WASHINGTON, D.C. (NEXSTAR) — “Trying to have any negative impact on the election is an outrageous claim.”
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said changes he made to the postal service — and changes in place before he took the job — were not meant to undermine the 2020 election.
“Whatever efforts we will have, double them,” Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said. “I was greatly concerned about all the political noise we were hearing.”
DeJoy says he supports vote by mail — and committed to delaying structural changes that could slow delivery — until after the election.
“What I’m hearing from our postal workers, and what I’m seeing on the chart you post on your website are significant drop of mail deliveries,” Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., said. “And yet I don’t get an answer.”
But Senator Gary Peters, Democrat from Michigan, says he’s concerned some changes won’t be undone.
Peters pressed DeJoy on cuts to overtime pay for mail carriers — and reinstating mail sorting machines which have recently been removed.
“Will any of those come back?” Sen. Peters said.
“There’s no intention to do that. They’re not needed sir,” DeJoy said.
“You will not bring back any processors?” Sen. Peters said.
“They’re not needed sir,” DeJoy said.
Democrats like Senator Jackie Rosen emphasized that operational changes which they say slowed mail delivery — disproportionately impacted veterans and seniors.
“The postal service is the only way they’re going to receive their critical items,” Sen. Jackie Rosen, D-Nev., said. “Life saving prescriptions, household supplies, social security checks.”
But Republican Senator Josh Hawley says accusations that the post office was deliberately slowing mail delivery — is misinformation.
“It has what it needs to deliver the mail safely and on time through the election just to be clear about that. Is that right?” Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said.
“Yes, yes senator.”
Republican Ron Johnson backed DeJoy up on his claims that some structural change is necessary.
“Any time you have a business where your volume is declining that dramatically, you’ll take out different capacities,” Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., said.
DeJoy says after the election — the postal service will need help from Congress. He says USPS is billions of dollars behind its revenue goals.
“Without change, our losses will only increase in the years to come,” DeJoy said.