Dear friend,

I am deeply concerned by the Trump Administration’s attempts to harm the Postal Service and our communities as part of its attempts to undermine the integrity of our upcoming elections. The President has been quite clear that the two are connected. And I have heard from many of you that you share the same concerns. 
 
With this pandemic upon us, I strongly support efforts to move to vote by mail to help ensure that voters do not have to choose between this cherished right and their health. States have traditionally allowed voters to request absentee ballot applications and absentee ballots. Wisconsin is one of the majority of states that does not require any reason to vote absentee and I continue to urge my constituents to take advantage of that alternative. 
 
However, the integrity of the upcoming general election and our very democracy are under attack by the Trump Administration. The President has engaged in a relentless and unfounded stream of attacks on absentee voting, even while he votes by mail himself. Now, he has turned his attention to destroying the Postal Service where a Trump appointee has made clear his intent to sabotage the smooth delivery of mail, including medicines and ballots.
 
I support the U.S. Postal Service which provides a valuable service to all Americans delivering to tens of millions of delivery points all over the country each day. It's a unique universal service obligation and its near-ubiquitous presence throughout our country has helped turn the Postal Service into one of the most highly respected federal government institutions. The Postal Service employs some 600,000 employees and provides critical services such as the delivery of prescription drugs, the 2020 Census, and mail-in ballots in addition to its regular delivery of bills and other mail that Americans need.
 
By the large volume of mail I have gotten in the last two weeks, I know that my constituents agree about the need to protect both our Postal Service and the integrity of our elections. I have been hard at work on both fronts.
 
In May, I supported passage of the HEROES Act (H.R. 6800), among other provisions, including $25 billion for the Postal Service to help respond to declining mail volumes and additional expenses related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Then last month, I joined colleagues in writing to urge House and Senate leaders to ensure the inclusion of at least $25 billion for the Postal Service in any final relief package.

Besides funding challenges, the Postal Service is also facing the challenge of a President who is intent on undermining it to support his partisan political ambitions, especially as I and others have urged the use of vote by mail as a safe alternative amid this pandemic. As you know, reported recent changes at the Postal Service include eliminating overtime, turning off sorting equipment, requiring undelivered mail to pile up in Post Offices, turning off or removal of high sorting mailing equipment, and in some areas, the removal of blue boxes in the community. And again, it's not some coincidence as the President has made clear what the aim of these changes are. We must fight efforts to delay the mail and to protect the integrity of our elections. 
 
Upon hearing about these changes, including from constituents who are postal workers concerned about this strategy to delay the mail, I joined my colleagues in writing to share our opposition to such changes and to press the Postmaster General for answers.  

The Postmaster General released a statement earlier this week, in which he stated a suspension of these draconian policy changes. However, the damage has already been done, with no efforts to restore the operating levels that the USPS operated prior to the first round changes in June 2020. And, should these policy changes go into effect after the election, it would still affect the thousands of Americans who rely on the dependable and consistent service of USPS to deliver life-saving medications and paychecks.

I am pleased that both the House Oversight and Reform Committee and the Postal Service’s Inspector General have launched investigations into these changes. We need answers which the Postal Service has failed to provide adequately. This is why I recently joined colleagues in writing to urge the Postal Service’s Board of Governors to remove the Postmaster General. Destroying this valuable public service is not leadership. 
 
I am also glad that Speaker Pelosi has called Congress back into session shortly to address this critical issue again and that a hearing will be held on August 24th so Members and the public can hear from the Postmaster General and the Chair of the Postal Service’s Board of Governors 
 
During our upcoming session, the House will consider the “Delivering for America Act” (H.R. 8015), which would prevent the Postal Service from implementing any operational changes or reduction to the level of service it had in place on January 1, 2020, until the COVID-19 pandemic has ended. The legislation would also provide $25 billion in emergency funding for the Postal Service. I am a co-sponsor of this legislation and will vote for it when it comes before the House. Additionally, I hope that the Senate Majority Leader McConnell will take up this legislation quickly after its expected passage in the House. 
 
We must preserve the integrity of this critical institution. As many of you have pointed out, an unreliable Postal Service will severely impact our way of life, including putting the health and safety of older Americans who depend on the mail to get their medicines at risk and disenfranchising millions of voters who are unable to vote in person. It is always essential to the long term viability of the Postal Service that its customers can depend on the timely delivery of the mail otherwise they won’t use it. 
 
The Postal Service is a public good, written into our constitution— not a business. I will continue fighting for this essential service that so many in our community and folks around the country depend on.
 
Your friend,
Gwen