Dear Neighbor,

There is a five alarm fire at the US Postal Service, and Donald Trump holds the match. As we speak, President Trump and his crony, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, are actively sabotaging USPS in order to suppress vote-by-mail and rig the 2020 election in his favor. 

As Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Government Operations, I have been sounding the alarm about this crisis since March, when Donald Trump first threatened to veto any COVID-19 legislation that included funding to prevent USPS’s imminent collapse. Since then, his efforts to subvert the will of Congress and of the people have only become more shameless and destructive.

Since taking office in June, Postmaster General DeJoy has proposed or enacted many new policies that he says are necessary to improve efficiency, but actually serve only to slow down the processing and delivery of mail. His plans include new restrictions on mail pick-up times, the elimination of overtime for hundreds of thousands of postal workers, the physical removal of crucial mail sorting machines and mail drop boxes, and a prohibition on late or extra delivery runs that currently allow USPS to deliver our mail on time, even if it means making an extra trip. 

This attack on a critical and beloved American institution cannot stand. That’s why I’ve called on the Postmaster General to resign immediately, and have asked the USPS Inspector General to investigate and determine the legality of his actions.  

Today, we learned that the Postmaster General has agreed to testify voluntarily before the Committee on Oversight and Reform on August 24, one week from today. He has a lot of explaining to do, and I am very much looking forward to questioning him. But if the information he provides is anything but truthful and complete, the Committee should take every step within its power to compel his honesty – including the issuance of subpoenas and the resurrection of inherent contempt, which allows Congress to enforce its own subpoenas independent of the judiciary.

I encourage you to tune in to Monday’s hearing, which will be livestreamed here. This is a fight for the very soul of our democracy, and I will not back down.

Please continue to take care of yourselves and each other, and remember that my office is here to help. Be sure to visit the COVID-19 page on my website for more information and resources. If you have any questions or concerns, or if you need assistance, please don't hesitate to call us at (703) 256-3071.

Sincerely,

Gerald E. Connolly

Member of Congress