The House of Representatives will attend on Saturday for a rare weekend to consider democratic legislation that would prevent the U.S. Postal Service from making functional changes that could invalidate the delivery of postal messages for the November election.
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy
Louis DeJoyTensions flare as senators grill postmaster general The Hill’s 12:30 Template: Postmaster General tries post-vote fears Postmaster General proves votes will be prioritized for delivery MORE announced earlier this week that it would suspend cost-cutting measures until after the election. But Democrats warn that it is not enough and the movements already introduced have not been reversed, which have resulted in delays in mail delivery.
“These efforts to hurt the Postal Service and undermine our democracy must end,” House of Oversight Committee Chairman Carolyn Maloney
Carolyn Bosher MaloneyWhite House threatens to veto Democrats’ bill for postal services The Hill’s Morning Report – Coronavirus, character and Michelle Obama headline Day 1 for Dems DHS denies government government dog that top officials were wrongly appointed (DN.Y.) said Friday.
The legislation written by Maloney is expected to be largely along party lines, although it may attract the support of a handful of GOP lawmakers who have also expressed concerns about delayed mail delivery. It is likely dead on arrival in the Senate, where Leader is for majority Mitch McConnell
Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellNew report finds top House staff more diverse than in 2015, but still white tensions flare as senators grill postmaster general Republicans leave states MORE (R-Ky.) Has rejected the idea of bringing a stand-alone mail account to the floor, without other coronavirus measures required by the Trump administration.
The bill would prevent the Postal Service from making any changes to its operations that would result in reduced services, such as closing postal facilities, limiting overtime, removing mail sorting machines or treating election mail as anything other than first class. .
It would also provide $ 25 billion for operations of Postal Service, a figure originally recommended by the agency’s board and included in the Democrats’ $ 3.4 trillion coronavirus relief package that went through the House in May.
The vote comes amid a heated debate over the future of the Postal Service, prompted by DeJoy’s rise to the top of the agency this summer, and the subsequent cuts he made, including eliminating overtime for mail carriers; removing sidewalk side boxes and sorting machines; and scaled hours back at some regional post offices.
Democrats have shouted, accusing DeJoy – a wealthy GOP donor with no previous government experience – of trying to prevent mail delivery from taking advantage of President Trump
Donald John TrumpCEO of parent company National Enquirer steps out Biden that he would shut down US in the midst of pandemic when scientists said it was necessary. Warren is calling for board members of the Postal Service to fire DeJoy or MORE in the November election, when about 80 million voters are expected to cast post-a-vote as a health facility during the coronavirus pandemic.
“If you do not want people to vote – if you are afraid of the public – what you want to do is suppress the vote by mail and not have the means to be healthy. [in-person] voice, ”Cracks Nancy Pelosi
Nancy PelosiDemocrats prep ads, events to hit Trump during GOP convention Democrats look to capitalize on Biden’s big moment The Hill’s Convention Report: Postmaster General grilled | Looking forward to GOP convention | Trump campaign goes billions in MORE spending (D-Calif.) Said Thursday in a virtual interview with The Washington Post.
‘They say,’ Well, we need to cut this and that we need to cut that. ‘No, we do not. We need to serve the American people, ‘she added.
The postal service changes came because Trump has repeatedly tried to question the credibility of the postal vote, despite the absence of votes in multiple Florida primaries this year itself.
DeJoy testified Friday before the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee that the Postal Service is “fully capable and committed to delivering the nation’s election mail safely and on time.”
DeJoy also acknowledged that “we all feel bad about what the dip in our service, the level, is” in response to Sen’s question. Rob Portman
Robert (Rob) Jones PortmanGOP Senator draws fire from all sides on Biden, Obama-era probes Ron Johnson signals what GOP senators worried about his Obama-era probes Davis: The Hall of Shame for GOP senators keeping quiet about Donald Trump MORE (R-Ohio) on the delayed delivery of medicines to veterans who have their prescriptions filled through the Veterans Affairs health system.
