Opinion Pieces

Augusta Chronicle
U.S. Rep. Rick Allen
https://www.augustachronicle.com/opinion/20200912/guest-column-examine-postal-service-status-in-proper-perspective

The U.S. Postal Service is a unique government service that has long played an integral role in American life. I’m grateful for the men and women who provide this service, and I will continue to support them and the millions of Americans who rely on the Post Office to conduct business, communicate with loved ones, and receive vital medication.

A recent Augusta Chronicle letter to the editor (“Congressman hypocritical,” Sept. 6) falsely claimed that I do not support the Postal Service, so I want to set the record straight and address some misinformation that has recently been shared regarding the Postal Service.

Last month, under the leadership of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Democrats pushed a baseless conspiracy theory designed to sow fear and attack President Donald Trump.

One of the claims being made was that the Postal Service won’t be able to handle the volume of election mail. If every single registered American voter decided to vote by mail, the total possible volume of requested and mailed ballots would not exceed a typical day of total Postal Service mail volume, making this claim false.

Another false claim being spread about the Postal Service is that much-needed reforms designed to save taxpayer dollars could jeopardize the November election. Even though this is wrong, the proposed reforms have been paused until after the election.

While there is a need to ensure the integrity of our upcoming election, the issue is not a result of the Postal Service’s ability to process mail. I am committed to addressing voter fraud, like those who recently double-voted in the primary elections. That’s one of the reasons why I recently participated in a virtual roundtable with the Committee on House Administration and some of my colleagues in the Georgia delegation to discuss election security with Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, Election Assistance Commissioner Christy McCormick, Richmond County Board of Elections Director Lynn Bailey and several other local election officials in Georgia. We must ensure it’s safe to go to the polls. I was encouraged to hear Georgia officials’ plans to administer safe and secure elections in November, and I will continue to monitor this situation.

This roundtable also provided an opportunity to discuss House Resolution 7905, the Emergency Assistance for Safe Elections (EASE) Act, a Republican solution to ensuring safe and secure voting come this November. This bill is led by U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis of Illinois and would authorize $200 million to help states and localities administer clean and safe elections; use tools to recruit younger poll workers; help states clean their voter rolls to maintain accurate voter registration lists; and secure updated polling technology. Additionally, this bill would prevent ballot harvesting and end this practice.

One of the most troubling claims I’ve heard is that the Postal Service will be insolvent before the election. According to the Postal Service’s own reports, it is solvent through at least August 2021. Additionally, the Coronavirus, Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, that I supported and that was signed into law by President Trump, included a $10 billion loan for the Postal Service that they have not used yet.

It has recently come to my attention that several constituents throughout the 12th District have experienced major issues with their mail service, such as extreme delays or days of receiving no mail. That’s why last month I wrote a letter to the U.S. Postmaster General asking for answers.

However, the partisan proposal pushed by Speaker Pelosi that I opposed did not address these delays. For these reasons, I voted against the legislation, as I publicly shared on my official social media channels and in my weekly e-newsletter. I encourage anyone wanting to stay up to date to sign up to receive my emails by visiting allen.house.gov/forms/emailsignup.