President Donald Trump set off a firestorm last week when he suggested that he would not grant the U.S. Postal Service the funding it requested as a means of interfering with the vote-by-mail process.

The reaction was fierce. 

"We have to get back to understanding that democracy itself should not be politicized. Democracy means that the people choose who they vote for," Andrea Hailey, CEO of Vote.org, told Cheddar on Monday. "It's the job of election officials to make voting as accessible and as easy as possible."

In the days after the president's remarks, images of the USPS removing mailboxes in different cities caused a frantic stir on social media, although the agency says it was part of routine redistribution. The agency says it will stop the practice for the time being and plans to decommission large-scale mail sorters have also been postponed until after the election.  

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a Trump appointee who just took the helm at USPS in June, will testify about election concerns before a House committee next week. Hailey expects Congress to grill DeJoy over the various cost-cutting measures that have been instituted since he took over in May.

"People need the post office not only for elections but to receive their medications, to receive their social security checks," Hailey said. "It is essential that we protect the postal service this year."

Share:
More In Politics
Biden to End COVID-19 Emergencies on May 11
The costs of COVID-19 vaccines are expected to skyrocket once the government stops buying them, with Pfizer saying it will charge as much as $130 per dose, and millions of people are expected to be kicked off of Medicaid.
Debt Ceiling Summit Set for Wednesday Between Biden, McCarthy
The House Speaker said he wants to address spending cuts along with raising the debt limit, even though the White House has ruled out linking those two issues together as the government tries to avoid a potentially devastating financial default.
Load More