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United States Postal Service Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said Tuesday he would delay policy changes within the organization until after the November election.
The announcement came after 20 states prepared to file lawsuits against the USPS for making changes that allegedly led to delays in some mail delivery. Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh (D) said on behalf of the group that they viewed the changes as an “attack” on the postal service by President Donald Trump, characterizing it as “illegal” and “unconstitutional” in an interview with The Washington Post this week.
The attorneys general — filing on behalf of Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Wisconsin — argue the USPS should have sought approval from the Postal Regulatory Commission prior to making policy change, including the suspension of overtime for postal workers and the removal of some collection boxes.
“I came to the Postal Service to make changes to secure the success of this organization and its long-term sustainability,” DeJoy said in a statement. “I believe significant
“In the meantime, there are some longstanding operational initiatives — efforts that predate my arrival at the Postal Service — that have been raised as areas of concern as the nation prepares to hold an election in the midst of a devastating pandemic,” he added. To avoid even the appearance of any impact on election mail, I am suspending these initiatives until after the election is concluded.”
The Postal Service has been the subject of controversy since the president suggested last week that he would be open to withdrawing funding from the agency if it meant preventing mail-in balloting. The White House has agreed in budget negotiations with Congress to provide the USPS with $10 billion in funding. House Democrats are seeking as much as $25 billion.