Houses passes bill to reverse changes in Postal Service

Aug. 25, 2020 | G. Michael Dobbs
news@thereminder.com

Congressman Richard Neal spoke about the The Delivering for America Act last week. br>Reminder Publishing photo by G. Michael Dobbs

SPRINGFIELD – The House has passed an emergency bill to address issues regarding the Postal Service, but now the legislation is in the Senate.

Congressman Richard Neal, chairman of the Ways & Means Committee, spoke about the bill at a press event at the main Springfield post office several days before its passage last week, saying efforts made by the current administration have hurt the Postal Service.

Among those efforts have been the removal of mail boxes in some communities and not using sorting machines.

Neal said there was “ a deliberate effort” to slow down the mail.

This comes as time when states are offering voting by mail programs in reaction to the pandemic.

He added the Heroes Act, which further addresses the economical impact made by the pandemic, has funding to assist the Postal Service as well.

At the event, Jack Downey, the CEO of Soldier On, which provides housing for veterans now in six states, noted that prescriptions are sent to the vets in their mail and many of then do not have bank accounts and received paper checks.

According to a press release from Neal’s office, “The Delivering for America Act requires the Postal Service to return to the Postal Service operations and levels of service that were in place on January 1, 2020 throughout the duration of the coronavirus public health emergency and requires all election mail to be treated as First-Class mail. It also provides $25 billion in critical funding for the Postal Service – the same level of funding recommended by the USPS Board of Governors, which is composed of 100 percent President Trump appointees.”

Neal said, “The Postal Service is essential to the fabric of our communities, providing western and central Massachusetts families and all Americans with critical services, including the delivery of life-saving prescriptions, Social Security benefits, paychecks, tax returns and ballots. I have met with these folks in Pittsfield and Springfield to hear their concerns, and continue to hear from folks who call and email my offices. Yet, their concerns have fallen on deaf ears with the Trump Administration and Postmaster General Louis DeJoy continuing to wage an outrageous campaign to degrade postal operations and delay mail delivery in the middle of a pandemic.

“This, just months before a presidential election, threatens to sabotage the election and disenfranchise countless voters. While the committed activism of Democrats and the American people forced the Postmaster General into announcing a so-called ‘pause,’ it is a wholly insufficient step that does not reverse damage already wreaked. The Postmaster General even admitted that he has no intention of replacing the sorting machines, blue mailboxes and other key mail infrastructure that have been removed and that plans for overtime, which are critical for the timely delivery of mail, are not in the works. Therefore, in the name of our democracy and the Massachusetts veterans, seniors, families and small businesses who depend on the Post Office, I proudly joined my colleagues to pass the Delivering for America Act to undo the damage and ensure the Postal Service has the resources necessary to fulfill its vital role at this pivotal moment.”

The act would prohibit:

  • Any change that would generally affect service on a nationwide or substantially nationwide basis;
  • Any revision of existing service standards;
  • Closing, consolidating or reducing the hours of any post office or postal facility;
  • Any prohibition on paying overtime to Postal Service officers or employees;
  • Any change that would prevent the Postal Service from meeting its service standards or cause a decline in measurements of performance relative to those standards; and
  • Any change that would have the effect of delaying mail or increasing the volume of undelivered mail.

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