Top Republicans penned a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Oversight and Reform Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney demanding that they “stop promoting irresponsible and baseless conspiracy theories about the U.S. Postal Service.”
The letter comes after USPS leaders were doxed and had protesters show up at their homes.
EARLIER: Protests erupt at the USPS Postmaster General's house in Washington, DC. pic.twitter.com/yDWFNTtkMO
— The Hill (@thehill) August 16, 2020
Happening right now:
— Jeff Rabinowitz (@rxjef77) August 15, 2020
Angry crowds of protesters are gathering outside of pro-Trump Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s residence in Washington, D.C. to protest his organizational changes rolling back capacity at the Postal Service.
-If you live in DC, please join in safely pic.twitter.com/1ebkDBnQ7Y
Big protest right now in #Greensboro NC outside Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s house to #SaveTheUSPS: pic.twitter.com/mcfjfLJuSn
— Eric Ginsburg (@Eric_Ginsburg) August 16, 2020
“This behavior is directly motivated by the fabricated attacks on the USPS that you have spearheaded and is now unnecessarily endangering the safety of hard working public servants,” said Leader Kevin McCarthy, Republican Whip Steve Scalise, and Rep. James Comer, ranking member on the Oversight and Reform Committee.
Among the bogus theories Democrats have been spreading are that the USPS has been removing mailboxes, that the postal service lacks funding and will be “insolvent” before Election Day, and that they lack the “infrastructure” to handle delivering mail-in ballots to and from voters.
“As you know, none of these claims has any basis in fact,” the Republicans wrote, adding that the Democrats are manufacturing “a crisis to undermine President Trump at the expense of America’s institutions.”
The USPS has had financial troubles long before the Trump administration, they argue.
“Democrats continue to malign sensible plans commenced in 2011 and designed to streamline the USPS’ operations, such as removing mail stop and equipment,” the letter said, pointing out that these efforts were carried out under the Obama administration when 12,000 mailboxes were removed and dozens of post offices were closed, but Democrats said nothing and never called for emergency votes.
The USPS is solvent through August of next year, making Pelosi’s decision to hold an emergency vote this weekend “unnecessary.” Operational changes at USPS will also be pushed back until after the election.
“Democrats continue to pursue an unnecessary bailout plan that does not fix any of the underlying operational issues at the USPS,” the Republicans argue, adding that it’s more than capable of handling mail-in ballots.
“Your completely unfounded and baseless attacks on the USPS not only undermines the confidence and integrity of our election system, but also puts the safety of USPS public servants at risk,” the GOP lawmakers conclude. “You must stop promoting misinformation campaigns immediately to prevent further serious damage to the reputation and physical security of USPS employees and the integrity of the 2020 election.”
?? USPS leaders have been doxxed and harassed at their homes by radical protesters motivated by Pelosi’s fabricated attacks.
— Steve Scalise (@SteveScalise) August 20, 2020
Dems’ insane conspiracy theories and political games have real world consequences.
Our letter to Pelosi demanding they stop before someone gets hurt ? pic.twitter.com/rwonteQw9x