Summary:
This bill prohibits the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) from making changes to operations or levels of service from those that were in effect on January 1, 2020. Specifically, the USPS may not, during the period beginning on enactment of this bill and ending on the last day of the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) public health emergency or January 1, 2021, whichever is later, implement or approve any change to the operations or the level of service that would impede prompt, reliable, and efficient services, including
- changes in the nature of services that will generally affect service on a nationwide basis;
- revisions of service standards;
- closures or consolidations of post offices or reduction of facility hours;
- prohibitions on payment of overtime pay to USPS officers or employees;
- changes that would prevent the USPS from meeting its service standards or that would reduce measurements of performance concerning those standards;
- changes that would have the effect of delaying mail, allowing non-delivery to a delivery route, or increasing the volume of undelivered mail.
ANGIE CRAIG’S POSITION: Representative Craig co-sponsored the bill on 08/18/20.
STATUS: Introduced 8/11/20 by Rep. Maloney, Carolyn B. [D-NY-12]
INFORMATION RELATED TO THE BILL:
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Yesterday, Representative Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY), the Chairwoman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, introduced the Delivering for America Act in the wake of unprecedented changes proposed by the new Postmaster General to the operations and organizational structure of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS).
“Our Postal Service should not become an instrument of partisan politics, but instead must be protected as a neutral, independent entity that focuses on one thing and one thing only—delivering the mail. Millions of people rely on the Postal Service every day to communicate, to access critical medications, and to vote,” said Rep. Maloney. “At this juncture in our nation’s history, when the number of Americans voting by mail for this Presidential election is expected to more than double from the last, Congress must protect the right of all eligible citizens to have their vote counted. A once-in-a-century pandemic is no time to enact changes that threaten service reliability and transparency. The Delivering for America Act would reverse these changes so this fundamental American service can continue unimpeded.”
The USPS has served diligently on the frontlines during the COVID-19 pandemic, connecting the country and communities at a time when we have needed it most. As a result of staffing shortages in the wake of COVID-19, New York City has seen major mail delivery delays. USPS employees also serve an essential role in our society, and their health and safety is paramount along with meeting needs of NY-12 constituents. Congresswoman Maloney has continued to fight for adequate funding to sustain the Post Office during these unprecedented times. The proposed changes to the structure of the USPS by Postmaster General DeJoy will only harm New Yorkers as we approach the November Presidential election.
The Delivering for America Act would prohibit the Postal Service from implementing any changes to the operations or level of service it had in place on January 1, 2020, until the COVID-19 pandemic has ended. This legislation would maintain current service standards as well as the integrity of our elections and bedrock democratic principles.
Background
On July 10, 2020, an internal Postal Service memo directed employees to leave mail behind at distribution centers and to significantly curtail overtime, undermining long-established organizational norms that have ensured the timely distribution of mail for decades.
On August 7, 2020, a memo detailing the restructuring of the Postal Service revealed the reassignment of 23 postal executives in an overhaul that analysts warn “deemphasizes decades’ worth of institutional postal knowledge” and “centralizes power around DeJoy.” The restructure also proposed a hiring freeze, early retirements, unit realignments, and regional downscaling.
Questions have been raised about the financial interests of the new Postmaster General and his wife, who have between $30.1 million and $75.3 million in assets of competitors or contractors of the Postal Service. The Postmaster General has also donated millions of dollars to President Trump’s campaign.
ADDITIONAL DETAIL:
Link to the text of the bill.
Link to bill information (support and opposition) on Countable.
Link to bill information on GovTrack.