Press Releases

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03) cast her vote in support H.R. 8015, the Delivering for America Act, bipartisan legislation to rescue the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) from devastating cuts in service that are harming working families, veterans, seniors, and small businesses, as well as threatening the viability and effectiveness of the USPS.

“President Trump’s attempts to politicize and undermine the Postal Service has endangered the lives of and potentially disenfranchised millions of Americans relying on the timely delivery of their lifesaving medications and absentee ballots,” said Congresswoman Trahan. “My constituents are experiencing the repercussions of this sabotage firsthand. I’m proud to cast my vote to prevent any further damage tothe Postal Service and to undo the harm that has already been done by this President and his enablers.”

The Delivering for America Act will prohibit the Postal Service from implementing or approving any changes to its operations or servicelevels that would diminish its ability to provide prompt, reliable, and efficient service. The prohibition applies to changes put forward since January 1, 2020 and extends for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic or through January 31, 2021. Most importantly, the legislation also reverses any changes already implemented to the operations or policies of the Postal Service that delay mail delivery.

H.R. 8051 also prohibits:

• Any change that would generally affect service on a nationwide or substantially nationwide basis;
• Any revision of existing service standards;
• The closing or consolidation of any postal or post office facility, as well as the reduction of operating hours;
• A moratorium on overtime compensation for the USPS officers and 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;
• Any change that would have the effect of delaying mail or increasing the volume of undelivered mail;
• The removal, decommissioning, or other termination of mail sorting machines, other than for routine maintenance; and
• The removal of mailboxes.

The Delivering for America Act also provides the $25 billion in emergency coronavirus relief funding requested by the USPS and supported by the bipartisan Board of Governors, all of whom were appointed by President Trump, to preempt forecasted funding shortfalls. Finally, the legislation requires that the Postal Service treat all official election mail, including voter registrations, absentee ballot requests, and mail-in ballots, as First-Class mail.

Trahan’s office has reached out to postmasters across the Third District in response to reports about mail sorting machines being removed from postal facilities across the nation, mailboxes being removed or locked, and other alarming policies leading to delayed delivery of mail. Her team was referred at the direction of the Postmaster General to public relations specialists and government affairs specialists. Trahan’s office is still awaiting answers.

Trahan’s office has been contacted by more than 5,000 constituents in recent weeks – including by residents whose lifesaving prescriptions have been delayed in the mail, veterans who rely on the USPS for their VA-prescribed medication, and small business owners who rely on the mail to stay afloat – expressing their concerns about the Trump Administration’s ongoing effort to undermine the Postal Service.

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