Democrats call Trump’s postal chief to testify on cutbacks ahead of election
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Washington — Top Democrats in the US Congress on Sunday called on President Donald Trump's appointed postmaster general to testify in August on changes that have stoked fears they are aimed at holding up mail-in ballots ahead of the November election.
The US Postal Service's internal watchdog has begun investigating a wave of cost-cutting kicked off by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy that has slowed mail delivery around the country, alarming lawmakers ahead of the Nov. 3 election when up to half of US voters could cast ballots by mail.
Congressional Democrats called on DeJoy, a Trump donor, and US Postal Service chair Robert Duncan to testify in an August 24 hearing of the House of Representatives committee on oversight and reform.
“The president has explicitly stated his intention to manipulate the Postal Service to deny eligible voters access to the ballot in pursuit of his own re-election,” Democrats including House speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer and House oversight chair Carolyn Maloney said in a joint statement.
“The postmaster general and top Postal Service leadership must answer to the Congress and the American people as to why they are pushing these dangerous new policies that threaten to silence the voices of millions, just months before the election.”
DeJoy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Schumer in a statement called on the Postal Service's board of governors to remove DeJoy if he “refuses to come before Congress”.
Democrats have accused Trump, who is trailing presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden in polls, of trying to hamstring the cash-strapped Postal Service to suppress mail-in voting.
Trump on Thursday said he had held up talks with Congress over a fresh round of coronavirus stimulus funding to block Democrats from providing more funds for mail-in voting and election infrastructure.
Trump later walked back those comments, saying he would not veto a bill that included funds for the Postal Service. White House chief of staff Mark Meadows told CNN on Sunday said he would agree to $10bn to $25bn in fresh Postal Service funding. The Democratic-controlled House approved $25bn in a bill passed in May.
Mark Dimondstein, the head of the 200,000-plus-member American Postal Workers Union, on Sunday said the Postal Service's Republican-dominated governing board sought more than $25bn.
Appearing on Fox News, he said the service required emergency funds due to the pandemic-driven economic slowdown, pointing out that it received ...
The US Postal Service's internal watchdog has begun investigating a wave of cost-cutting kicked off by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy that has slowed mail delivery around the country, alarming lawmakers ahead of the Nov. 3 election when up to half of US voters could cast ballots by mail.
Congressional Democrats called on DeJoy, a Trump donor, and US Postal Service chair Robert Duncan to testify in an August 24 hearing of the House of Representatives committee on oversight and reform.
“The president has explicitly stated his intention to manipulate the Postal Service to deny eligible voters access to the ballot in pursuit of his own re-election,” Democrats including House speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer and House oversight chair Carolyn Maloney said in a joint statement.
“The postmaster general and top Postal Service leadership must answer to the Congress and the American people as to why they are pushing these dangerous new policies that threaten to silence the voices of millions, just months before the election.”
DeJoy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Schumer in a statement called on the Postal Service's board of governors to remove DeJoy if he “refuses to come before Congress”.
Democrats have accused Trump, who is trailing presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden in polls, of trying to hamstring the cash-strapped Postal Service to suppress mail-in voting.
Trump on Thursday said he had held up talks with Congress over a fresh round of coronavirus stimulus funding to block Democrats from providing more funds for mail-in voting and election infrastructure.
Trump later walked back those comments, saying he would not veto a bill that included funds for the Postal Service. White House chief of staff Mark Meadows told CNN on Sunday said he would agree to $10bn to $25bn in fresh Postal Service funding. The Democratic-controlled House approved $25bn in a bill passed in May.
Mark Dimondstein, the head of the 200,000-plus-member American Postal Workers Union, on Sunday said the Postal Service's Republican-dominated governing board sought more than $25bn.
Appearing on Fox News, he said the service required emergency funds due to the pandemic-driven economic slowdown, pointing out that it received ...
