Midwest
Biden agency chief has 'slow-rolled' SBA's cooperation in electioneering probe says House committee
EXCLUSIVE: The chairman of a House committee tasked with overseeing small business and commercial issues sent the Small Business Administration (SBA) a scathing letter Friday outlining how it has purportedly failed to hand over sufficient subpoenaed documents.
Rep. Roger Williams, R-Texas, previously noted the SBA used a 2021 Biden executive order on “promoting access to voting” to forge a “Memorandum of Understanding” (MOU) with the Michigan Department of State.
The way the MOU has been acted upon is controversial and potentially unconstitutional, Williams has said, as he and others in Congress previously accused the SBA of using it to funnel resources to a swing state in a partisan way. He previously said the SBA is “diverting its resources away from assisting Main Street so it can register Democratic voters” in Michigan.
On Friday, Williams wrote SBA administrator Isabel Casillas-Guzman to criticize “lackluster production of documents pursuant to the committee’s July 30, 2024 subpoena.”
LAWMAKERS DEMAND ANSWERS FROM TOP MICHIGAN OFFICIAL OVER ALLEGED ‘WEAPONIZATION’ OF TAXPAYER FUNDS FOR ELECTIONEERING
Small Business Committee Chairman Roger Williams, right, is accusing President Biden of using the Small Business Administration as a campaign arm. (Getty Images)
Williams had asked for, and later subpoenaed, travel calendars for agency staff, as well as other key documents in his probe into whether SBA’s work under the MOU is indeed partisan or worse.
“Since the first request was made by this Committee on March 20, 2024, the SBA has produced approximately 500 pages of documents, a substantial portion of which is just one email chain; further, nearly 20 percent of the documents produced by the SBA were entirely unresponsive to the Committee’s requests,” the letter went on.
“It remains unclear why the SBA has slow-rolled productions and wasted time producing documents that were either nonresponsive to Committee’s requests or duplicative.”
WATCHDOG GROUP SUES FEDS FOR RECORDS AS LAWMAKER CALLS VOTER REGISTRATION EFFORTS A ‘SLAP IN THE FACE’
Small Business Committee Chairman Roger Williams is targeting a partnership started by the Michigan Department of State and Small Business Administration chief Isabel Guzman. (Getty Images)
In May, the SBA was also sued on a coinciding front by the conservative Oversight Project, a government transparency watchdog, after it too made Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests for similar documentation.
In that filing, plaintiff Mike Howell called the documents sought a “matter of widespread and exceptional media interest in which there exists possible questions about the government’s integrity which affect public confidence.”
In Friday’s letter, Williams said the SBA has provided “zero calendars” despite the subpoena, as well as a document describing the “implementation plan” of its voter outreach work, as required under President Biden’s separate order.
Williams also said he is aware of the aforementioned separate FOIA litigation and that the agency attested therein that such a document does exist.
A source familiar with the committee’s work said government officials also accused the panel of making baseless allegations surrounding the investigation and said the agency is trying to cover up any electioneering.
Williams told Fox News Digital on Friday he remains disappointed at what he characterized as a woefully insufficient response by the SBA.
“Instead of cooperating with basic congressional oversight, the SBA has once again given us documents that are not responsive to our requests – despite their claims otherwise. With the presidential election less than three months away, our investigation is more important than ever,” Williams said.
“Let me be clear, this Committee will not stop until we put an end to the SBA’s abuse of taxpayer resources, and ensure they refocus their efforts to the mission of supporting Main Street.”
Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, who was not party to the letter but has been a key voice in the upper chamber on the matter, said that if the agency has done nothing wrong, then it should welcome “the opportunity to share its work.”
“There is a very simple solution here – for the SBA to stop playing games and be fully transparent.”
The SBA, through a spokesperson, argued late Friday the agency rightly provided “extensive testimony, briefings, transcribed interviews, documents and other information in response to congressional inquires, including the Committee’s most recent subpoena.”
“We are continuing the work to fulfill the subpoena beyond our initial document production. Any suggestion that the agency is conducting improper work or that its response has been anything other than cooperative is simply not true,” the spokesperson added.
Fox News Digital’s Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.
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Detroit, MI
Detroit People Mover resumes service after nearly 2 months of repairs
The Detroit People Mover is back up and running after being closed for the past two months for repairs following storm damage.
According to the Detroit Transportation Corporation, the People Mover reopened to the public at 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday.
High winds on March 13 forced the People Mover to undergo a series of repairs, including undercarriage sheet metal removal, track cable communications and switch mechanisms.
Over the last 16 days, People Mover cars have been out for tests ahead of the reopening.
“Rider safety is always at the heart of what we do, and it is our responsibility as a public transit provider,” DTE CEO Melia Howard said in a statement. “The time was a necessary requirement to restore key, operational components and is an investment in the continued reliability of the system. We take pride in the role that the People Mover plays for residents, workers and visitors, and we look forward to being the go-to public transportation for both daily rides and special events which bring everyone together.”
Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee teacher in the running for ‘America’s Favorite Teacher’
MILWAUKEE – This week marks Teacher Appreciation Week and, as many teachers are honored throughout the week, one local educator is in the running for one of the nation’s top honors.
America’s Favorite Teacher
What we know:
Tina Gleason, a teacher at Golda Meir School in Milwaukee, is in the running to become “America’s Favorite Teacher” and needs the support of the community to earn the title.
Gleason is going up against thousands of teachers nationwide. But each week, that list narrows down.
This week wraps up the quarterfinals – where Gleason will rely on public vote to move on.
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Gleason has been teaching for 31 years. Almost half those years have been catered to STEM and sustainability education.
“I think it’s just an honor to be recognized,” said Tina Gleason. “I’m just excited to be in the running at all, I had no idea I’d make it to the quarterfinals.”
How to vote
What you can do:
Voting for the quarterfinals ends on May 7 at 9 a.m. A single vote is free – while a larger quantity requires a donation to The Planetary Society.
Help Tina Gleason become America’s Favorite Teacher by casting your vote here.
The Source: The information in this post was provided by America’s Favorite Teacher.
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