Rep. Peter DeFazio Leads Effort to Save the Postal Service

Rep. Peter A. DeFazio (OR-04) Tuesday led 130 other Members of Congress in sending a letter to Speaker Pelosi requesting strong support for the United States Postal Service in forthcoming COVID-19 relief legislation.  

“Now more than ever, the U.S. Postal Service is an essential agency to millions of Americans,” said Rep. DeFazio. “However, it is currently under attack from Donald Trump because of the President’s personal vendetta against The Washington Post, and its owner, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, for reporting he finds too critical. Now, to boost his failing re-election bid, Trump is sowing doubt and trying to suppress voter turnout by questioning whether the USPS can safely and promptly deliver ballots—although he, along with every Oregonian, safely votes by mail. Safeguarding the USPS from these misguided attacks will protect millions of Americans’ medications, ballots, groceries and more. It’s imperative that we ensure any subsequent COVID-19 relief legislation includes funding for the USPS to survive.”

Read the full letter here.

In 1878 Associate Justice Stephen J. Field, in a unanimous opinion from the United States Supreme Court, wrote, “The power vested in Congress 'to establish post-offices and post-roads' has been practically construed, since the foundation of the government, to authorize not merely the designation of the routes over which the mail shall be carried, and the offices where letters and other documents shall be received to be distributed or forwarded, but the carriage of the mail, and all measures necessary to secure its safe and speedy transit, and the prompt delivery of its contents.”