Transcripts For CSPAN2 House Rules Committee Meeting On U.S. Postal Service 20240712

Heading into the heart of the vietnam war. I lived through watergate, joined the National Security Council Staff a few months before nixon resigned. I used to tell people we will be the last few minutes of this recorded event. You can finish watching on booktv. Org. We go live to the House Rules Committee as they meet to work on legislation related to the impacts of the covid19 pandemic on the Postal Service. Post office boxes are being ripped out, shredding machines have disappeared, this is threatening peoples ability to get lifesaving medications and Social Security checks in a timely way. All the while the Postal Service is in need of Additional Resources heading into november. The house acted for more funding months ago but the senate has done nothing, not a thing. The Postal Service, this is an assault on our democracy. These actions call into question whether legal ballots will be counted in states across the country. No wonder there has been such immense public outcry. We see thousands of inquiries in my District Office on this issue. The postmaster general doesnt help us. He said nothing about reinstalling the boxes and putting back the machines that disappear and has said nothing about the need for Additional Resources for the Postal Service. We have learned through subsequent conversation with the speaker of the house the postmaster general has no intention of undoing what he has done. We cannot trust this administration. The pledge to hold anymore changes until election day, i read a disturbing report of a sorting machine being removed from the post office in grand rapids. My colleagues know this was decided in the last president ial campaign. Participation will only increase. There is no rationale for this unless you want fewer ballots counted. We should be encouraging every eligible american to vote this year but the president believes this will be less likely he gets a second term. I dont know if that will be in november but every legal ballot should count. Joe biden or anyone else that is why we delivering for america act. On january 1st, to treat all elections provides 25 billion in funding for the Postal Service which will help support 633,000 employees. This is a 5 alarm fire, we need the boxes back, the sorting machines, respect the men and women, we need additional funds to support the Postal Service and we need to reverse this slowdown in delivery. It is clear none of this will happen unless Congress Passes this bill. That white is urgent we act immediately. Let me turn to mister cole for any comments he would like to submit. Hr 8015 began, important to note all of us, republican and democrat, want an effective Postal Service. It is of critical importance to allamericans particularly people in rural districts. To the extent they are necessary bipartisan forms congress can survive and requiring congress to meet partners on our side of the aisle. The majority has chosen a different path. Im disappointed by this today. There are two main provisions of this bill. The bill drops any changes the Postal Service operation had been implemented since january 1st of this year. Any further changes after the first of next year, a Public Health emergency ends, whichever. The bill infuses the post office with an additional 20 billion. This matches what the partisan heroes act in the senate and 10 billion signed into law as part of the bipartisan bills act. This bill misses the mark in so many ways. That is harder to improve ensuring the Postal Service is on a steady course in the future. The concerns the first bill is in danger of immediate collapse, in danger of not being related mail including ballots. Longtime jobs of the Postal Service and the actions taken by postmaster lewis dejoy and his predecessors, the Postal Service has to continue operated in 2021 and the postmaster general, with respect to election, despite wideeyed there is no basis in fact to support the reason for this. Mister chairman, i ask unanimous consent for the majority, including wall street journal editorial column by the legal post. Of former commission of the post office all three of these, a lot of majorities, make very clear the ones at the Postal Service legislate to increase the longterm challenges of the Postal Service and make it harder to ensure its survival. Finally i would be remiss if i did not mention bringing a bill into this committee, to not receive a markup. When democrats flipped the majority they made a congress and signed it into a rule. It was a markup and jurisdiction. The majorities wants to violate that. Just as they have repeatedly done, to make matters worse, the postmaster general in the house next monday, repeatedly file it, this is especially so. A new way of doing business that is necessary to give all members a chance for legislation continuing what is criticized. We owe the American People more. I thank the gentleman for his comments. This is important quite frankly. The president talking about not expecting the result of the election. The House Committee meetings, a long term commitment to senate coverage. The u. S. Senate about a gavel in for a brief pro f