#Postmaster General Louis DeJoy defiant, won’t return mail sorting machines

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy on Monday defiantly pushed back against Democrats calling for him to return mail sorting machines removed from post offices before November’s presidential election.

DeJoy sparred with Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) during a hearing of the House Oversight Committee over his cost-cutting measures for the US Postal Service that critics claim will cause delays in processing the millions of ballots expected to be sent through the mail this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Lynch said the measures initiated by DeJoy are “deliberately dismantling this once-proud institution” and sought assurances he would return the high-speed processing machines.

“No, I will not,” DeJoy said.

“You will not?” Lynch pressed.

“Will not,” DeJoy responded.

It was the second time DeJoy appeared on Capitol Hill in four days.

During his testimony before the Republican-controlled Senate Homeland Security Committee on Friday, DeJoy sought to allay concerns that his changes would impede mail delivery before the election, saying his “No. 1 priority” was to ensure the mail arrives on time.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called members of the Democrat-led House back from their August break to attend a rare Saturday session in which they approved $25 billion to help the Postal Service prepare for the expected surge of mail-in ballots because of safety concerns with the coronavirus.

Twenty-six House Republicans voted to approve the funds.