The House of Representatives on Saturday passed a $ 25 billion infusion to the U.S. Postal Service in a bill that would also reverse new austerity measures and ban any attempt to delay the mail until at least next year.
The vote was 257-150 with 26 Republicans voting for the Democrats.
Democrats called the rare “emergency” session in the midst of the summer recession because they oppose President Trump and new Postmaster General Louis DeJoy trying to sabotage the 2020 election by delaying service delays that post-vote at the coronavirus pandemic may compromise.
“We are experiencing a global pandemic and now our US Postal Service is under attack,” said Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich. “Let it be clear: This administration is conducting an authoritarian campaign to sabotage these elections by manipulating the Postal Service to suppress our votes … This is not conspiracy theory. This is fascism. We will not stand for this.”
HOUSE DEMOCRATS FREE ADVANCE WITH $ 25B POST OFFICE PAYMENT, GOP INCLUDED RARE SATURDAY VOICE OF A ‘JOKE’
Rep. Gerald Connolly, D-Va., Said DeJoy is “a crown and great donor of the president.” Together, they campaigned to curtail the timeliness of mail delivery and erode public confidence in the Postal Service that – if successful – “would be the largest voter turnout in U.S. history since Jim Crow,” Connolly said.
Republicans dismissed the Democrats’ election concerns as a “conspiracy theory.” GOP members said the Postal Service is not in a crisis and could process any uptick in volume of post-in ballot papers, pointing to its $ 14 billion in available cash and access to a $ 10 billion loan from the Treasury.
“Like the Russian hoax and impeachment scandal, the Democrats have produced another scandal for political purposes,” Rep. James Comer, R-Ky.
Rep. Debbie Lesko, R-Ariz., Said Democrats use the Postal Service to increase “a new Trump conspiracy theory,” although the president does not control the postmaster general.
“Seems insane, but all too typical of the Trump-hating Democrats,” Lesko said.
Chamber member Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Speaks at a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, August 22. The House is set for a rare Saturday session to pass legislation to halt changes in the postal service and provide $ 25 billion in emergency funding. (United Press)
The legislation is not expected to go anywhere. The GOP-led Senate has no plans to pass the bill and the White House on Friday issued a veto threat that USPS does not require a $ 25 billion fee.
Trump on Saturday tweeted his opposition to funding for the Postal Service, linking it to his objections to universal post-vote.
“Vote NO to the money from Pelosi / Schumer HOAX that is taking place now,” Trump tweeted. “Then fight the $ 51 million unasked for ballots. Only ABSENTEE BALLOTS are acceptable!”
The Delivering for America Act would infuse the post office with $ 25 billion, reverse the service changes that DeJoy introduced this year, and prevent the Postal Service from taking any measures that could delay the mail until after the coronavirus pandemic as of Jan. 31, 2021. – – which is later.
The legislation specifically prohibits reducing services at postal facilities, shutting down mail sorting machines and removing community mailboxes. The bill would set limits on overtime pay, free hiring, delaying e-mail service and treating election mail if anything less than first-class mail.
Democrats point to growing constituencies’ concerns about postal delays coinciding with postal changes on DeJoy’s watch. DeJoy denied that all political motives were at stake, but told a panel of the House of Representatives that there had been an enlargement.
“We all feel bad about the dip in our service,” DeJoy said, adding that they were working to resolve the issues.
Under mounting pressure, a loud protest at his Washington home and alarm over the removal of blue collection boxes in communities, DeJoy announced Tuesday that he would take a break from all service changes until after the election.
“To prevent even the appearance of influence on election post, I suspend these initiatives until after the election is over,” DeJoy said.
In this video footage, U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy testified during a video virtual hearing before the House of Commons Committee on the U.S. Postal Service during COVID-19 and the upcoming election, August 21, at Capitol Hill in Washington. (U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs via AP)
But Democrats said DeJoy paused the changes only because he was “caught red-handed” and argued that emergency legislation was necessary to restrict him from mail delivery and the 2020 elections.
