Sen. Coons, colleagues to DeJoy: USPS operational changes disproportionately harm deployed servicemembers

USPS is the only mail service that can deliver to our military overseas

Senators: ‘Making absentee voting more difficult disenfranchises the very Americans who serve and sacrifice on the front lines in defense of our right to vote’

WILMINGTON, Del. — Yesterday, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) joined U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and a group of 27 other senators in writing Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to raise concerns over the heightened impact of harmful United States Postal Service (USPS) policy and operational changes to servicemembers and their families. 

Because USPS is the only service that can deliver to the Army Post Office (APO) and Fleet Post Office (FPO) addresses used by our military overseas, deployed servicemembers and their families are uniquely impacted by changes that have left USPS “intentionally hamstrung and severely strained.” Active duty servicemembers who are deployed domestically also rely heavily on USPS to vote, pay their bills, receive packages, and stay in touch with family members and loved ones.

“This population of Americans is disproportionately affected by any actions that restrict or delay the mail, which is sometimes the only reliable connection they have with loved ones during their military service. Servicemembers rely on USPS for the delivery of medicines, ballots, bills, and countless other pieces of vital mail,” the senators wrote.

“Even more alarming is the reality that servicemembers depend on the mail to exercise their most important rights as American citizens: the right to vote. Absentee ballots are the only way that most of the military community can use their constitutionally protected right to cast a ballot. Making absentee voting more difficult disenfranchises the very Americans who serve and sacrifice on the front lines in defense of our right to vote and live in a democratic society – a cruel irony to our men and women in uniform that must be remedied immediately.”

The letter was also signed by U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), and Mark Warner (D-Va.).

The full text of today’s letter is available here and copied below.

Dear Mr. DeJoy:

As it has become more obvious that your oversight of the postal service is severely distressing the domestic mail system, we urge you to consider the impact of your recent changes to United States Postal Service (USPS) policy and operations on the 1.3 million servicemembers and their families who serve both domestically and overseas. USPS is the only service that can deliver to the Army Post Office (APO) and Fleet Post Office (FPO) addresses used by our military overseas. While your recent suspension of operational changes is a necessary first step and needed course correction, it is insufficient and unclear that this suspension will mitigate the damage that has already been done to the postal system, and prevent the disruption and harm to Americans who serve our nation in uniform. We are also concerned that your statements regarding suspension of these changes are not actually being carried out.

Since your appointment as Postmaster General, you have implemented many harmful operational and policy changes that have already resulted in mail being delayed in many areas by weeks. Reports of hiring freezes, scheduling and route changes, reshuffling of leadership, decommissioning and removal of mail-sorting machines, and other reorganization of operations have left a once proud and efficient system intentionally hamstrung and severely strained. In fact, USPS recently sent detailed letters to 46 states warning that it cannot guarantee that all mail-in ballots will arrive in time to be counted.

Your changes have also had a direct impact on deployed servicemembers who rely on USPS as the only avenue to deliver mail from the United States to the APO & FPO addresses used by our military overseas. This population of Americans is disproportionately affected by any actions that restrict or delay the mail, which is sometimes the only reliable connection they have with loved ones during their military service. Servicemembers and their families who are stationed overseas for months and years at a time also depend on the USPS, as do military families who are stationed domestically, but away from their home of record. Servicemembers rely on USPS for the delivery of medicines, ballots, bills, and countless other pieces of vital mail.  There are virtually no members of the military who will be unaffected by these changes, which will negatively impact their quality of life and hamper their ability to communicate with their family members and loved ones – ultimately hindering military readiness.

Even more alarming is the reality that servicemembers depend on the mail to exercise their most important rights as American citizens: the right to vote. Absentee ballots are the only way that most of the military community can use their constitutionally protected right to cast a ballot. Making absentee voting more difficult disenfranchises the very Americans who serve and sacrifice on the front lines in defense of our right to vote and live in a democratic society – a cruel irony to our men and women in uniform that must be remedied immediately.

We urge the White House and all Trump Administration officials to reconsider their opposition to necessary stimulus funding for the USPS during this COVID-19 pandemic. The Heroes Act, which was passed by the House in May, would provide $25 billion to the USPS and we must immediately pass this critical funding need.

The USPS is a public service that is critical to all American citizens, particularly our military. They are depending on us to provide this vital service, and we stand ready to protect it at all costs.

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[VIDEO] Sen. Coons: ‘secure our election from foreign interference’

WILMINGTON, Del. — Today, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, joined MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell Reports to discuss foreign election interference in light of the reported poisoning of Russian opposition leader, Alexei Navalny.

“This latest incident is just another reminder that Putin does not share our values, does not support democracy, and is an active threat to our own democracy,” said Senator Coons. “Donald Trump’s own Director of National Intelligence, his own Director of the FBI have testified to Congress this year in open session that they expect Russian interference in our fall elections. That’s why so many of us in Congress, Democrats in particular, are pushing for more resources to secure our election from foreign interference, in particular by Putin’s Russia.”

