Speaker Pelosi vs. PMG DeJoy: He Backs Down From His Harsh USPS Reform Steps

Pelosi rallies Americans against harsh USPS reforms

(PMG Louis DeJoy heard them and is backing down)

This post and the major headline here from many sources:

“Postmaster General halts USPS reforms until after the election”

Speaker Nancy Pelosi put the “heat on PMG Louis DeJoy and others and now they feel it” she said.

She also said she would cut by half the relief demand and fund USPS and get back the original plan in January. That in essence boxes Trump in and now, Mr. President, who is the better dealer – I’d have to say Speaker Pelosi.

Background: Pelosi also said she would go ahead with plans to pass a bill that would prevent the post office from reducing service levels below what they were in January and get a new stimulus package to the public.

Now the full story about DeJoy backing off here from the CS Monitor:

Background: This crisis at USPS erupted as a major election year issue for the newly-appointed PMG Louis DeJoy, a big Trump ally and also a big campaign donor to the RNC and Trump. He took control of the agency in June and has moved swiftly with a variety of cuts and operational changes that are disrupting mail delivery operations and raising alarms among workers and stated election officials since mail-in voting is picking up steam in light the virus. After DeJoy's actions the nation got up in arms about this and rightly so — that is the heat Pelosi mentioned.

DeJoy heard her and now he says he will hold off on making any more changes to USPS until after the election. All that follows a massive pubic outcry aided by Democrats and a few Republicans as well about the policies could slow or totally delay mail-in ballots and therefore disrupt the entire upcoming election.

DeJoy’s reversal follows that outrage about cuts of any kind would slow the handling of mail-in ballots, people Rx via the mail, mail in general, the voting ballots which is expected to skyrocket for the election as the coronavirus pandemic raises fears about extensive crowds of people waiting to vote. Thus mail-in is picking up steam that has irked Trump who that system and called it a fraud and a corrupt system (even though Trump and many around him have voted by mail – a list of those people is here at my previous post – FYI).

A lot of critics have accused Trump of trying to hobble the USPS to suppress mail-in voting as he trails Democratic presidential challenger Joe Biden in opinion polls ahead of the election.

Trump has repeatedly and without evidence claimed that an increase in mail-in ballots would lead to a surge in fraud, though mail-in voting has long been used in the United States.

The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU in 2017 ranked the risk of ballot fraud at 0.00004% to 0.0009%, based on studies of past elections, that also according to The Associated Press.

Changes that threaten to slow mail delivery – and in some cases, already have – include reductions in overtime, restrictions on extra mail transportation trips, shutting down mail sorting machines, delivery policies, and picking mail drop boxes - all in an attempt to cut costs, or so says DeJoy.

DeJoy also said: “I am suspending these initiatives until after the election is concluded to avoid even the appearance of any impact on election mail.” 

He also said that USPS will not change retail hours at post offices, while mail collection boxes will remain where they are and no mail processing facilities will be closed, adding: “The Postal Service is ready to handle whatever volume of election mail it receives.”

He has faced pressure from multiple tiers of government, with the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives planning a rare Saturday session to pass a bill blocking cuts, and several states preparing lawsuits to block the maneuvers.

Trump kept up his attack on mail voting on Tuesday, speculating that delayed results could mean that the November 3 election would need to be held a second time, he told reporters (August 11): “It will end up being a rigged election or they will never come out with an outcome. They'll have to do it again, and nobody wants that.”

FYI Note: One in four ballots in 2016 were cast by mail and Mr. Trump himself votes that way.

DeJoy's reversal also follows a lengthy call by the postal board of governors (August 17) at night, two people briefed on the matter said.

Trump said last week he was against Democratic efforts to include funds for the Postal Service and election infrastructure in coronavirus relief legislation because he wanted to limit mail-in voting during the pandemic. Earlier states including WA, PA, CT, and NY said they were planning legal moves to block the Postal Service changes.

PA AG Josh Shapiro suggested he might welcome DeJoy's proposed actions, adding: “I'll believe it when I see it. Hopefully the American people can breathe a sigh of relief. But I will not let my foot off the gas so long as the postal officials continue to violate the law.”

My 2 cents: This blowback was expected and now both Trump and DeJoy are sucking hind wind – those two are pathetic and the public outrage and this reversal proves that point.

Pelosi is a champ at hardball politics and Trump is finding that out the hard way – pity him. His “Art of the Con” is going down in flames – people finally have wised up to his BS.

Thanks for stopping by.