Rep. Nydia Velázquez: Trump Is ‘Inflicting Harm’ on Americans by Attacking USPS

Democrats and Republicans will head back to Congress this week to vote on funding for the U.S. Postal Service and hear testimony by the Post Master General.  

“This is not a corporation,” Rep. Nydia Velázquez (D-NY) said to a group of reporters in front of a post office in Sunset Park, a neighborhood in Brooklyn on Tuesday. “The United States Postal Service is not in the business of making profit. It’s a service agency and we must protect it for the public good.”

The Puerto Rican Congresswoman said in an impassioned speech that she denounces President Donald Trump’s attempt to “gut the services of the U.S. Postal Service.” 

Read more: Latinos and Black Americans Would Benefit from Biden’s Student Debt Relief Plan

Rep. Velazquez is just one of many Democrats vocalizing their disdain of Trump’s attack against the USPS. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a Trump financial supporter, will testify on Friday in front of the Republican-led Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and on Monday for the House Oversight Committee to discuss executive staff changes and cost-cutting.

The House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on a $25 billion fund to the USPS—a bipartisan bill introduced Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA). While some GOP lawmakers back the $25 billion boost, other Republicans are seeking to pass a reduced bill of $10 billion. 

“I am working in Congress with my colleague (Rep.) Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) in passing legislation,” Rep. Velázquez said. “This measure will prohibit Post General from implementing any changes until the COVID-19 pandemic has ended.”

During the press conference, Rep. Velázquez went on to discuss the drastic changes within the USPS in her community in Brooklyn and nationwide including the removal of mailboxes, slashed over time, and limited use of certain equipment in mail processing plants. 

Read more: Joe Biden’s Climate Plan Will Add Millions of New Jobs to the Economy

“If there is one thing crystal clear that we will not let the president of the United States disseminate the United States Postal Service to advance his own narrow political agenda,” she said. “It is shameful for the president of the United States to inflict harm against the American people. This is a war that we are willing to take on.”