Senator Coons added, “what I hear from Americans is they’re concerned about their health, about this pandemic, about protecting them from pre-existing conditions, something the Trump administration is still in front of the Supreme Court trying to reverse.”

Full audio and video available here. A transcript is provided below.

Q: Joining us now, Democratic Senator Chris Coons of Delaware, who is on the Foreign Relations Committee. Senator, first to Russia. Alexei Navalny is not of course the first Putin critic to get sick or die under hard-to-prove circumstances. There’s a litany of them. What’s your reaction to this?

Sen. Coons: Well, Andrea, this is just another bracing reminder of the ways in which Vladimir Putin and the Russian government that he leads stops at nothing to silence their opponents and their critics. Remember, the Skripal incident in the United Kingdom in 2018 where Russian intelligence services carried out a poisoning and attempted murder of a defector from Russia. There are others who have been murdered on the steps of the Kremlin, who have suffered mysterious accidents or died in police custody. This latest incident is just another reminder that Putin does not share our values, does not support democracy, and is an active threat to our own democracy. I’ll remind you, Andrea, Donald Trump’s own Director of National Intelligence, his own Director of the FBI have testified to Congress this year in open session that they expect Russian interference in our fall elections. That’s why so many of us in Congress, Democrats in particular, are pushing for more resources to secure our election from foreign interference, in particular by Putin’s Russia. 

Q: And NBC has reported that the president has at least been trying to set up a summit with Putin before the election. If he were to do that, what would be your reaction?

Sen. Coons: My reaction would be, as it has been to every time that President Trump has ignored the advice of his own intelligence community, of our own national security and military leaders, and has taken Putin’s word over our own security leaders, which is, this is another example of the ways that Trump doesn’t listen to experts, doesn’t put our security first. Remember when he went to the summit in Finland? And over the strenuous objection of our intelligence community said, eh, I don’t think Putin had anything to do with interfering in our elections. The Senate Intelligence Committee, chaired by Republican senators just this week released another volume of evidence that there was close ties between senior ranks of the Trump campaign such as Steve Bannon, just indicted today, arrested today for fraudulent behavior, such as Paul Manafort, his former campaign manager jailed for criminal activity, that there was too close and too frequent solicitation of help from Russian intelligence. But frankly, Andrea, here in Delaware and across the country, what I hear from Americans is they’re concerned about their health, about this pandemic, about protecting them from pre-existing conditions, something the Trump administration is still in front of the Supreme Court trying to reverse. And they worry less about QAnon and the latest crazy thing President Trump has said about some conspiracy theory or the latest thing that Democrats say about there is a threat of Russian interference. They want to know how we’re going to build back our country better, get out of this pandemic, reopen schools safely, and get back to normal. 

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VIDEO: Coons visits USPS distribution center, discovers discarded letter-handling machinery removed during late-night shenanigans

NEW CASTLE, Del. – Yesterday, U.S. Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government, which has jurisdiction over the U.S. Postal Service, discovered dismantled mail processing machinery during an impromptu visit to the USPS Mail Processing and Distribution Center here. 

“Right behind me is a sophisticated barcode sorter; this is the sort of automated mail handling equipment that U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy has had removed,” Sen. Coons said in a video message released today. “This was just removed from this facility Sunday night and put outside, so it’s been here for days in the rain. I think it’s important that the postmaster general has said he is going to put the brakes on any further changes to service delivery standards to the equipment or handling of mail, but this is physical proof that reversing those changes is going to be expensive and difficult because this equipment isn’t serviceable again. So, I’m going to demand in the United States Senate that we get a firm and written commitment from the postmaster general that he will reverse the changes he’s made to the delivery standards for our mail. Two-thousand Delawareans have reached out to me to express their concerns about late delivery of medications, late delivery of Social Security checks, and late delivery of mail. The mail isn’t a business; it’s a treasured service and a critical part of our nation, and with an election coming up soon, this fall, we cannot afford to put at risk the delivery of every mail-in ballot.”

The surprise visit by Coons to the New Castle-based facility comes amid allegations that the postmaster general is purposely sabotaging his own agency, causing delays in the delivery of letters and packages throughout the country.

On Sunday, Aug. 16, Coons was alerted by several USPS frontline workers exercising “the right of government employees to petition or furnish information to Congress or a Member.” The employees there reported on a late-night operation to dismantle and remove various types of letter-handling machinery at Quigley Boulevard. The USPS employees asked Coons to come posthaste to see firsthand the destruction of government property there.

