United States (US) Postmaster General Louis DeJoy will testify before the House Oversight Committee on Monday, August 24, amid increasing concerns over his plans to “implement an organizational realignment” at the US Postal Service (USPS).
In a press release from the Oversight panel, Chairwoman Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) said that she was “pleased” that DeJoy—who is an ally of President Trump and a major Republican donor—had agreed to testify voluntarily, and that she looked forward to receiving more details about the “sweeping operational and organizational changes” he has been making at the agency. “The American people want their mail, medicines, and mail-in ballots delivered in a timely way, and they certainly do not want drastic changes and delays in the midst of a global pandemic just months before the election,” she added.
The USPS has long faced a dire financial situation, suffering almost $9 billion in losses last year. Estimates suggest that the coronavirus crisis could lead to the agency losing as much as $20 billion over two years. DeJoy’s cost-cutting measures have invited heightened scrutiny from the Democrats, who fear the cuts could disrupt the mailing of ballots for the upcoming general election. Many Republicans, too, whose rural voters dependent on the postal service, are concerned about the changes to postal delivery.
DeJoy is likely to be questioned at length about his decision to ban overtime work and extra routes taken by postal carriers to deliver the mail on time. Postal workers have warned that such policies relating to personnel operations are hampering timely deliveries, raising concerns among lawmakers that mail-in ballots could be discarded if they do not arrive on time to be counted.
The urgency of the situation spiked up significantly last week, following Trump’s comments about withholding funding from the agency in order to block mail-in voting. However, he dismissed accusations on Monday, stating that he in fact “encouraged everybody to speed up the mail” and not slow it down.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is calling the House back into session from its August recess on Saturday to vote on a bill aimed at prohibiting any changes within the Postal Service that would affect its services this fall. The legislation will also include the Democrats’ original demand for $25 billion in funding to the agency.
US Postmaster General Agrees to Testify Before Congress Amid USPS Row
The hearing is set to take place on Monday, August 24.
August 18, 2020
US Postmaster General Louis DeJoy (center) outside the US Capitol on Wednesday, August 5, 2020. SOURCE: CNBC