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Friday, 29 March 2024

U.S. House to vote on $25 billion postal infusion

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U.S. House to vote on $25 billion postal infusion
U.S. House to vote on $25 billion postal infusion

[NFA] U.S. House of Representatives Democrats unveiled on Wednesday legislation that would require same-day processing for mail-in ballots and give the cash-strapped Postal Service a $25 billion infusion while erasing changes pursued by the agency's new leader, an ally of President Donald Trump.

This report produced by Yahaira Jacquez.

President Donald Trump's postmaster general may have halted his controversial cost-cutting measures at the post office but Democrats say that's not good enough.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she spoke with Trump's postal chief Louis DeJoy on Wednesday and in a statement said DeJoy "admitted that he had no intention of replacing the sorting machines, blue mailboxes and other key mail infrastructure that have been removed." Pelosi: "I don't frankly trust the postmaster general and what he said." Congressional Democrats on Wednesday revealed legislation in the House that would reverse any changes in Postal Services policies that slow down mail.

The bill provides the cash-strapped agency with $25 billion as it prepares to handle a flood of mail-in ballots ahead of the November election.

It would also prevent the post office from implementing any changes made since January 2020 that Democrats say have caused mail delays.

Sen.

Chris Van Hollen (D-MD): "They need to reverse the measures they've already put in place." They accuse DeJoy - a Trump donor - of working with Trump to make it harder to vote by mail.

At a briefing on Wednesday, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany called the controversy a 'manufactured crisis.'

The U.S. president has repeatedly made unsubstantiated attacks on mail in voting and on Wednesday Tweeted “IF YOU CAN PROTEST IN PERSON, YOU CAN VOTE IN PERSON!” Which Representative Adam Schiff responded to saying: "IF THE PRESIDENT IS ABLE TO VOTE BY MAIL, ALL AMERICANS SHOULD BE ABLE TO VOTE BY MAIL." The political firestorm over the post office is now causing some Democrats and local election officials to rethink their vote-by-mail strategies for the election, shifting emphasis to drop boxes and early voting - bypassing the post office.

Many are particularly concerned about ballots arriving too late to count for the election.

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