Work-study work uses’ payer funds to expand the Democrats ‘ agenda’: congresswoman
Students who are “anti-racism practices” are required to assist a left-leaning political party record and train voters, according to a job advertisement at Penn State University.
A prominent Republican lawmaker’s concern over the Biden administration turning the economic assistance programme into a “vote-buying prize” has been raised by the job.
The place is offered through Penn State’s Community Service Federal Work Study Program, and it is posted on the school’s jobs site and DEJobs. nonprofit. It invites Penn State individuals to serve as” political commitment ambassadors” for a regional League of Women Voters section.
According to the job description, kids” does work to support the membership and training of society voters.”
The task lists desired skill set, including “equity and inclusion”, which it describes as “expanding knowledge, attitude, knowledge, and skills to engage evenly and include people from different local and global cultures and participate in anti-racism practices”.
The position is available to both graduate and undergraduate students. They are required to work 8 to 10 hours per week at a rate of$ 14 per hour, the description states.
According to the blog, students may work with the Centre County section of the League of Women Voters, a community organization that encourages “informed and lively contribution” in the state.
The national firm is non-partisan and it does not accept individuals. However, its jobs correlate more with the Democratic Party, including on abortion, weapons, climate change, and female runners who identify as female competing in women’s activities.
Over the past week, The College Fix has received numerous requests for comment via email and phone. The university media relations did not respond.
Amy Widestrom, the executive director of the Pennsylvania League of Women Voters, declined to comment. She told The Fix that the internship is not offered by her organization and that she did not “have any information about it.”
However, Virginia Foxx, the chair of the U.S. House Education Committee, claimed the job is “another attempt by the Biden-Harris administration to federalize elections and use taxpayer funds to advance the Democrats ‘ agenda.”
Spokesperson AnnMarie Graham-Barnes also referred The Fix to Foxx’s earlier comments on the U. S. House floor, criticizing the Biden administration’s directive allowing work-study jobs to include registering voters.
” Here’s the truth: the Biden administration is turning the Federal Work-Study program into a vote-buying sweepstakes”, Foxx said in March. The American people are not fooled, they say,” Enough with the smoke and mirrors already.”
Student’s political views ca n’t be’ taken into account in hiring’
The U. S. Department of Education issued guidance on the change in late February, stating work-study jobs may include registering voters.
The positions must not be partisan and” not connected to a particular interest or group.” Additionally, a” student’s political support or party affiliation” can not be “taken into account in hiring”, according to the department.
A department official informed The Fix that private non-profits cannot hire students for partisan or non-partisan political work using work-study funds in an emailed statement.
However, the funds may be used for voter registration activities when students are employed directly by a postsecondary institution, which allows a federal, [state], local, or tribal public agency to employ people for civic engagement work that is n’t done to advance a particular interest or group, according to the official.
A follow-up email from the department asking if it would check the position at Penn State to see if it was in line with the guidelines was ignored.
Meanwhile in Pennsylvania, Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration also has been promoting work-study voter registration jobs.
According to Al Schmidt, secretary of the Commonwealth, counties are always looking for poll workers and need roughly 45, 000 to help them with every election.
More young people should be filling these positions, because their participation in our representative democracy is crucial for its survival. Schmidt said.
When contacted about the work-study position at Penn State, a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Department of Education declined to comment to The Fix.
In order to promote civic engagement and the democratic process, the Biden administration leaders have argued that higher education is a crucial area to focus on. College students have a lower voter turnout than other demographics.
In the February memo, department official Nasser Paydar stated that the department is” committed to supporting institutions in their efforts to raise civic awareness and involvement among students” and that the department will support institutions where FWS recipients are employed in positions involving voter registration activities.
Many universities, including Penn State, provide voting resources to encourage their students to register in upcoming elections. Additionally, legislators have been pursuing ways to increase college students ‘ civic engagement and knowledge.
However, Congressional Republican leaders like Foxx claim that the Biden-Harris administration’s changes to the work-study program will be used for the benefit of Democrats.
” It’s about as crooked as it gets”, Foxx told The Fix in March. ” Every time I think this administration ca n’t stoop any lower, I’m proven wrong”.
MORE: Republican AGs accuse Ed Dept. of partisan vote harvesting for Democrats
IMAGE: Andrey Popov/Shutterstock, Penn State University Careers
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