What Are Bidenbucks?

The topic of discussion for Constitution Monday is Bidenbucks, critics’ term for a controversial order from President Joe Biden in 2021. According to Fred Lucas, Biden’s order “directs federal agencies such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture to get involved in elections.” Lucas reported that the “White House and its Office of Management and Budget instructed federal agencies to use a ‘template’ for determining the cost of implementing President Joe Biden’s executive order to encourage voter participation.” 

Several members of Congress contend that Biden’s order on turning out the vote for elections could violate the Antideficiency Act, a law that has three parts. It prohibits federal employees from obligating tax dollars not authorized by Congress, prohibits officials from not spending money as appropriated by Congress, and prohibits agencies from accepting voluntary service from individuals.

Biden’s controversial Executive Order 14019 requires federal agencies to participate in voter registration activities and help third-party organizations perform those activities on agency premises.

Potentially, this could involve spending government funds, contracting with third parties for the payment of those funds, or accepting voluntary services by these “approved” third-party organizations such as Demos.

Biden’s order appears to violate at least two provisions of the Antideficiency Act, said Stewart Whitson, senior director of federal affairs at the Foundation for Government Accountability, a conservative watchdog group, told The Daily Signal.

But, Whitson added, to determine whether the Biden administration is violating that law, it’s necessary to know where the money is coming from, where it’s going, and what it’s being used for.

Existing posts of money, for example, could be distributed by the Department of Agriculture to state agencies to help carry out voter registration activities, he suggested.

“Even if the Biden administration were to claim that no public funds are spent to carry out EO 14019 – a dubious and laughable claim --  this effort would still violate the Antideficiency Act because it would mean federal agencies were accepting voluntary services from these third-party organizations to help carry out EO 14019, who also happen to be politically aligned with the current administration,” Whitson said.

Neither the Agriculture Department nor the Office of Management and Budget responded to The Daily Signal’s request for comment on this report.