Live updates: US Postmaster general testifies before House committee | CNN Politics

Trump’s postmaster general testifies

Meg Wagner

Melissa Mahtani

By Meg Wagner, Melissa Mahtani and Mike Hayes, CNN

Updated 4:24 PM EDT, Mon August 24, 2020

Louis DeJoy Stephen Lynch split

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Congressman to USPS chief: What the heck are you doing?

3:54 • Source: CNN

Louis DeJoy Stephen Lynch split

Congressman to USPS chief: What the heck are you doing?

3:54

What you need to know

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy testified before the Democrat-led House Oversight Committee.
DeJoy — a Trump ally and a Republican donor — faced lawmakers’ questions on accusations that he is deliberately sabotaging USPS operations through changes that have slowed mail delivery ahead of the election.
The House approved legislation Saturday to allocate $25 billion to the USPS and ban operational changes.
During a Senate hearing Friday, DeJoy defended changes implemented during his tenure and argued that the Postal Service is up to the task of handling election mail delivery.

Our live coverage has ended, but you can read below to see how it all unfolded.

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Here's how DeJoy's testimony before the House played out

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy answered lawmakers’ questions today during a House Oversight Committee hearing.

DeJoy — a Republican donor and Trump ally — has faced accusations that he is intentionally sabotaging Postal Service operations after he made service changes in the run up to the election.

Here are the top takeaways from today’s hearing:

On declining USPS service: In his testimony, DeJoy acknowledged that a “deterioration in service” had occurred following changes to mail trucks taking additional trips, but he said the USPS was already seeing a bounce-back. And he argued that other changes, like the removal of mail-processing machines, were already happening before he took over in June.
On delivering ballots: DeJoy began his congressional testimony on Monday by affirming his commitment to “delivering the nation’s ballots securely and on time” this fall. “We will do everything we can to handle and deliver election mail in a manner consistent with the proven processes and procedures that we have relied responsible,” he said.
On the removed sorting machines: In a contentious back-and-forth with Democratic Rep. Stephen Lynch, DeJoy said he will not replace sorting machines that had been removed from use. “No, I will not,” DeJoy said when asked if he’d put the machines back.

The hearing just wrapped up

The House Oversight Committee hearing with Postmaster General Louis DeJoy just finished.

During the nearly six-hour hearing, DeJoy faced questions about changes to the Postal Service in the run up to the November election. Some Democrats have accused DeJoy, a Trump ally, of deliberately sabotaging USPS operations ahead of the election, which may depend on mail-in ballots.

This marked the second time in less than a week that DeJoy testified before Congress. During a Senate hearing Friday, DeJoy defended changes implemented during his tenure and argued that the Postal Service is up to the task of handling election mail delivery.

USPS board chair says he was not aware of controversies involving DeJoy's ex-company

From CNN's Ellie Kaufman

In a heated exchange at a House Oversight Committee hearing, the chairman of the US Postal Service board of governors revealed that he was not aware of several controversies involving Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s former company.

The USPS board, led by chairman Mike Duncan, was responsible for hiring DeJoy this year. A former member of the board told lawmakers last week that the hiring process was highly irregular, though Duncan testified earlier on Monday that he followed proper procedures.

Rep. Ayanna Pressley, a Democrat from Massachusetts, asked if Duncan was aware of several controversies involving DeJoy’s former company, New Breed Logistics. This included a determination from the National Labor Relations Board that New Breed took actions against unions, that there was a $1.2 million sexual harassment jury verdict against company, and that some women said they had miscarriages after being overworked at the company. (The latter was the subject of a high-profile New York Times expose in 2018.)

Duncan said the USPS board conducted a background check on DeJoy before they chose him as the next postmaster general, but Duncan was not aware of the controversies regarding New Breed Logistics.

Here’s a portion of the exchange between Pressley and Duncan:

Pressley: “Mr. Duncan, were you aware when you selected Mr. DeJoy that his company, Newbury Logistics, was determined by the National Labor Relations Board to have acted with anti-union animus, yes or no?”

