- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called on the House to return to session “later this week” to vote on an act to block USPS organization changes that critics believe could inhibit mail-in voting.
- The call came a week after Trump-donor and Postmaster Louis DeJoy announced a major overhaul to the organization, which some critics believe could inhibit mail-in voting and benefit Trump’s reelection campaign due to DeJoy’s close relations with the president.
- Democrats have largely leaned into the mail-in ballot method amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, citing potential health risks posed to some Americans if they were to wait in line to vote at indoor facilities.
- “In a time of a pandemic, the Postal Service is Election Central,” the House Speaker wrote. “Americans should not have to choose between their health and their vote.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called on the House to return early from August recess amid Postal Service crisis.
The call came a week after Trump-donor and Postmaster Louis Dejoy announced a major overhaul to the organization, which some critics believe could inhibit mail-in voting and benefit Trump’s reelection campaign due to Dejoy’s close relations with the president.
Politico first reported Saturday that Pelosi was weighing the decision with other top House Democrats to call the House back into session to prohibit organizational changes to the USPS operations and services.
The House Speaker called upon the House to return to session this upcoming Saturday to vote on House Oversight Chair Carolyn Maloney’s “Delivering for America Act,” which prevents the Postal Service from “implementing any changes to operations or level of service it had in place on January 1, 2020,” according to Pelosi’s statement.
“The Postal Service is a pillar of our democracy, enshrined in the Constitution and essential for providing critical services: delivering prescriptions, Social Security checks, paychecks, tax returns and absentee ballots to millions of Americans, including in our most remote communities,” Pelosi wrote in a statement announcing the emergency leadership call.
“Alarmingly, across the nation, we see the devastating effects of the President’s campaign to sabotage the election by manipulating the Postal Service to disenfranchise voters,” she continued.
Pelosi also called upon other House members to participate in a Day of Action on Tuesday by appearing at their districts’ post office to voice opposition to the overhaul.
In response to the House Speaker’s announcement, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer also called on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to reconvene the Senate as well.
“I call on Leader McConnell to bring the Senate back into session to quickly act on the House’s legislation that will undo the extensive damage Mr. DeJoy has done at the Postal Service so that people can get their paychecks, medicines, and other necessities delivered on time, and to ensure our elections will remain completely free and fair,” Schumer said in a statement.
Democrats have largely leaned into mail-in voting amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, citing potential health risks posed to some Americans if they were to wait in line to vote at indoor facilities. President Donald Trump has been highly critic of the voting method, connecting mail-in ballots with fraudulent votes.
“In a time of a pandemic, the Postal Service is Election Central,” the House Speaker wrote. “Americans should not have to choose between their health and their vote.”
As reported by Business Insider