive information in response to congressional inquiries. Democrats on the panel have dismissed the Republican demands, accusing them of tarnishing the committee’s record of bipartisan cooperation in supporting American entrepreneurs.
There have been allegations of politicization within the committee, with Democrats linking Republicans to conservative advocacy group Project 2025 in order to criticize their actions. Republicans argue that the SBA should focus on its original mission of supporting small businesses rather than getting involved in voter registration efforts in swing states. The committee has also raised concerns regarding the agency’s decision to stop active collection on COVID-era small business loans under $100,000, as well as the billions of loan dollars that were mistakenly sent to fraudulent concerns. The committee also plans to address proposals by Vice President Kamala Harris regarding small business tax deductions.
Overall, the House Small Business Committee is at the center of a controversy surrounding the Small Business Administration’s alleged involvement in voter registration efforts in Michigan. Republicans are demanding transparency and accountability from the agency, accusing it of diverting resources away from supporting small businesses. Democrats, on the other hand, believe that the Republican demands are politically motivated and are tarnishing the committee’s bipartisan cooperation record. The committee is set to question Administrator Guzman on a range of issues, including the agency’s handling of small business loans during the COVID-19 pandemic and Vice President Harris’ tax deduction proposals for small businesses.