Duncan: “No.”

Pressley: “Were you aware that the Equal Opportunity Commission won a $1.2 million lawsuit against Newbury for sexual harassment retaliation, yes or no?”

Duncan: “No.”

Pressley: “Were you aware that four women working for Newbury suffered miscarriages because their company refused to accommodate their request for light duty, yes or no?”

Duncan: “No.”

Pressley: “Did you make any attempt to investigate these labor and employment practices before making him the head of one of the largest and most diverse federal workforces, if not why not?”

Duncan: ”Yes, we have various background checks Russell-Reynolds hired a DC firm to an additional background check on him, we worked with —”

Pressley: “Well I question the integrity of that background check if you don’t have answers to these questions.”

DeJoy says he gives "a lot of money" to the GOP, but still keeps independence at work

From CNN's Marshall Cohen

Tom Williams/Pool/AFP/Getty Images

At today’s House Oversight Committee hearing, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said he gives “a lot of money” to Republicans — but insisted he is still an independent postmaster general.

“I give a lot of money — this [goes] for the record — I give a lot of money to Republicans,” he said.

That’s when Democratic Rep. Peter Welsh asked this:

DeJoy replied: “Absolutely, sir.”

Watch:

What we've learned at the DeJoy hearing so far

Tom Brenner/Pool/Getty Images

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy is testifying before the House Oversight Committee today. It’s the second time in less than a week he’s faced congressional questions: During a Senate hearing Friday, DeJoy defended changes implemented during his tenure and argued that the Postal Service is up to the task of handling election mail delivery.

The hearing is ongoing, but here’s what’s happened so far:

He’s committed to delivering ballots on time: DeJoy began his congressional testimony on Monday by affirming his commitment to “delivering the nation’s ballots securely and on time” this fall. “We will do everything we can to handle and deliver election mail in a manner consistent with the proven processes and procedures that we have relied responsible,” he said.
Removed sorting machines won’t be put back: In a contentious back-and-forth with Democratic Rep. Stephen Lynch, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said he will not replace sorting machines that had been removed from use. “No, I will not,” DeJoy said when asked if he’d put the machines back.
He’s facing a subpoena threat: Rep. Carolyn Maloney, the chair of the House Oversight Committee, said DeJoy can expect to be subpoenaed if he doesn’t turn USPS documents over to the committee.

DeJoy spoke to Trump campaign associates about attacks against voting-by-mail

From CNN's Ellie Kaufman

Tom Brenner/Pool/Getty Images

During a tense exchange with Rep. Gerry Connolly, a Democrat from Virginia, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said he he “put word around” to people associated with the Trump campaign about public attacks on voting-by-mail, which DeJoy said were “not helpful” — though he declined to identify any of the people he spoke to.

This is the first time DeJoy acknowledged that he had some communication with people in Trump’s orbit about the continued attacks against voting-by-mail, many of which come from the President directly. DeJoy testified to the Senate last week that he had no direct contact with the Trump campaign during his tenure as postmaster general.

Watch:

Meanwhile, Trump criticizes mail-in voting as he accepts the GOP nomination

President Donald Trump speaks at the Republican National Committee convention site, on Monday, August 24, in Charlotte.

President Donald Trump speaks at the Republican National Committee convention site, on Monday, August 24, in Charlotte.

Evan Vucci/AP

President Trump, who was just formally nominated as the Republican presidential candidate, is speaking from North Carolina.

In his speech, Trump criticized mail-in voting, claiming ballots were being sent to people who didn’t request them.

The speech comes as his Postmaster General, Louis DeJoy, is testifying before Congress. Democrats have accused DeJoy of deliberately sabotaging USPS operations through changes that have slowed mail delivery ahead of the election.

