USPS chief to halt changes to mail until after election
Postal Service under pressure from lawmakers amid fears of ballot delivery delays.
WASHINGTON – The head of the U.S. Postal Service said he would pause operational changes at the agency until after the November election after lawmakers expressed fear the changes would hinder the collection of mail-in ballots.
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said in a statement he had been making changes at the agency to ensure its longterm sustainability, but “to avoid even the appearance of any impact on election mail, I am suspending these initiatives until after the election is concluded.”
“The Postal Service is ready today to handle whatever volume of election mail it receives this fall,” he said, adding that “standby resources” would be engaged on Oct. 1 to handle the increased volume of election mail. He said a task force on election mail would also be expanded.
DeJoy’s reversal on the changes comes amid increased scrutiny from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle over changes and service cuts at the agency. He is set to testify before the Senate on Friday and the House on Monday, where he will likely face pointed questions from lawmakers.
Democrats slammed the cuts to service they say slowed mail delivery and would have possibly hindered the agency’s ability to handle a surge of mail-in ballots in the November election.
Congressional Democrats sent DeJoy a 10-page letter Friday detailing the changes at the Postal Service they feared could delay the mail. Democrats also requested documents and information explaining the changes.
Among the shifts in service that worried them was a move to stop treating all election mail as first-class, cutbacks in overtime and a ban on “late” or “extra” delivery trips.
The Postal Service warned election officials around the country last Friday that not all ballots may be delivered in time to be counted even if they are requested before state deadlines and mailed back promptly.
The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted many states to allow more people to vote by mail to provide an alternative to in-person voting and reduce crowds on Election Day.
President Donald Trump has defended his administration’s management of the agency and has said he opposes additional funding for the Postal Service in spite of his acknowledgment that service delays threatened the November election. Instead, the president has argued the Postal Service has longstanding financial problems and needs to be reformed.
Democrats asked for $25 billion in recent coronavirus stimulus talks to help the Postal Service handle the uptick in mail-in ballots. But discussions over aid to help Americans struggling as a result of the virus imploded with no deal. White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, however, indicated Republicans are open to passing a bill providing the $25 billion to the Postal Service.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, DCalif., called the Democratic-controlled House back early from its recess to vote on legislation Saturday preventing any further changes at the Postal Service.
Speaking alongside congressional Democrats at a news conference outside the Postal Service headquarters in Washington, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., told reporters the legislation before the House would include provisions restoring the service and granting $25 billion in funding for the Postal Service.
Hoyer told reporters the legislation the House would consider on Saturday would make sure DeJoy could not make further changes.