Pelosi: Ignore what Trump says
President’s words designed to suppress vote, Speaker claims
WASHINGTON: The House is meeting for a rare session over mail delivery disruptions and poised to approve legislation to reverse recent changes in US Postal Service operations and send US$25bil (RM104bil) in emergency funds to shore up the agency ahead of the November election.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi recalled lawmakers to Washington for the debate over objections from Republicans.
President Donald Trump often rails against mail-in ballots and has said he wants to block extra funds for the Postal Service.
“Don’t pay any attention to what the president is saying because it is all designed to suppress the vote,” Pelosi told reporters at the Capitol.
The day-long Saturday session comes as uproar over mail interference puts the Postal Service at the centre of the nation’s tumultuous election year, with Americans rallying around one of the nation’s oldest and most popular institutions.
Millions of people are expected to opt for mail-in ballots to avoid polling places during the Covid19 pandemic.
New Postmaster-General Louis DeJoy has testified in the Senate that his “Number 1 priority” is to ensure that election mail arrives on time.
But the new postal leader, a Trump ally, said he would not restore cuts to mailboxes and sorting equipment that have already been made.
DeJoy could not provide senators with a plan for handling the ballot crush for the election.
“We are here today because our democracy is being eroded by this administration,” said Jim McGovern, chairman of the rules committee, in his opening debate.
He argued that Trump is trying to halt mail-in ballots, afraid that so many Americans will vote he could lose the White House. — AP