“We caught them doing some really bad things in 2016. Let’s see what happens. We caught them doing some really bad things. We have to be careful because they’re trying it again with this whole 80 million mail-in ballots they’re working on. They’re sending them out to people who didn’t ask for them. They just get them. And it’s not fair,” Trump said.

The President continued:

“We have to be very, very careful. And this time they’re trying to do it with the whole post office scam. They’ll blame it on the post office.”

WATCH HERE:

Democrat asks Dejoy if his "back-up plan" is a Trump pardon

From CNN's Marshall Cohen

Pool

In a tense exchange, Democratic Rep. Jim Cooper asked Postmaster General Louis DeJoy if his “back-up” plan is to be pardoned by President Trump.

DeJoy — a Trump ally and a Republican donor — has not been convicted of, or even charged with, any crime. Democrats have accused him of deliberately sabotaging USPS operations through changes that have slowed mail delivery ahead of the election.

In the exchange, Cooper alluded to Roger Stone. In July, Trump commuted the prison sentence of Stone, who was convicted of crimes that included lying to Congress in part, prosecutors said, to protect the President.

This was the exchange between Rep. Cooper and DeJoy:

Cooper: “Will you give this committee your communications with Mark Meadows, Secretary Mnuchin, with the President—”

DeJoy: “Go ahead and do that.”

Cooper: “Mr. Dejoy, is your back-up plan to be pardoned like Roger Stone?”

DeJoy: “Oh, golly. Pitiful.”

Cooper: “You have two seconds to answer the question.”

DeJoy: “I have no comment on that. It’s not worth it.”

SEE THE EXCHANGE HERE:

Democrat slams DeJoy: "You have ended a once proud tradition"

Pool

In an impassioned speech, Democratic Rep. Stephen Lynch slammed Postmaster General Louis DeJoy for bringing Postal Service to a halt.

He outlined examples throughout history of how postal workers stepped up to ensure the mail would be delivered on time despite wars and anthrax threats, and he blamed DeJoy for ending all of that with just a few weeks on the job.

“During the first World War and the Spanish flu, influenza of 1918, through the Great Depression, millions of people out of work and a thousand bank failures, the mail was delivered on time. Even during the second World War, with the threat of Nazi U-boats, international mail was delivered on time. Just so happens I was elected on 9/11 — the day of the terrorist attacks on our nation — a god awful day. Some people forget in the days after 9/11, we had direct anthrax attacks on the United States Postal Service. We lost two brave postal workers down at the Brentwood facility here in D.C. from anthrax inhalation, but for the good of the country, the postal unions continued to send their members into the post office to do their job to keep the country running.”

The Massachusetts congressman drew a stark comparison with history saying, “So two weeks ago, after you had been postmaster for just a few weeks, that all changed.”

“In the middle of a pandemic that’s killed is 170,000 Americans and on the eve of a national election, at a time when the CDC is advising people not to gather and limit outside contact, the Postal Service started to remove 671 high-speed mail sorting machines across the country. You stopped the APWU from sorting the mail and stopped national letter carriers and mail handlers from working overtime to deliver the mail and for the first time in 240 years in our history of the United States Postal Service, you sent out a letter embarrassingly in July, to 46 states that said the post office can’t guarantee that we can deliver the mail in time for the elections in November, and we have reports from across the country as you acknowledge service has been delayed and the mail is piling up. You have ended a once proud tradition.”

Watch:

DeJoy: "No, I will not" put sorting machines back

Pool

In a contentious back-and-forth with Democratic Rep. Stephen Lynch, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said he will not replace sorting machines that had been removed from use.

Earlier this month, the US Postal Service unveiled plans to remove hundreds of high-volume mail-processing machines from facilities across the country — which led to some postal workers fearing they may have less capacity to process mail during election season.

DeJoy later said he’d suspend changes to Postal Service operations — but that doesn’t necessarily mean machines that had been removed will be put back in use, according to an email obtained by CNN.

Today, Lynch asked bluntly about the machines. Here’s the full exchange:

Lynch: “Will you put the machines back?”

