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Washington, DC -- Today, Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton (D-VA-10) voted to pass the bipartisan Delivering for America Act to block the Trump administration’s sabotage of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) and provide $25 billion in critical funding -- the same level of funding requested by the Trump-appointed USPS Board of Governors.  

"I heard from thousands of my constituents this week who depend on our Postal Service to receive medications, send deliveries from their small businesses, pay bills, vote, and so much more,” said Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton. “It’s clear that the Trump administration struck a nerve with this sabotage campaign. The Postal Service is the lifeblood of our communities and an essential government service -- and has been since even before the Declaration of Independence was signed. The Delivering for America Act enables the Postal Service to continue to perform its essential work during the COVID-19 crisis, protects the right to vote, and sends a message to the Trump administration -- don’t mess with the USPS."

This week, Congresswoman Wexton surveyed constituents of Virginia’s 10th District on how the actions taken by the Trump administration to delay mail could impact the everyday lives of families and local businesses. More than 3,200 Virginians responded to the survey, including veterans who rely on USPS for prescription medications, small business owners who can only reach rural customers through USPS, and parents of kids with complex medical needs who can’t get the supplements they need in stores. Over 1,200 Virginia-10 residents who replied to the survey reported delays or other hardships with USPS in recent weeks. 

Recently uncovered internal Postal Service documents confirmed significant declines in service and nationwide delays.

Under the leadership of the new Postmaster General, Louis DeJoy, USPS has reassigned or displaced postal executives, removed mail sorting machines, and cut overtime, leading to significant mail delays across the country.

The Delivering for America Act prohibits the Postal Service from implementing or approving any changes to the operations or service levels in effect on January 1, 2020 that would impede prompt, reliable, and efficient service. The prohibition remains in effect through the duration of the COVID-19 public health emergency or January 2021, whichever is later. The bill also provides $25 billion in emergency funding for USPS, as recommended by the USPS Board of Governors, to support the agency’s operations during COVID-19. To help facilitate the timely and effective processing of mail-in ballots for this year’s elections, the legislation would also require USPS to continue treating all election mail as first-class mail.

Wexton joined colleagues from the National Capital Region on Wednesday for a press conference outside of the Postal Service headquarters in Washington, DC to share stories from constituents who have been impacted by the mail delays.

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