Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
A $25 billion funding plan for the U.S. Postal Service passed the House of Representatives with local Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick’s support over the weekend.
Fitzpatrick, a co-sponsor of the Delivering for America Act, was among 26 Republicans who voted in favor of the bill. The bill passed 257-150.
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The legislation would provide $25 billion in funding to the U.S. Postal Service, which delivers mail and other items to every part of the country. It also would require all election mail to be first-class mail and stop changes to post office operations until January 1, 2021.
The bill comes after changes to the U.S. Postal Service have delayed service and raised fears that mail-in voting could be impacted. Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro and other states are suing over the changes.
Fitzpatrick issued the following statement after the vote:
“I am a proud cosponsor of H.R. 8015, the Delivering for America Act, and I was proud to vote in favor of this legislation. I stand with the hardworking letter carriers and postal workers of the USPS. The USPS should be fully funded so that my constituents and millions across the country can receive the high quality, timely service that the Postal Service has historically provided. This bipartisan legislation 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. We should be preserving and enhancing USPS delivery standards and services, not implementing operational changes that could delay delivery times and undermine quality services that every American depends on.”
“Right now, Americans across the country are relying on the USPS to deliver medications, essential goods, and ballots. The USPS is not a partisan issue, it is a constitutionally mandated public service that every American relies on. Constant partisan bickering will get us no closer to solving the issue. Republicans and Democrats, House and Senate, must come together and address the serious challenges that USPS has been facing for years. I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues on bipartisan solutions to support the USPS.”
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The weekend vote came after the Democratic-majority House called for an “emergency session” during the typical summer recess.
The Delivering for America Act will head to the U.S. Senate. The Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky, has said the post office is “equipped to handle this election, and if a real need arises, Congress will meet it.”
President Donald Trump has called documented problems with the U.S. Postal Service a “hoax.”
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“In this moment of crisis, the U.S. Postal Service must be adequately funded by Congress to ensure a well-functioning American economy and the right to vote by mail in places like #PA01. It’s unconscionable that the President of the United States would think anything less,” Christina Finello, Fitzpatrick Democratic challengers in the general election, said in a tweet earlier this month.
The U.S. Postal Service, a government agency mentioned by the U.S. Constitution,has lost money in recent years, but has the ability to be profitable, according to a CNN Business report.
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