USPS Suspends Changes as Postmaster General Faces Lawsuits and Outrage

WASHINGTON, KOMPAS.com - Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to suspend changes on several of his initiatives until after the election in the wake of public outcry and a slew of lawsuits.

Prior to his decision, Louis DeJoy came under scrutiny for the operational changes made on the US postal service that critics blame for widespread delays and warned could disrupt the 2020 presidential election.

There was public outrage when the US Postal Service removed its distinctive blue mailboxes in several states raising questions over whether it was an attempt to boost Trump’s chances of winning the ballot this November.

Read also: Democrats and Republicans Unamused by Trump’s US Election Delay Plans

Louis DeJoy stated that the decision of the USPS to suspend changes after the election is “to avoid even the appearance of impact on election mail”.

“We will deliver the nation’s election mail on time,” DeJoy said in a statement.

The abrupt reversal from DeJoy, who is set to testify Friday before the Senate, comes as more than 20 states, from New York to California, announced they would be suing to stop the changes.

Several vowed they would press on, keeping a watchful eye on the Postal Service ahead of the election.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is pushing ahead with Saturday’s vote to prevent election-year mail changes and provide emergency postal funds.

“I don’t, frankly, trust the postmaster general,” Pelosi said in San Francisco.

Read also: USPS Crisis Brews as Trumps Quest to Win November Election Heats Up

The crisis at the Postal Service has erupted as a major election year issue as DeJoy, a Republican donor who took control of the agency in June, has swiftly engineered cuts and operational changes that are disrupting mail delivery operations and raising alarms that Trump is trying to undermine the agency ahead of the election.

At the White House, Trump has flatly denied he is seeking to slow down the mail, even as he leveled fresh assaults Tuesday on mail-in voting and universal ballots.

More Americans than ever are expected to choose to vote absentee during the coronavirus outbreak.

“You can’t have millions and millions of ballots sent all over the place, sent to people that are dead, sent to dogs, cats, sent everywhere,” Trump told reporters.