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On Sunday, Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that she will call back the House from its annual summer recess. And why? So they can vote on legislation to block changes to the Postal Service.
Voting advocates warn that those changes can disenfranchise Americans from casting votes for the upcoming Presidential election.
Pelosi made her announcement on Sunday, after the White House chief of staff signaled openness to providing emergency funding to the post office.
The post office will likely see a huge surge in mail-in ballots this year. Democratic state attorneys are also exploring legal action against recent changes to the postal service.
Concerns over the integrity of the November election continue to rise. This is because the postal service might need to handle as many as 80 million ballots.
It will be an election like no other, as Americans flock to mailboxes to cast votes amid concerns about COVID-19. Folks with flu-like or even AFib stroke symptoms are not likely to head to the physical polls this year.
The House wasn’t scheduled to return until September 14, but they could consider legislation for a United States Postal Service bill as soon as Saturday.
Related: President Trump Blocks Funding to Post Office Over Mail-in Voting
In a letter to Democratic lawmakers, Pelosi explained why she is ending summer recess early.
“Lives, livelihoods and the life of our American democracy are under threat from the president,” said Pelosi. “That is why I am calling upon the House to return to session later this week.”
Recently, Trump-appointed postmaster general Louis DeJoy ended overtime pay. He also transferred and removed some sorting machines.
Mark Meadows, the White House chief of staff, insisted on Saturday that no one will be dismantling mail-sorting machines before Election Day.
“The president of the United States is not going to interfere with anybody casting their votes in a legitimate way, whether it’s the post office or anything else,” said Meadows on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
However, the Postal Service told states last month that they may not be able to deliver last-minute mail-in ballots. There is concern that they may not be able to meet their deadlines.
“The postmaster general and top Postal Service leadership must answer to the Congress and the American people as to why they are pushing these dangerous new policies that threaten to silence the voices of millions, just months before the election,” said top Democrats in a joint statement on Sunday.
Related: Trump Requests Mail-in Ballots for Tuesday Election