DeJoy: “The rest of your accusations are actually—”

Lynch: “Will you, will you put the high-speed machines back?”

DeJoy: “No, I will not”

Lynch: “You will not?”

DeJoy: “Will not.”

Lynch: “You will not? Well there you go.”

Watch:

DeJoy pledges to uphold "sacred duty" of delivering ballots, denies sabotage allegations

From CNN's Ellie Kaufman

Tom Williams/Pool/AFP/Getty Images

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy began his congressional testimony on Monday by affirming his commitment to “delivering the nation’s ballots securely and on time” this fall.

“This sacred duty is my number one priority between now and election day,” DeJoy told the House Oversight Committee. “To be clear, we will do everything we can to handle and deliver election mail in a manner consistent with the proven processes and procedures that we have relied responsible.”

DeJoy also denied that he directed the removal of blue postal collection boxes or the removal of mail processing equipment – on-the-ground changes that were observed in recent weeks and triggered accusations that the Trump administration was trying to sabotage USPS because of mail-in voting.

Watch:

GOP representative says she's had some "very, very inefficient" postal service — but praises DeJoy

Pool

Republican Congresswoman Virginia Foxx repeatedly praised Postmaster General Louis DeJoy for his approach to accountability while slamming Democrats for theirs.

She went on to praise the job he’s been doing, saying, “You have the exact background and commitment that we need to make the post office work the way the post office out to work.”

SEE IT HERE:

Committee chair threatens to subpoena DeJoy if he doesn't share documents

Tom Williams/Pool/AFP/Getty Images

Rep. Carolyn Maloney, the chair of the House Oversight Committee, said Postmaster General Louis DeJoy can expect to be subpoenaed if he doesn’t turn USPS documents over to the committee.

Maloney said that while the committee received some documents, one about performance was not included.

“This committee expects a full and complete production of all the documents we requested no later than this coming Wednesday, and if you continue to withhold information or otherwise fail to comply, you can expect a subpoena,” she said.

USPS board chair details how DeJoy got top job

From Ellie Kaufman

Tom Brenner/Pool/AP

In his opening statement, Mike Duncan, chairman of the USPS Board of Governors, testified about how the board selected Louis DeJoy to serve as postmaster general.

Duncan described a lengthy process that included two “highly-respected executive search firms.” He said the USPS board of governors reviewed more than 212 candidates and ultimately vetted 53 and interviewed 14 candidates. Duncan said that DeJoy was selected “unanimously” by the Board.

Some background: There is increasing scrutiny over how DeJoy got the top job at USPS. A former member of the USPS board, who resigned in protest earlier this year, told lawmakers last week that Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin inserted himself into the selection process and tried to politicize the postal service.

USPS is an independent agency of the federal government and DeJoy was appointed to lead the agency by a board of governors. But all six members of that board were appointed by President Trump.

Duncan denied accusations that the policy changes DeJoy attempted to implement over the summer are threats to voters who are want to vote-by mail this election cycle. “Postal management is taking all steps necessary to ensure we are ready for the November elections,” he said.

WATCH DUNCAN HERE:

DeJoy explains why he thinks already-removed mail-sorting machines shouldn't be reconnected

From CNN's Kristen Holmes

Pool

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy is addressing the issue of high-volume sorting machines at his hearing before the House Oversight Committee.

CNN previously obtained internal documents showing a plan to remove nearly 700 of the machines before the election. DeJoy paused that plan when he suspended many other policy changes. But when he testified Friday, DeJoy said he would not reconnect the already-removed machines because they were “not needed.”

DeJoy is now providing lawmakers with some data to back up his claims that the already-removed machines aren’t needed.

In written testimony submitted to the committee, DeJoy says that since 2016, “overall letter mail volume has dropped by 29 percent and overall flat mail volume has dropped by 32 percent. Accordingly, letter sorting equipment during the same period was reduced by 27 percent and flat sorting equipment was reduced by 25 percent. This includes the removal of over 1000 machines.”