“We would like to invite you to visit our facility to see for yourself what is happening here in Delaware,” said a USPS employee who asked to remain anonymous. “By coming to visit, you will see how the Postal Service is being destroyed from the inside out. The major problem is the amount of working mail processing machines that are being dismantled and set out in the rain as trash.”

The employee further wrote that “there have also been delays in the mail since Postmaster General DeJoy has given the order of ‘no late trucks.’ If the mail is not processed in enough time for dispatch, then the mail is held until the next delivery day. This is causing delays in the mail being delivered to our customers.”

On Monday, Aug. 17, Sen. Coons, through members of his staff, contacted leadership with the USPS Southern New Jersey District to alert them about the invite and request a quick tour of the New Castle distribution center. After stating they would check with the district manager, a district liaison said that a next-day visit would not be possible.

“Thank you for sharing the invitation,” the liaison’s email stated. “Unfortunately, this invitation is outside of the official process. The district would be happy to work with the Senator’s office to schedule a visit at a later date. The request will have to go through our official process.”

“I am sure your request was shot down because of the amount of mail delayed in the building,” texted a postal employee to a member of the senator’s staff. “They don’t have time to prepare and clean it up with such short notice.”

After these emails and text messages, a Senate staffer asked the district liaison – since a full visit wasn’t possible – whether it was feasible for the senator “just to quickly peek on the sorting room floor.”

“The Senator’s office is not on the schedule of visitors today and will be unable to tour the facility,” replied the district liaison. “If you provide some dates and times that work for the Senator, I will share with the district leadership and get back to you.” The liaison clarified that USPS employees “cannot extend an invitation to the senator’s office to visit a postal facility. This has to be arranged by management.”

In a message received immediately after the email exchange, a USPS employee told Senate staffers about an abrupt shift in activity at the New Castle location.

“Management is attempting to clean up the building,” the employee, who spoke on condition of anonymity, wrote. “They have told our maintenance people to rush to remove the remaining machines that they are taking apart. Telling them to tape up the floor where the broken tiles are exposing possible asbestos.”

Later that afternoon, Sen. Chris Coons joined Sen. Tom Carper, Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, and Attorney General Kathy Jennings for a nationwide “Day of Action,” speaking outside of a post office in Wilmington to underscore the Postal Service as an essential service to the people of the United States.

Citing widespread delays in mail deliveries, President Trump’s intent to use the Postal Service to suppress the vote, and reports of deliberate disruptions in daily postal operations amid a global pandemic, Jennings announced that Delaware and other states are suing the Postal Service to stop their practices.

During the press event, Blunt Rochester reported that the House of Representatives would return to Washington to vote on Oversight and Reform Committee Chairwoman Maloney’s Delivering for America Act, which would prohibit USPS from implementing any changes to operations or level of service it had in place on Jan. 1, 2020.

All of these events came after Coons and Carper requested that USPS fix delays and avoid cost increases for election mail. The Senators joined another letter that broadens the call for oversight on the issue of interruptions amid changes made by the recently appointed postmaster general.

To view the full video, visit https://youtu.be/LKJiT1wj3S4.

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Sens. Coons, Durbin announce legislation to expand federal R&D, extend tech economy to more cities across America

WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), both members of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Senate Competitiveness Caucus, announced the Innovation Centers Acceleration Act, a bill which would expand research and development (R&D), targeted to reach a broader portion of the country. The legislation would spur greater economic investment as COVID-19 continues to strain the economy and place renewed emphasis on sectors key to economic resiliency and competitiveness, including biomedical technology, advanced manufacturing, and more.

The legislation responds to the current trend of underinvestment in national innovation. Notably, U.S. federal investment in R&D is at its lowest level since 1955; harming both productivity and global competitiveness. For the very first time, the United States is projected to fall behind China in R&D investment in 2021. Additionally, innovation is currently over-concentrated; which limits potential for advancement.  Five American metropolitan areas – Boston, San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle, and San Diego ­– accounted for more than 90% of the nation’s innovation sector growth from 2005 to 2017. Meanwhile, half of U.S. metropolitan areas have lost innovation jobs since 2005. These regions are losing out on productivity growth that helps to create jobs and raise living standards.

The Innovation Centers Acceleration Act would respond to the economic slowdown and the inefficient landscape of American innovation by:

• Launching a national competition for U.S. metropolitan areas to become an Innovation Center;
• Encouraging metropolitan areas to unite public and private sector resources to apply to become an Innovation Center based on existing technical advantages, local research institutions, and industry core competencies;
• Incentivizing potential Innovation Centers to consider racial equity and inclusive growth, to ensure affordable housing, and to scale up education and workforce development; and
• Investing $80 billion in federal funds over nine years in selected Innovation Centers while supporting private sector-led growth.

