House lawmakers are stepping up their efforts to learn more about changes taking place at the U.S. Postal Service.
Just a week after Postmaster General Louis DeJoy testified before the House Oversight Committee, the committee’s chairwoman Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) is accusing him of failing to provide requested documents by her August 26 deadline.
In a letter to members of the Oversight Committee, Maloney wrote, “Over the past two months, hundreds of Members of Congress have requested information and documents from Mr. DeJoy regarding widespread delays across the country in mail, medications, and other critical supplies, as well as potential delays for election mail in November.”
She noted that members also requested documents regarding “previously undisclosed communications between Mr. DeJoy and the Trump campaign, anomalies in the process used to select Mr. DeJoy, and other matters.”
Maloney claimed the DeJoy has “downplayed the extent and gravity of these delays.” However, she said that news stories from around the country “have made clear that [the delays] are far worse than previously disclosed.”
However, after repeated requests for documents, Maloney said, “Mr. DeJoy sent a letter to the Committee stating: ‘I trust my August 24 testimony before the Committee on Oversight and Reform clarified any outstanding questions you had.'”
“He has not produced a single additional document since the House and Senate hearings were held despite multiple conversations between Committee staff and Mr. DeJoy’s office over the past week,” she added.
Maloney also said that the committee sent a transcript of the hearing with DeJoy to highlight what documents committee members had requested. However, she said DeJoy claimed he had to work with committee members “to identify and provide materials requested during the hearing.”
“His letter disregarded numerous other written requests for documents and expressions of concern from both Democratic and Republican Members of the House and Senate,” she added.
U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy testifies via video feed in a screen capture made during a virtual hearing of the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee entitled “Examining the Finances and Operations of the United States Postal Service During COVID-19 and Upcoming Elections” in Washington, U.S., August 21, 2020. U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee via REUTERS
DeJoy testified before the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affair Committee on August 21, and the House Oversight Committee three days later amid concerns that operational changes at the Postal Service could hinder the agency’s ability to deliver mail-in ballots in time to be counted in the general election.
Despite concerns, DeJoy maintained that his agency would be able to handle the expected surge in mail-in ballots and deliver them on time.
DeJoy told Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), “If everyone complies with the mail process that we’ve been identifying, there will be absolutely no issue,” with delivery ballots on time.
He also previously announced that he would suspend a series of controversial operational changes ahead of the election to avoid “even the appearance of any impact on election mail.”
Despite his assurances, Democratic Congressional leaders have continued to raise concerns about his leadership of the Postal Service, as IJR reported.
“Despite urgent requests from Members of the House and Senate for Mr. DeJoy to produce documents regarding the nature, scope, and effects of his sweeping changes, as well as, other matters, it is clear that a subpoena has become necessary to further the Committee’s investigation and help inform potential legislative actions,” Maloney said.
Citing an example set by House Republicans when they were in the majority, Maloney said she will not hold a “business meeting to consider this subpoena.”
