House Oversight chair introduces bill to preserve USPS services

House Oversight Committee Chair Carolyn B. Maloney (D-N.Y.) introduced a bill to restrict changes to the U.S. Postal Service's level of operation, the representative's office announced on Wednesday.

Why it matters: The bill comes amid increased scrutiny from Democratic lawmakers, who say recent efforts to restructure USPS threaten the use of mail-in ballots for the November election. Maloney further notes that individuals depend on USPS for critical deliveries, including medications.

How it works: Maloney's bill would require the USPS to maintain the same "operations or level of service" it had on Jan. 1, 2020, until either next year or the end of the coronavirus pandemic.

What she's saying: “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," Maloney said in a statement. 

• "Millions of people rely on the Postal Service every day to communicate, to access critical medications, and to vote.  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."