Associated Press- The House Oversight Committee has invited the new postmaster general to appear at a hearing next month to examine operational changes to the U.S. Postal Service that are causing delays in mail deliveries across the country.
The plan imposed by Louis DeJoy, a Republican fundraiser who took over the top job at the Postal Service in June, eliminates overtime for hundreds of thousands of postal workers and orders that mail be kept until the next day if postal distribution centers are running late.
Rep. Carolyn Maloney, a New York Democrat who chairs the Oversight panel, said the Sept. 17 hearing will focus on “the need for on-time mail delivery during the ongoing pandemic and upcoming election,” which is expected to include a major expansion of mail-in ballots.
President Donald Trump opposes expanding voting by mail, arguing that it will trigger fraud, even though there’s no evidence that will happen. Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and other top administration officials frequently vote absentee themselves.
Trump also has called the Postal Service “a joke” and said that package shipping rates should be at least four times higher for heavy users like Amazon. But shipping and packages are actually a top revenue generator for the Postal Service, and critics say Trump is merely looking to punish Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos in retaliation for unflattering coverage in The Washington Post, which Bezos owns.
The Oversight committee intended to have the hearing with DeJoy this week, Maloney said, but was told that DeJoy could not attend because of a meeting of the Postal Service’s Board of Governors. DeJoy has confirmed his availability for the Sept. 17, hearing, she said.
The hearing comes as the Postal Service is reeling from mail delays and financial problems, even as record numbers of mail ballots are expected in the presidential elections because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Postal Service officials, bracing for steep losses from the nationwide shutdown caused by the virus, have warned they will run out of money by the end of September without help from Congress. The service reported a $4.5 billion loss for the quarter ending in March, before the full effects of the shutdown sank in, and expects losses totaling more than $22 billion over the next 18 months.
- July 31, 2020
- Sen. Manchin seeks explanation from postmaster general on scheduled post office closures across West Virginia
The post general is not for the post office he has no experience and should be removed from office . He is not for the hard working people who work for the post office. He is trump s friend and Donald trump his presidency is a big joke.
The new post master has no experience of the post office just like trump has no experience or mike pence they are all a big joke
Thank for holding the New Postmaster General accountable. In the past if mail was delayed for any reason disciplinary action was taken. Now it seems okay to do so. This is not in the best interest of our customers nor the USPS. People need their medicines….etc…Now with the mail in ballots forth coming… and cutting out overtime, it is not feasible. Does the Postmaster Dejoy truly know Postal operations to make such a call?
As an American Postal Employee. Thank you for speaking for all of us. Well done sir
See for yourself.