DeJoy is also pointing to data showing that the machines are not necessary given the current volume of mail and the volume of mail anticipated from the election.

Top USPS officials paint dire picture of Postal Service's finances

From Chris Isidore and Paul P. Murphy

Tom Brenner/Pool/Getty Images

In their opening statements before a House committee, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and USPS board of governors chairman Mike Duncan said the Postal Service’s finances are in dire straits.

Both men said the USPS was nearing $11 billion in losses for 2020.

“Without dramatic change, there is simply no end in sight, and we face an impending liquidity crisis that threatens our ability to deliver on our mission to the American public,” DeJoy said.

But these numbers need context: A CNN analysis of USPS financial records finds the losses are primarily due to a 2006 law that forces the USPS to pre-fund all retiree health care costs for the next 75 years.

If USPS didn’t have to pre-fund these benefits, its finances would be radically different.

The agency actually makes money from mail delivery, and posted nearly $2 billion in positive cash flow between January and July of this year. (These numbers have been consistent for years.) But USPS reports large net losses on its books because of the massive burden of pre-funding retiree benefits.

DeJoy rejects accusations of politicizing USPS

From CNN's Kristen Holmes

Pool

At an ongoing House Oversight Committee hearing, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy is providing a detailed outline of the changes made to the Postal Service, both under his tenure and before, how he implemented his changes and why some of the changes will not be reversed ahead of the election.

He is also refuting allegations that he is doing President Trump’s bidding, telling lawmakers in his written testimony that he is “fully committed to preserving and protecting the Postal Service’s proud tradition of serving the American public in a nonpartisan fashion.”

DeJoy is also rebutting accusations of ethical misconduct, saying in his written testimony that he worked “closely with ethics officials” and followed their guidance. There have been questions about his potential conflicts of interest because of his massive holdings in USPS contractors and competitors.

More context: USPS is an independent agency of the federal government and DeJoy was appointed to lead the agency by a board of governors. But all six members of that board were appointed by President Trump.

Watch:

DeJoy sworn in for his House testimony

Tom Brenner/Pool/AFP/Getty Images

Republican Rep. Mark Walker introduced Postmaster General Louis DeJoy before his testimony in the House today.

Walker used the introduction to attack Democrats, some of whom have accused DeJoy of deliberately sabotaging USPS operations through changes that have slowed mail delivery ahead of the election.

“He’s here today because he supported President Trump, and with this Congress, that makes you a target,” the congressman added.

After the introduction, DeJoy was sworn in.

WATCH HERE:

Rep. James Comer calls hearing "a political stunt"

Congressman James Comer, the ranking Republican on the House Oversight Committee, slammed the hearing on the US Postal Service as “political stunt” orchestrated by the Democrats.

“Democrats fabricated a baseless conspiracy theory about the Postal Service and hastily passed a bill Saturday before hearing from you, Mr. DeJoy. The bill had no prior committee action to vet the bill – no hearings, no markup,” he said.

“Because of this rushed process, the bill was significantly amended by the Democrats before it went to the Rules Committee. It then proceeded to the House Floor under a process that prevented any amendments to improve the bill. There was no Republican input – not at any step in the process,” Comer continued.

Watch:

House Oversight chair: USPS delays are "widespread"

Pool

Rep. Carolyn Maloney, a Democrat from New York and the chair of the House Oversight Committee, started her opening statement for today’s hearing by detailing complaints of mail delays she’s heard from people around the country.

Maloney read from news stories about the delays from her home state and Kentucky, where the committee’s top Republican is from.

“The list goes on and on,” she said, adding that the delays are “not a myth or a conspiracy theory.”

WATCH MORE HERE:

Dig deeper

Postmaster general: Delivering ballots on time ‘No. 1 priority’ between now and Election Day

Dig deeper

Postmaster general: Delivering ballots on time ‘No. 1 priority’ between now and Election Day