WASHINGTON: The House is meeting for a rare Saturday session over mail delivery disruptions, poised to approve legislation that would reverse recent changes in US Postal Service operations and send USD 25 billion in emergency funds to shore up the agency ahead of the November election.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi recalled lawmakers to Washington for the debate over objections from Republicans.
President Donald Trump often rails against mail-in ballots, including in a Saturday tweet, and has said he wants to block extra funds for the Postal Service. "Don't pay any attention to what the president is saying, because it is all designed to suppress the vote," Pelosi told reporters at the Capitol.
The daylong Saturday session comes as an uproar over mail interference puts the Postal Service at the center of the nation's tumultuous election year, with Americans rallying around one of the nation's oldest and more popular institutions.
Millions of people are expected to opt for mail-in ballots to avoid polling places during the coronavirus pandemic.
New Postmaster General Louis DeJoy testified Friday in the Senate that his "No. 1 priority" is to ensure election mail arrives on time. But the new postal leader, a Trump ally, said he would not restore the cuts to mailboxes and sorting equipment that have already been made.
He could not provide senators with a plan for handling the ballot crush for the election. "We are here today because our democracy is being eroded by this administration," said chairman of the rules committee opening debate Rep. Jim McGovern, a Democrat from Massachusetts.
He argued that Trump is trying to halt mail-in ballots, afraid that so many Americans will vote he could lose the White House.
But Republicans countered that complaints about mail delivery disruptions are overblown, and no emergency funding is needed right now. "Do we need that money? Absolutely no. It's a silly, silly bill," said Rep. Tom Cole, Republican from Oklahoma.
Despite the postmaster general's vow election mail will arrive on time, Democrats remain skeptical the Postal Service has the resources it needs to handle the onslaught during the pandemic crisis. They are pushing ahead with legislation to be sure.
The bill would reverse the cuts and provide funds to the agency. With the majority, Democrats are expected to easily pass the legislation. But Republicans are unlikely to sign on, and the bill is certain to stall in the GOP-held Senate.
In a memo to House Republicans, leaders derided the legislation as a postal "conspiracy theory" act. Nevertheless, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell is eyeing a USD 10 billion postal rescue as part of the next COVID-19 relief package.
While Trump has said he wants to block emergency funding for the agency, the White House has said it would be open to more postal funding as part of a broader bill. Hundreds of lawmakers are returning to Washington for the weekend session, but dozens will cast votes by proxy under House rules that allow them to stay away during the COVID-19 crisis.
The Postal Service has been struggling financially under a decline in mail volume, COVID-19-related costs and a rare and cumbersome congressional requirement to fund in advance its retiree health care benefits.
For many, the Postal Service provides a lifeline, delivering not just cards and letters but also prescription drugs, financial statements and other items that are especially needed by mail during the pandemic.
The postal board of governors, appointed by Trump, selected DeJoy to take the job as postmaster general. A GOP donor, he previously owned a logistics business that was a longtime Postal Service contractor.
He maintains significant financial stakes in companies that do business or compete with the agency, raising conflict of interest questions. In a statement, the Postal Service said DeJoy has made all required financial disclosures, but he might have to divest some holdings if conflicts arise.
Republicans have long sought changes to have the agency run more like a private company, and Trump often complains the Postal Service should be charging Amazon and other companies higher rates for package deliveries.
The founder of Amazon, Jeff Bezos, also owns The Washington Post, a publication that Trump frequently derides as "fake news" over critical stories of him. Others say the Postal Service is not expected to be solely a money-making enterprise, often delivering to far-flung places where it is not efficient to operate.