Members of Maine’s Congressional delegation made it clear Sunday evening that President Trump’s attempt at overhauling the U.S. Postal Service just a few months before he faces off against Democratic Party nominee Joe Biden in the Nov. 3 general election isn’t sitting well with them or their constituents.
Their concerns over potential delays in delivery services as well as mail-in balloting, a process that Trump fears will harm his re-election bid, came after Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced she was going to reconvene the House this week in Washington to vote on the Delivering for America Act, which would prohibit the postal service from implementing changes to the level of service and operations that were in place prior to Jan. 1, 2020.
“Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, one of the top Trump mega-donors, has proven a complicit crony as he continues to push forward sweeping new operational changes that degrade postal service, delay the mail, and – according to the Postal Service itself – threaten to deny the ability of eligible Americans to cast their votes through the mail in the upcoming elections in a timely fashion,” Pelosi wrote in a letter to her colleagues Sunday evening.
Pingree, a Democrat, in a statement issued Sunday evening said that she fully supports having the House come back into session to vote on postal reform legislation and for the House Government Oversight panel to meet Aug. 24 where they will be able to question DeJoy about mail delays.
“It is crucial that Postmaster General DeJoy be held accountable for his attempts to sabotage the U.S. Postal Service,” Pingree said. “These mail delays are dangerous for seniors who need their medications delivered on time and the small businesses that rely on the U.S. Postal Service.”
Maine is one of 46 states that the postal service warns could have mail-in ballots arrive too late to be counted in the November election, even if voters send them on time, Pingree said.
“With more Mainers than ever expected to use mail-in ballots due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this is completely unacceptable,” Pingree said.
Maine Sen. Angus King, an Independent, who caucuses with the Democrats, in a statement late Sunday evening accused the president of attempting to interfere with Americans right to safely vote in the upcoming election.
“Sabotaging the USPS to subvert the will of the people is a gross abuse of his office,” King said. “In the process, he is also harming our citizens, especially older Americans and those in rural communities as they struggle to keep their households and families healthy during both a pandemic and economic crisis.”
King said the president should instruct “his handpicked Postmaster General to halt and undo the damage he has done to the Postal Service in recent weeks.” King suggested that DeJoy appear before Congress to explain to the American people how and why he is cutting services amid a crisis.
“Hopefully, the next week will see an end to the administration’s undermining of the U.S. Postal Service and its restoration to full and timely service to the American people,” King said.
Sen. Susan Collins, a Republican, wrote a letter dated Aug. 13 to DeJoy expressing her dismay with recent mail service delays.
In that letter Collins warns DeJoy, “I share the goal of putting the USPS back on a financially sustainable path; however this goal cannot be achieved by shortchanging service to the public. If left unaddressed, these recent service issues will not only harm my constituents, who are counting on timely receipt of mail and packages, but also undermine public trust in the USPS and ultimately harm its long-term financial viability.”
Collins in a statement issued Sunday evening said the Senate should return to Washington this week – it is currently on recess – to consider a COVID-19 package that includes the Postal Service Emergency Assistance Act. Collins and Sen. Diane Feinstein introduced the legislation in July. It would provide the postal service with up to $25 billion to cover revenue losses or operational expenses resulting from COVID-19.
Democrat Rep. Jared Golden, who represents the 2nd Congressional District, has not announced his support for Speaker Pelosi’s proposal and will be hearing from postal workers in Maine this week before making a decision. In a statement Sunday night, he said he has consistently supported the Postal Service because it is critical to the communities he represents. He said he will do everything he can to make sure that mail delivery service will continue uninterrupted.
“People and small rural communities like the ones I represent depend on the Postal Service for medications, materials and supplies and much more,” Golden said. “I am looking forward to talking with postal workers that work here in Maine, including every postal union in the state, about local operations and any concerns they have about mail delivery services at this time.”
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