US House of Representatives votes to block postal reforms, will provide US$25 billion bailout
- The proposed policy changes have sparked fears over mail-in ballots in the coming presidential election
- President Trump has alarmed Democrats by repeatedly denouncing mail-in ballots as a possible source of fraud
The Democratic-led US House of Representatives voted on Saturday to provide the cash-strapped Postal Service with US$25 billion and block policy changes that have stirred concerns about mail-in balloting ahead of the November 3 election.
The 257-150 vote sent the legislation dubbed the “Delivering for America Act” on to the Republican-controlled Senate, which is not expected to take it up. The White House strongly opposes the legislation and has said it would recommend that President Donald Trump veto the measure.
More than two-dozen Republicans broke ranks to join Democrats in approving the bill, during a rare Saturday session called by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in the middle of the congressional August recess.
With mail-in voting expected to surge during the coronavirus pandemic, Trump has alarmed Democrats by repeatedly denouncing mail-in ballots as a possible source of fraud. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy recently suspended cost-cutting measures that have slowed deliveries in recent weeks.
Democrats, who accuse Trump of trying to discourage mail-in balloting to gain an electoral advantage over Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, cast themselves as defenders of a public that relies on the Postal Service for vital deliveries, including prescription drugs.