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Postmaster General Louis DeJoy will testify Friday before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, the committee confirms to NPR.
According to the committee, the hearing will focus on the “finances and operations of the postal service during COVID-19 and upcoming elections.”
Ranking member Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., tweeted Tuesday morning about the upcoming hearing, writing DeJoy “must answer urgent questions about @USPS postal delivery delays harming Michiganders & Americans.”
🚨BREAKING🚨
As @HSGAC Ranking Member—I called on Postmaster General DeJoy to testify before our Committee—and am pleased to have secured an oversight hearing with him on Friday. He must answer urgent questions about @USPS postal delivery delays harming Michiganders & Americans. https://t.co/7R8StCl6cj
— Senator Gary Peters (@SenGaryPeters) August 18, 2020
DeJoy, an ally of President Trump and major GOP donor, has come under fire in recent weeks for mail delivery problems that have cropped up all over the country following major operational changes he instituted after taking over the service earlier this summer.
Democrats are particularly concerned that the delivery delays could lead to thousands of mail in ballots being rejected this fall.
Those concerns were amplified last week when President Trump indicated to Fox Business Network’s Maria Bartiromo that he opposes Democrats’ proposed boost in funding for the U.S. Postal Service because he wants to make it harder to expand voting by mail.
“They want $25 billion for the post office. Now, they need that money in order to have the post office work so it can take all of these millions and millions of ballots. Now, in the meantime, they aren’t getting there. But if they don’t get those two items, that means you can’t have universal mail-in voting because they’re not equipped to have it,” Trump said.
He later walked those remarks back, claiming his only goal in denying the agency funds is to ensure the integrity of the Nov. 3 election.
Pressure has been building since DeJoy took command of the Postal Service for him to answer questions about his plans to “implement an organizational realignment” at the agency, and his decision to reduce overtime for mail carriers, and the removal of high-speed sorting machines.
The agency has long been in financial trouble, losing $9 billion last year.
DeJoy is also scheduled to testify Monday before the House Oversight Committee.
A USPS representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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