Washington – In the wake of cost cuts to the U.S. Postal Service which has led to extensive delays in mail delivery, several states are taking legal action against the Trump administration that the agency would prevent from making operational changes in the run-up to the November elections.
Michael Kelly, chief of staff at Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring, confirmed to CBS News that Herring’s office has spoken with attorneys general from several other states about possible legal options.
Herring said in a statement that officials will ensure that all votes are counted in November, whether they are cast by mail or in person.
“My colleagues and I are working as we talk to determine what Trump and DeJoy are doing, whether they are already violated or likely to be in violation of laws, and what tools we have at our disposal to set up President Trump’s ongoing attack on us. postal service and our democracy, “he said.
States and federal officials rush to shut down the Postal Service after its new postmaster general, Louis DeJoy, a GOP donor and ally of President Trump, carried out a series of operational changes designed to get the cash-strapped bureau out of bankruptcy to bring. In addition to reorganizing the Postal Service’s top executives, DeJoy has cut back on overtime and banned postal workers from making additional trips for late arrivals, leading to delays in mail versions and a delay in letters and parcels.
The delays stemming from DeJoy’s operational shifts come as many states are expanding their vote-by-post ahead of the November election in an effort to protect voters during the coronavirus pandemic. But Mr. Trump has spent the past few weeks attacking mail-in-voting, with not much evidence claiming it invites voter fraud.
While the House passed a $ 25 billion coronavirus relief package in May, and a bilingual group of senators introduced legislation to give the agency the same injection of cash, talks between Democratic leaders and the White House over a larger coronavirus relief measures have been halted.
Last week, the president acknowledged that the death of the Postal Service’s additional federal assistance would hurt efforts to expand voting by mail, but he then appeared to back down the suggestion that he oppose an injection of aid to the wrestling agency.
In anticipation of the flood of post-vote votes expected for the November election, the Postal Service has warned 46 states that post-vote ballots may not be counted on time because of their voting facilities per post “incongruous” are with postal standards for delivery of post offices.
Concerned that millions of Americans could be fired by early voting, Democratic leaders in both houses of Congress have demanded that DeJoy and Robert Duncan, chairman of the Postal Service Board of Governors, respond to the House committee next week and the reform of the government over the new policy of the bureau.
Chamber member Nancy Pelosi also called lawmakers back to Washington early for a special session to vote on legislation that would prevent the Postal Service from continuing with the changes to its operations.
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