WASHINGTON D.C. (WCMH) — New changes at the post office could mean slower service for both getting and sending mail.
And with some states beginning their mail-in voting as soon as next month, some members of Congress fear President Trump is trying to politicize the post office.
“I don’t think the post office is prepared for a thing like this,” President Trump said.
Trump says millions of mail-in votes will overwhelm the postal service and could make it easier to commit voter fraud.
But Illinois Democratic Representative Brad Schneider says the president has his own interest at heart.
“Unfortunately, the president sees that as a threat to his election chances and is trying to dismantle the post office,” Rep. Schneider said.
Schneider is worried new cutbacks at the U.S. Postal Service, and reports of long-delayed mail, could hamper mail-in voting.
Under new Postmaster General Louis Dejoy, the postal service has reportedly cut overtime pay and other costs to get the post office in better financial shape.
“We don’t buy into it all, we think it’s more political,” said Mark Dimondstein, President of the American Postal Workers Union.
Dimondstein added postal workers are ready for a mail-in ballot surge.
“The post office can do that around the whole country,” he said.
In a statement, the postal service said, in part, “we are not slowing down election mail or any other mail” but it admitted there may be service impacts due to changes.
Democrats want to send the postal service more money to prepare for the election.
But many Republicans, including Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, say there’s no need for federal intervention.
“This isn’t true in Iowa or elsewhere,” Sen. Grassley said.
The Democrats are pushing hard to keep $25 billion for the postal service in the next coronavirus relief bill.