Republicans are cutting costs on measure that DeJoy is pursuing, for the most part, and giving them as a routine. GOP leaders are actively urging their members to vote against the bill and accuse Democrats of promoting a “conspiracy theory.”
Rep. Steve Scalise
Stephen (Steve) Joseph ScaliseGOP Leader: ‘There’s No Place for QAnon in the Republican Party’ Trump Gambles on Law and Order Strategy Loomer Profit Causes Bigger Problem for House GOP MORE (La.), The GOP whip, said Friday that Pelosi has created “a fabricated crisis.” Rep. James ComerJames (Jamie) R. ComerHouse Proposes B to Be Approved for Postal Service in Rare Saturday Vote Clyburn bashes Post cuts: It’s a service, not a matter House Republicans advocate Democrats fabricate USPS crisis MORE (Ky.), The top Republicans in the House oversight committee, spoke to Democrats for plans for Saturday’s vote before DeJoy testified before the panel Monday.
“Unfortunately, I do not have a time machine to take me to Monday when the drafters of this bill will learn from the Postal Service itself whether its politically motivated crisis story is in reality,” Comer said in testimony before the House Rules Committee on Friday. to prepare the legislation for the floor.
A total of 26 House Republicans signed a letter to GOP leaders and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin
Steven Terner MnuchinPelosi axes idea of Saturday’s vote on extra COVID relief Ex-Postal Service board member testifies Mnuchin tried to politicize agency The Hill’s Morning Report – Obama portrays Trump as impossible leader; Harris accepts VP nod MORE in May appealed to $ 25 billion for the Postal Service.
Rep. Rodney Davis
Rodney Lee DavisWatchdog demands probe after Gohmert ‘lacks public health guidance’ over COVID-19 Massie plans to donate plasma after positive testing for COVID-19 antibodies The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by the Air Line Pilots Association – Key 48 hours loom as negotiators push for relief deal MORE (Ill.), The top Republican in the House administration committee that has jurisdiction over elections, said he supports offering an additional $ 25 billion to the Postal Service as he did in the May letter. . But he warned that the real problem is that some states have election policies that are unrealistic for delivery standards.
“The Postal Service warned states about these issues earlier this year, but unrealistic polling and return policies are still one of the biggest obstacles to ensuring that every vote is counted. “Until states address these issues and others, I’m afraid that the issues we saw in the primary will only continue and probably increase in November,” Davis said in a statement.
In an olive branch to Republicans, Maloney moved to change the legislation so that it no longer had a provision that allowed people to prosecute the Postal Service if they were compromised by changes to the agency’s operations.
Democratic leaders called for lawmakers to return to Washington from their August recession on a Saturday to comply with party conventions. Democrats held their convention this past week to formally call Joe Biden
Joe BidenBiden says he will close US amid pandemic as scientists say it was necessary Harris laughs at Trump’s attacks in interview: ‘They’ are designed to distract Biden, Democrats get bail for fundraising during digital convention MORE as the party’s presidential nominee, while Republicans will celebrate Monday to re-nominate Trump.
To further underscore the significance of the vote, Democratic leaders have allocated a full two hours of the House floor debate on the legislation, with passage expected in the early evening.
Especially not on Saturday’s agenda is legislation to extend federal unemployment insurance benefits that expired at the end of July. Bipartisan negotiations over a coronavirus relief package have been stalled for weeks with no sign of resuming action.
More than 100 House Democrats signed a letter to the leadership urging them to also schedule a Saturday vote on legislation that would extend $ 600 weekly unemployment insurance payments on a time frame based on econometrics.
But Pelosi rejected the idea, arguing that passing an independent bill in addition to the sweeping aid package passed by House Democrats in May could undermine negotiations over other aspects of coronavirus delivery, such as state and local government funding.
The bill passed by House Democrats this spring would have extended the supplement to unemployment insurance by January 2021.
“[T]he ideas The members have been forward have been excellent, “Pelosi wrote in a letter to Democrats on Thursday night. “However, we need to consider their timing and strategic value.”
.
