All eyes on the USPS
Sunbeams shine down on South Road in Woodstock, Vermont. (Gareth Henderson Photo)
Votes on Saturdays are rare in the U.S. House of Representatives during the summer, but this weekend was an exception.
The House passed a bill Saturday that would allocate $25 billion in emergency funds to the U.S. Postal Service and ban operational changes which recently sparked controversy. The bill comes amid growing concerns over delivery delays ahead of the November election. Many Americans hope to vote by mail to stay safe and avoid long waiting lines during the pandemic. The delivery of prescriptions through the mail is also a major concern for millions.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Peter Welch, of Vermont, voted in favor of the Delivering for America Act, saying it is meant to reverse recent delays.
“This legislation will make sure that the Postal Service has the support and the funding it needs to quickly deliver medicines, unemployment checks and ballots all across America,” Welch said in a statement released Saturday after the vote.
Though House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Democratic leaders had anticipated more bipartisan support, the final tally was 257-150, mostly along party lines with Democrats supporting it, according to CNN. But that could be a short-lived success, as the bill is unlikely to get a vote in the Senate, the CCN report further states.
Controversial USPS changes were recently put into motion by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, who recently said he would halt them until after the election. DeJoy defended those moves as efforts to boost efficiency and save money, while Democrats accused the Trump administration of trying to obstruct mail-in voting. In his statement, Welch listed the changes DeJoy initiated:
Removing efficient mail sorting machines from sorting facilities across the country.
Removing post office boxes from communities.
Ending the longstanding practice of prioritizing the delivery of election mail.
Curtailing overtime and directing employees to leave mail behind at distribution centers.
Reassigning 23 senior career postal employees.
Though the House bill appears dead on arrival in the Senate, the USPS worries will stick around, given the widespread concerns around potential election impact. It’s an important time to make our voices heard on important issues like this, even if legislative solutions seem non-existent. The vote can no longer be taken for granted; it must be defended.
— Gareth Henderson
