(FOX 2) - Less than 24 hours after postal workers picketed in front of the main post office in Detroit, U.S. Representatives Debbie Dingell and Brenda Lawrence from Michigan and U.S. Representative Robin Kelly from Illinois hosted a Zoom call for the media about Postmaster General Louis DeJoy's attempt to make changes to the United States Postal Service.
They're urging the U.S. Senate to pass the Delivering for America Act, which passed the House on Saturday.
This browser does not support the Video element.
Dingell, Lawrence urge Senate to support post office and pass Delivering for America Act
U.S. Representatives Debbie Dingell and Brenda Lawrence from Michigan and U.S. Representative Robin Kelly from Illinois talked with the media Wednesday about recent changes made to the USPS amid the pandemic and ahead of the election.
"After he made the announcement on Tuesday, the postal service in Grand Rapids moved the sorting machines out of the post office and destroyed them. Destroyed them. Even after we passed legislation on Friday that says you cannot do this, the machines that are being pulled out of these distribution centers are being destroyed," Rep. Dingell said.
After a public outcry and accusations that the newly-appointed Postmaster General was trying to undermine the postal service's ability to deliver mail just months before the presidential election, Louis DeJoy released a lengthy statement saying in part that he would halt changes until after the election and denied any wrongdoing saying, "I came to the postal service to make changes to secure the success of this organization and its long term sustainability. I believe significant reforms are essential to that objective, and work towards those reforms will commence after the election."
But in a year where a record number of Americans will be voting through the mail, a lot of people aren't buying DeJoy's explanation.
"My district, the 2nd District - urban, suburban and rural, all three types of communities that make up our country. And I've heard from every single one of these different communities; they are frustrated and angry with the games being played by the Postmaster General and this administration," said Rep. Kelly.
Congress has passed legislation that would prohibit the Postal Service from making any operational changes during the COVID-19 pandemic while providing $25 billion in critical funding to support the Postal Service.
"During this pandemic, we can talk all we want about how important this election is. If we do not have a functioning post service, it is going to be a direct impact on our ability to protect our democracy," said Rep. Lawrence.
Prior to becoming a lawmaker, Lawerence worked for the U.S. Postal Service for thirty years.
"Did you deliberately want to create chaos? Are deliberately trying to slow us down? So those are questions we don't understand because there's usually a plan and a thought are behind these types of actions," she said.
"Americans deserve to have a Postal Service they can count on every day," Rep. Dingell said.