We Must Protect the United States Postal Service

Through the Civil War, the Great Depression, and two World Wars, the United States Postal Service has been there to meet the needs of the American people, no matter the weather, danger or distance the letter carriers had to travel.

Every day, millions of Americans rely on the USPS – to receive medications, conduct their business, stay in contact and cast their vote. But this storied American institution is under unprecedented political attack at a critical junction in our nation’s history. We cannot let these attacks succeed.

In recent months, we have witnessed a deliberate effort to undermine the Postal Service by the President of the United States and his own handpicked Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. The postmaster general has ordered sweeping new policies and restrictions limiting overtime, removing sorting machines and removing collection boxes.

The result has been all too predictable: worse service for everyday Americans.

I’ve heard from over 6,000 of my constituents, including a veteran who had to wait weeks for his VA medications to arrive, numerous small business owners who are losing money due to delays and lost packages, a man whose shipment of HIV medication was so delayed he had to dip into his emergency supply, a small business owner having trouble shipping packages to her customers and countless citizens who are worried their mail-in ballots won’t be counted this November.

These problems are not just happening nationally but in our own backyard. We all saw reports of unopened mail being dumped in an unattended Glendale parking lot and alley. In response, I sent a letter to the Postal Inspection Service demanding a full investigation – including whether these are isolated incidents or part of a broader pattern.

The Postal Service is not a political organization and it’s never before been subjected to this kind of degradation of service for purely partisan purposes. As the letter carriers’ famous motto goes, “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” The USPS is a vital public good that keeps Americans from all corners connected, regardless of status or circumstance.

And as we approach the 2020 election in the midst of the deadly coronavirus pandemic, millions more Americans than ever before will rely on the USPS to ensure their votes are counted. While many states have set up alternative ways of voting safely this year, such as ballot drop-boxes and expanded early in-person voting, these opportunities are not standard in every state. What is available to every American, no matter their zip code, is access to the mail. An attack on the USPS is not only an attack on one of America’s oldest and greatest institutions, it is an attack on our democratic system. In order to defend our democracy, we must defend the USPS.

In August, the House passed the bipartisan Delivering for America Act. This urgently needed legislation prohibits the Postal Service from implementing any changes to operations or the level of service it had in place on Jan. 1, 2020. In addition, this legislation provides $25 billion in critical funding to support the USPS. With the presidential election just a few weeks away, and Americans relying on the Postal Service every single day, the Senate must pass this important piece of legislation now. And we will investigate this deliberate political attack on the USPS in the House.

The courts have weighed in and ordered an end to these destructive changes but we must expect the administration to appeal, so Congressional action is still vital. The postmaster general’s actions in the middle of a pandemic and right before an election have been fraught with scandal and controversy leaving Americans with no confidence in his ability to oversee this essential service. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy should resign his post so that we can rebuild from the damage he has inflicted on the USPS and its reputation.

The United States Postal Service belongs to all Americans, and we all deserve to have confidence that this vital service will continue to deliver our packages, prescriptions, letters and ballots without interruption or partisan interference.

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) represents California’s 28th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

  Rep. Adam Schiff