Dozens of House Democrats on Wednesday signed on to a letter calling for Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to reverse his overhaul of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), citing the coronavirus pandemic and upcoming elections.
The letter, signed by Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and 174 other members of Congress, raised concerns about the “significant operational restructuring, done without any apparent analysis and consultation” and what effect it could have on the agency during a year when the presidential election will rely heavily on mail-in voting.
“It is always essential that the Postal Service be able to deliver mail in a timely and effective manner,” the letter states. “During the once-in-a-century health and economic crisis of COVID-19, the Postal Service’s smooth functioning is a matter of life-or-death, and is critical for protecting lives, livelihoods and the life of our American Democracy.”
Lawmakers warned that the proposed changes — under which all election mail would not be treated as First Class — could provide delays to absentee ballots and applications that would “disenfranchise voters and put significant financial pressure on election jurisdictions.”
