Democrats Warn Of ‘Assault’ On The Postal Service As Election Nears

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Erica Koesler of Los Angeles demonstrates outside a USPS post office as a postal worker walks by in the background on Saturday. The USPS has warned states coast to coast that it cannot guarantee all ballots cast by mail for the November election will arrive in time to be counted, even if mailed by state deadlines.

Chris Pizzello/AP

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Chris Pizzello/AP

2020 Election: Secure Your Vote
New Postmaster Hasn’t Yet Met Election Officials About Mail-In Ballot Concerns

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy formerly ran a logistics company and has donated millions of dollars to Republican candidates including President Trump. When he took the reins in mid-June, managers told postal workers to expect changes in the way they operate. For example, overtime would be eliminated, and any late-arriving mail would be delivered the next day. The changes, he said, would help create «a viable operating model for the cash-strapped agency. The changes were met with concern among some postal workers.

Democrats in Congress plan to introduce legislation to «roll back these so-called operational efficiencies, Rep. Gerry Connolly, chair of the House Government Operations subcommittee, told All Things Considered Saturday. «We’re going to work with the men and women who work for the Postal Service to ensure that they will continue as they always have in the past to make mail-in ballots a priority despite what Mr. DeJoy and President Trump want to do with the Postal Service.

Connolly criticized DeJoy for not consulting with Congress before implementing the changes. Connolly has called on the inspector general to investigate.

The USPS inspector general’s office told NPR it is investigating reports of service disruptions, but declined to give details. «We are in receipt of a congressional request and are conducting a body of work to address the concerns raised, the office said in an emailed statement. «We cannot comment on details of ongoing work.

The National Association of Letter Carriers, a union representing almost 300,000 current and former postal workers, this week endorsed Joe Biden for president. «While postal employees are on the front lines providing essential services to the public every day, the current administration refuses to provide the necessary financial relief that would strengthen the agency during this pandemic, NALC President Fredric Rolando said. «The Postal Service must not be allowed to fail.