WASHINGTON – Postmaster General Louis DeJoy has agreed to testify before Congress next week amid allegations by Democrats that he is undermining the cash-strapped U.S. Postal Service for the November election.
Group Chairman of the House for Supervision at the Rep. Carolyn Maloney wrote to DeJoy on Sunday, calling for an “urgent” hearing on cost-cutting changes at the USPS, ensuring that fears could slow delivery and allow Americans’ ability to bring postal votes.
DeJoy, a Trump nominee who took office in May this year, agreed to appear before the commission on Monday, August 24 at 10 p.m.
“Your testimony is particularly urgent given the cumbersome influx of reports of widespread delays at postal facilities in the country – as well as President Trump’s explicit permission last week to block critical funding for coronavirus for the Postal Service to limit mail-in voice efforts for the next election in November, ”wrote Maloney (D. NY).
President Trump on Monday accused the USPS of “running terrible” and said he was opposed to funding increases for the agency to help send messages by mail because he believed it was a fraudulent way to to vote.
Meanwhile, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Sunday that her chamber would be recalled to vote on Maloney legislation that would prevent USPS from making changes to services that ran at the beginning of the year, blocking DeJoy’s austerity plans .
Last month, USPS officials from Pennsylvania warned that post-vote votes in the key field state might not be delivered on time because the deadline was too tight for their deadlines, and presented an “overwhelming” risk to voters. wrote one executive, according to a report by the Philadelphia Enquirer.
Other reports have surfaced about seniors going without vital medication for weeks in states like Texas due to a national delay in mail.
The agency has called on Congress to include a desperately needed cash injection for its services in a fourth coronavirus ballot as it finds bleeding amid the pandemic. House Democrats included $ 25 billion in funding for the Postal Service in a package that is unlikely to pass the Senate.
Republicans and President Trump have opposed that figure and the president has used the delayed primary results in Maloney’s own seat to highlight his displeasure with the votes cast.
Trump on Monday accused Amazon of being responsible for cratering the Postal Service’s bottom line, saying the agency needed to increase the amount it charged the online shopping restriction for delivering packages.
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