Partisan acrimony reached one of the most obscure outposts of the federal government on Thursday, when House GOP leadership voiced its opposition to a Democratic nominee to the Election Assistance Commission.

In a statement, House Minority Leader John Boehner (Ohio) criticized the White House for nominating House Administration Committee aide Tom Hicks to the EAC last week without including a GOP counterpart.

Boehner suggested Senate Republicans should hold up Hicks’ nomination until sitting EAC Commissioner Gineen Bresso Beach, a Republican, is re-nominated by President Barack Obama to the agency, which has an $18 million budget and is responsible for administering the Help America Vote Act of 2003.

“Given the considerable challenges currently facing the commission, I was troubled that President Obama did not also announce action on my recommendation to re-nominate Commissioner Gineen Bresso Beach — an already proven and valuable asset to the successful administration of elections,” Boehner said in a statement. “I urge the President to act swiftly to re-nominate Bresso Beach so that she and Mr. Hicks can be considered by the Senate at the same time.”

A White House spokesman did not respond to a request for comment on the EAC nominations.