WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — Doubtful of promises from President Donald Trump’s postmaster general that he will hit pause on sweeping changes that have rattled trust in the U.S. Postal Service, Democrats say they expect to see more done to keep the mail running smoothly.
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said Tuesday he would halt the cost-saving changes that prompted reports of mail delays. He said nothing would happen until after the November presidential election, in which many Americans are expected to vote absentee.
Democrats are not sold on DeJoy’s word.
“There’s still a lot of questions that are still not resolved,” Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., said Wednesday. “We need to get answers.”
He said DeJoy must promise to do more than postpone the changes — he most undo the damage already done.
“We have not heard if those mail processing machines that have already been removed, are they going to be put back into place>” Peters said.
In response to the outcry, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is recalling representatives from their August break.
“We are going back to Washington, D.C., to deal with this,” Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-Ill., said.
She said the House will vote Saturday on sending $25 billion to USPS and outlawing any actions that might slow mail delivery until after the election.
“The post office is a pillar of our democracy,” Bustos said.
But most Republicans call the weekend vote a political stunt and say Pelosi is focused on the wrong crisis.
“Some small businesses still need help (because of the coronavirus pandemic) and she’s holding all of this up for a show that even my local mail guy says doesn’t even exist,” Rep. Rodney Davis, D-Ill., said.
He said he was unsure if he’ll vote for Democrats’ bill.
“I do trust the postmaster general when he says he’s going to put a pause to many of the policies that were implemented before Donald Trump even got elected,” Davis said.
But he, like many other Republicans, do support giving the post office billions more to stay afloat.
White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said the president also supports more money for the post office, but said Congress should package it with support for families, including supplemental unemployment benefits, more funding for the Paycheck Protection Program and another round of direct stimulus checks.
DeJoy still testify Friday before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and again next week before the House Oversight Committee.