by Natalia Mittelstadt
Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) are partnering with a left-leaning nonprofit on voter registration efforts under the “Bidenbucks” program, which is President Biden’s executive order to convert as many federal agencies as possible to get-out voting -the-vote (GOTV ) is concentrated in all states.
Federally funded health centers serving low-income patients are partnering with a progressive nonprofit on voter registration efforts to implement Biden’s sweeping executive order requiring the apply of the federal government to register voters.
Vot-ER, a left-leaning nonprofit, works with FQHCs across the country to register voters who are patients of these health centers. The non-profit organization took part in: Department of Justice meeting with other left-leaning organizations to assist GOTV efforts being rolled out by the Biden administration across federal agencies.
According to HealthCare.gov, FQHCs are “federally funded nonprofit health centers or clinics that serve medically underserved areas and populations. Federally qualified health centers provide primary care services regardless of ability to pay.”
The website of the Commission on Medicaid Payments and Access and CHIP notes that FQHCs “provide care in underserved areas” and that “state Medicaid programs must cover services provided by FQHCs.”
In March 2021, Biden signed Executive Order 14019, often called “Bidenbucks” by critics, a reference to “Zuckerbucks” – approximately $400 million from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg that is widely believed to have been donated by left-wing nonprofits to obtain Democratic votes in the 2020 presidential election year.
According to Executive Order“The head of each agency shall evaluate ways in which the agency may, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, promote voter registration and voter participation,” including “by soliciting and facilitating approved, nonpartisan third-party organizations and government officials to provide on-site voter registration services.” agency.”
Like “Bidenbucks,” “Zuckerbucks” gained attention when the Center for Technology and Civic Life (CTCL) donated approximately $350 million to local election offices managing the 2020 elections, with most of the funds going to Zuckerberg’s nonprofit organization. Nonprofit claims its 2020 election donations were made allegedly without partisan preference to make voting safer during the pandemic.
However, a House of Representatives investigation found that less than 1 percent funds were allocated to personal protective equipment. Most of the resources were focused on them voting efforts and registrations in areas heavily leaning toward Democratic Party candidates.
The controversy emerged after evidence came to airy of disproportionate private funding going to Democratic-leaning jurisdictions and claims that the imbalance helped tip the 2020 election in Biden’s favor. 28 states have restricted or banned the apply of private money to finance elections, while 12 individual counties have also restricted or banned the apply of private funds, – reports the Capital Research Center.
According to Public records obtained by Heritage Foundation Surveillance ProjectThe Department of Justice held a “listening session” in July 2021 with multiple nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) on the implementation of “Bidenbucks.”
Heritage found that every NGO participant with a political donation history or party affiliation could be identified was a Democrat, except for a member of the Green Party.
One of these NGOs was Vot-ER, which claims to be “a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization working to integrate civic engagement with health care.” according to his website.
Voice-ER speaks “develops nonpartisan civic engagement tools and programs for every corner of the health care system – from private physicians to medical schools to hospitals.”
Those who work with Vot-ER are “united by a common vision: healthy communities powered by inclusive democracy.” group website claims.
Vot-ER advertisement that it has programs in “over 500 hospitals and clinics” in 43 states and Washington, D.C. “and helped tens of thousands of Americans register and prepare to vote.”
Vot-ER’s three programs are the Community Civic Engagement Program, Vot-ER Badges, and the Civic Health Fellowship.
Social Civic Engagement Program is Vot-ER’s “flagship small grant program that expands nonpartisan civic engagement through voter registration and turnout initiatives at community health centers.” Vot-ER partners with the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) and AltaMed in a program that partners with “Community Health Centers, Federally Qualified Health Centers, and other similar organizations.”
The subsidies they range from $5,000 to $10,000 and are offered to “participating partners, enabling them to integrate civic engagement initiatives into their existing health center operations.” Initiatives covered by the grants “include nonpartisan voter registration and efforts to increase voter turnout.”
Vot-ER badges are worn by healthcare workers and have QR codes on them that patients can scan “to access an unbiased, self-service voting platform where they can register, request an absentee ballot and learn about upcoming elections.”
However, according to A NACHC document entitled “Voter Registration: Best Practices at Community Health Centers” on the Vot-ER website, health care professionals are provided with guidance on how “to avoid the impression that health center staff may be suggesting how registrants should vote.”
Health care workers are there advise against “Allowing delivery drivers and other employees to wear a VotER lanyard with a QR code and text message at work; Using telehealth visits to promote voter registration; Having staff other than those with appropriate training to advise patients on registering to vote orally or in writing.”
Civic Health Association is an eight-month program in which healthcare providers are “trained and equipped to drive change” in their communities “through voter engagement.”
Community organizing instructors will do this teach colleagueswho “will emerge with a deep understanding of civic engagement, health equity issues, and effective community mobilization techniques.”
Participating companions they will also gain “[d]a deeper understanding of health disparities and medical racism and how we can combat them in our everyday work.”
The founder of Vot-ER is Alister Martin (pictured above, right), a physician who was, among others, Member of the White House for the 2021–2022 class and located in both the Office of the Vice President and the White House Office of Public Engagement. Federal Election Commission documents show that Alister Martin, founder and chairman of Vote-ER, made campaign contributions only to Democratic Party candidates.
Martin is on too Outreach and Education Advisory Panel for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services under the Department of Health and Human Services.
Vot-ER did not respond to a request for comment Only News according to presstime, but Vot-ER executive director Aliya Bhatia (pictured above, left) he said Washington Examiner in a statement: “We assure you that our voter engagement efforts do not support or oppose any political party or candidate. Our focus is on connecting voter registration and health-related outcomes.”
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Natalia Mittelstadt graduated from Regent University with a bachelor’s degree in communication and administration.
Photo “Alister Martin” by Alister Martin. Photo “Aliya Bhatia” by Voter. Cover photo “Vote Sign” by Tony Webster. CC BY 2.0.
