U.S. Postal Service will suspend any operational or policy changes before the 2020 presidential election
"To avoid even the appearance of any impact on election email, I am suspending these endeavors until after the election is concluded."
The U.S. Postal Service will suspend any operational or policy changes before the presidential election, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy stated Tuesday.
Critics claimed that DeJoy was hindering the agency's capability to accommodate an expected surge in mail-in voting, which he denied.
DeJoy, a close ally of President Donald Trump and a longtime Republican donor who was appointed in May, stated he had come to the national agency to make modifications that could allow for"its long-term sustainability" but that he planned to delay the attempts as scrutiny of these practices has grown -- despite his view that the Postal Service had a significant overhaul.
"In the meantime, there are a few longstanding operational initiatives -- efforts that predate my arrival in the Postal Service -- which have been raised as areas of concern as the nation prepares to hold an election in the midst of a catastrophic pandemic," he said. "To avoid even the appearance of any impact on election email, I'm suspending these initiatives until after the election is finished."
DeJoy stated the hours of post offices wouldn't change, mail processing gear and blue mailboxes would not be eliminated, all mail processing centers would stay open and the Postal Service would again allow overtime to be"accepted as needed."
The statement included DeJoy's intention to expand the bureau's leadership task force on election email to comprise members of unions and management associations.
DeJoy, a former logistics executive, faced intense scrutiny for nationally shipping delays after he made a number of policy changes that included eliminating overtime and limiting postal carriers from taking on additional routes to send mail on time.
Questions also rose over the elimination of blue Postal Service mailboxes, as well as the decommissioning of 671 letter-sorting machines at Postal Service facilities, removals that predated DeJoy's appointment.
Nevertheless, the flaws and the optics have roiled Democrats who accused DeJoy and Trump of hamstringing the bureau to undermine mail-in voting. Postal workers across the nation added their voices, asserting that the policies adopted by DeJoy -- which he said are intended to cut costs and increase efficiency -- have caused the holdup in deliveries, including prescription drugs, Social Security checks and other pieces of essential mail.
Trump denied intentionally slowing the Postal Service, telling reporters Monday that he"encouraged everybody to accelerate the email, not slow down the mail."
Concerns over the Postal Service's ability to take care of election email grew when numerous states received letters from the Postal Service a week which warned that the agency wouldn't be able to meet requests for mail-in ballots.
The prospective flaws are a significant concern for most, as millions of Americans are expected to send in their votes throughout the Postal Service this year because of concerns over the coronavirus. At least 18 states are included in the suits.
When asked by reporters about DeJoy's announcement, both men laughed and stated their lawsuits would proceed. "Hopefully the American people can breathe a sigh of relief, but I will not allow my foot off the gas as long as the postal officials continue to violate the law through their procedural steps."