The House of Representatives, meeting in a rare weekend session, on Saturday approved a bill banning the U.S. Postal Service from making “any changes” that would restrict service until the November election.
The bill, approved by a largely unanimous vote of 257 to 150, reflects fears among Democrats that President Trump is trying to sabotage postal service for his political benefit. It would prevent postal workers from removing mailboxes from street corners, shutting down mail sorting machines or paying overtime for postal workers.
Despite strong opposition from GOP leaders, 26 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, including rep. Doug LaMalfa, who represents a most rural California district from just north of Sacramento to the Oregon border. An additional 24 delegates did not vote, including 23 Republicans.
The emergency measure would also provide $ 25 billion as needed to fund the postal service, an amount requested earlier this year by the U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors in response to the COVID-19 crisis.
Despite support for two parties, the bill is unlikely to be passed by the Senate. The White House threatened a presidential veto in a statement issued Friday that described the House bill as “an overreaction to sensationalized media reports.”
The pandemic has left millions of Americans voting by mail this year instead of usually standing at local polling stations. It is an option that is welcomed by suffrage advocates but repeatedly criticized by Trump as vulnerable to fraud.
Democrats say they were alarmed by reports of posts piled up and the potential for delays in the delivery of medical drugs and controls for social security and unemployment, as well as absent votes. Post workers pointed to orders to pay for overtime and to remove high-speed high-speed machines for mail as a means of saving money. Critics blame the Trump administration’s newly appointed postmaster general Louis DeJoy, a North Carolina businessman and a leading Republican donor.
DeJoy testified Friday before a House committee and said the Postal Service was “fully capable” of delivering ballot papers safely and on time.
“This sacred duty is my number 1 priority between now and election day,” he said. He also said that the postal service cuts were underway before he was appointed in June.
But Democrats were not assured. They noted that DeJoy did not specify that he would resubmit the recent changes that have received widespread complaints.
On the house floor called rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) DeJoy the ‘boss of chaos and voter oppression’ and said the postmaster had helped produce a crisis at the postal service to underscore public confidence in the vote by mail.
“This is not a partisan issue. The American people do not want anyone to mess with the postal service, ”said Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (DN.Y.).
Last weekend, House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi called lawmakers back to Washington and said DeJoy had “proved a conspiracy theorist” in the president’s ‘campaign to sabotage the election by manipulating the postal service to exempt voters.’
Other California Democrats told reporters they had received an “attack” of complaints and concerns about the threats to the postal service.
“I have never seen such a reaction from the public, citizens’ concerns about their perception that the election is being interfered with and that interference came directly from the White House,” Rep. Mark Takano (D-Riverside). “I do not think the American people are out of line and demanding that their representatives protect a fundamental part of their democracy.”
When the House of Representatives voted, President Trump asked Republicans to vote no.
“Representatives of the Post Office have stated several times that they do not need money, and will not make any changes. “This is yet another HOAX by the Democrats to donate $ 25 billion unnecessarily for political purposes without talking about the Universal Mail-In Ballot Scam,” he tweeted.
Back on Saturday, Republicans accused Democrats of spreading a “conspiracy theory” that the delivery of the mail or the vote by mail was in jeopardy. They said the postal service said it could easily process an increase in emails this fall.
House Minority leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) said the postal service would be well funded by next year and he accused the Democrats of ‘wasting precious time spreading speaker Pelosi’s mailbox myths. ‘
Republicans said the real problem with the postal service is that it has run a huge shortfall due to the decline in first-class mail – which in turn calls for cost cuts, including reducing overtime pay for postal workers.
Rep. Rob Woodall (R-Ga.) Said the Democrats’ only response “is to throw more money at the problem.” He also slammed Democratic leaders for holding a vote Saturday on postal legislation, two days before a House oversight committee is due to question DeJoy.
