Postmaster general to appear before Senate over mail delays

WASHINGTON (AP) — Backlash mounting, President Donald Trump's embattled Postmaster General Louis DeJoy will appear Friday before the Senate to testify on mail delivery delays and service changes that lawmakers and others are warning could imperil the November election.

Trump has flatly denied he was asking for a slow-walk of the mail. But his newly-installed postmaster, a Republican donor with no previous postal management, is facing pressure by Democrats to halt any changes as millions of Americans prepare to vote by mail during the COVID-19 crisis. Demonstrations are being held Tuesday in several cities.

The top Democrat on the Homeland Security panel seeking DeJoy's testimony called the Postal Service “a lifeline” to Americans.

“We must ensure they can continue to count on dependable and timely delivery,” said Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich.

The crisis at the Postal Service has erupted as a major election year issue as DeJoy, a Trump ally who took control of the agency in June, has swiftly engineered cuts and operational changes that are disrupting mail delivery operations and raising alarms among workers.

The concerns are amplified by Trump's complaints against mail-in ballots that are expected to flood the mail as Americans wary of crowds choose to vote absentee this year instead of risking health concerns by voting at polling places during the coronavirus outbreak.

Congress is not in session but Speaker Nancy Pelosi is calling the House back to Washington over the crisis at the Postal Service, setting up a political showdown amid growing concerns that the Trump White House is trying to undermine the agency ahead of the election.

The House is expected to vote Saturday on legislation that would prohibit changes at the agency. The package will also include $25...