Rep. Carolyn Maloney, DN.Y., chairwoman of the House Oversight Committee, produced a new internal Postal Service document on the House floor Saturday that she says has revealed a significant drop in service standards at the Postal Service since DeJoy made changes. The document was a presentation prepared for DeJoy on August 12th.
PELOSI RIPS TRUMP FOR THREE TO ‘WRITTEN’ VOTERS: ‘DO NOT PAY UP TO THE PRESIDENT’S SITTING’
“To those who still claim that there are ‘no delays’ and that these reports are just ‘conspiracy theories’, I hope these new data cause them to rethink their position and support our urgent legislation today,” Maloney said.
Republicans took a few shots at Maloney during the debate, pointing to her primary race in New York City, which took weeks to call as election officials struggled to count post-in votes. They said their race should serve as a warning against the dangers of universal post-vote for the November elections.
“If anyone knew, it would be the chairman of this committee who would have to wait six weeks after election day to get the results of their election,” Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, who rejected House legislation as a political “charade.”
“Imagine what the Democrats want to do – throw live votes out there for everyone.”
The Postal Service has lost about $ 80 billion since 2007 due to a decline in postal volume and a congressional request that the Retirement Service of the Postal Service retire health benefits. The problems at the Postal Service have been under the spotlight especially this year with the pandemic and greater dependence on post-in services.
The postal service board asked earlier this year for the $ 25 billion in funding from Congress and Democrats agreed. The funding was initially included in the $ 3 trillion coronavirus bill passed by the House in May, but the HEROES Act died in the GOP-controlled Senate.
Republicans and the White House said the $ 25 billion is not necessary and they took particular issue with the language that DeJoy is blocking from carrying out reforms at an agency that loses money.
DEMS HIT HOME PUBLIC FOR USPS ENTERTAINMENT
White House staffer Mark Meadows said Trump “has not at the moment instructed or appointed the Post Office to cut back on overtime, or any other operational decision that will delay things.” He said the process of removing blue mailboxes and sorting machines began in 2011 and the Postal Service has “more than enough money in its bank accounts.”
White House Secretary of State Mark Meadows
The vote Saturday, consumed between the Democratic and GOP conventions, was occasionally heated on the House floor.
Rep. Stephen Lynch, D-Mass., Said that American democracy is now more threatened than during the September 11 terrorist attacks, because the country is more divided and the threat comes from within.
WITTHUIS IS VETO-THREAT TO $ 25B USPS PAYMENT PAYMENT OUT
“Today, the current administration is the biggest threat to our democracy,” said Lynch of the Trump White House.
Rep. Jody Hice, R-Ga., Shot back that Democrats are doing the damage to America. “The biggest threat to democracy in the country is the current majority in the House of Representatives,” he said.
Chamber member Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Urged Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., To respond to constituency concerns about delays by mail and the bill.
“Public sentiment is everything,” Pelosi said. “They will hear from their constituents because this is coming home. Do not receive your email on time. At home, you will not receive prescriptions, especially for our veterans, at home in a way that is harmful to our country. “
The 26 Republicans who are working with Democrats to approve the $ 25 billion funding bill were: Nebraska Reps. Don Bacon and Jeff Fortenberry; Republic of Ohio Troy Balderson, Steve Stivers, David Joyce and Mike Turner; Illinois Reporter Michael Bost and Rodney Davis; Rep. Vern Buchanan of Florida, Missouri Reps. Sam Graves and Ann Wagner; Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania; Rep Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington; Texas Reps. Will Hurd and Michael McCaul; Reporter from Michigan, Fred Upton, reps. From New Jersey, Jeff Van Drew and Chris Smith; New York Reporter John Katko, Peter King, Elise Stefanik and Tom Reed; Rep. Doug LaMalfa of California; Rep. David McKinley of West Virginia; Rep. Pete Stauber of Minnesota and rep. Don Young of Alaska.