“As we work to rebuild the U.S. economy from the COVID-19 pandemic, we have to do two things. First, we must strengthen America’s resiliency by investing aggressively in research and development, from advanced manufacturing, to medical technologies, to energy and cybersecurity. Second, we must strive for a recovery that is shared broadly across all regions and socioeconomic groups,” said Senator Coons. “The Innovation Centers Acceleration Act will not only strategically fund new R&D, but it will also ensure that growth does not concentrate in a handful of large cities, and instead gives new regions and diverse populations a chance to equitably share in the growth of the global economy.”

“The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed us to reexamine how we invest in economic development and innovation within our cities,” said Senator Durbin. “I’m proud to introduce the Innovation Centers Acceleration Act with Senator Coons.  Our bill will enable federal agencies to work alongside research institutions and private industry, and invest federal resources in U.S. cities to become hubs for innovation once again.”

Organizations to endorse the bill include the National League of Cities, the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (ITIF), the American Chemical Society, the Association of American Colleges & Universities, Brookings Metropolitan Studies Program, the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, and the University City Science Center.

“Advanced technology jobs play a key role in American competitiveness and economic opportunity. But too many are concentrated in too few places,” said Rob Atkinson, President of Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (ITIF).“The Innovation Centers Acceleration Act would play an important and needed role in helping spread the advanced tech economy to more places in America, not only helping more places and people gain needed opportunity, but also spurring overall U.S. global competitiveness.”

“In recent years the hyper-concentration of U.S. technology activity in a few ‘superstar’ cities has likely harmed the industry while breeding unacceptable economic and social divides. Now, though, the Innovation Centers Acceleration Actproposes to counter this excessive divergence by helping some promising new places gain traction in the sector,” said Mark Muro, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution. “At last maybe the nation is ready to really try to widen tech’s circle to promote wider opportunity—and enhance U.S. competitiveness.”

“The Association of American Colleges and Universities is pleased to endorse theInnovation Centers Acceleration Act of 2020, which would provide an urgently needed spur to innovation that is calibrated to meet the equally urgent need for equitable economic growth in the post-pandemic recovery,” said David Tritelli, Vice President for Communications and Public Affairs at the Association of American Colleges and Universities.

“The American Chemical Society (ACS) is encouraged to see the introduction of theInnovation Centers Acceleration Act of 2020, which would support the research and development that drives our economy. Investment in graduate student research opportunities, R&D tax credit and small business support, workforce development and STEM apprenticeships are all key components of a thriving and diverse innovation pipeline,” said Glenn Ruskin, Vice President of External Affairs & Communications at the American Chemical Society. “The ACS applauds the leadership of Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) and Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and looks forward to building a broad coalition of support behind this legislation.”

A one-pager on the bill is available here. Bill text can be found here.

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[VIDEO] Sen. Coons: USPS problems are ‘President Trump’s effort to interfere with two of our central institutions in a democracy’

WILMINGTON, Del. — Today, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that funds the U.S. Postal Service, joined MSNBC’s Craig Melvin to discuss the upending of postal service operations and its impact on the delivery of mail-in ballots amid the COVID-19 health crisis, an effort that Senator Coons has led in the Senate.

When asked about the upcoming testimony of Postmaster General Louis DeJoy in Senate and House committees, Senator Coons underscored the need to hear“what [Postmaster General DeJoy] has done, why he’s done it, and a commitment that he will not just slow or tap the brakes on the ways in which he has politically interfered with delivery standards for the postal service, but that he’s going to throw this thing into reverse, and he will restore the delivery standards that he has interfered with.”

“The stories that I’m getting here in Delaware are from thousands of Delawareans who have called in to express their concern, their alarm; veterans who can’t get their medications; senior citizens concerned about their Social Security checks. We had one veteran at a postal service event yesterday where our delegation expressed our concerns about delivery who said that he got the notification of a doctor’s appointment with the V.A. after the appointment had already passed. I’ve also heard stories from several postal employees that there are seven bulk mail processing machines that have been disassembled, moved outside, and have now been outside in the rain for several days. That means this will be very difficult to reverse,” Senator Coons added.

Yesterday, Senator Coons joined Senator Tom Carper, Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester, and Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings (all D-Del.) for a Day of Action to underscore the role of the U.S. Postal Service as an essential service to the people of the United States. Last week, Carper and Coons made an initial request urging USPS to fix delays and avoid cost increases for election mail. This week, the senators signed another letter that broadens the call for oversight over the issue of delays following changes made by the recently appointed postmaster general.

Full audio and video available here. A transcript is provided below.

Q: I’m joined now by Democratic Senator Chris Coons of Delaware. Senator, as we just mentioned there, as Jeff just reported, the Postmaster General DeJoy suspending these changes until after the election. But as we understand it, those hearings are still going to happen; one on Friday and another on Monday. What do you hope to hear from the postmaster general on Friday that you haven’t heard yet?

Sen. Coons: Well, Craig, what I think we should be demanding is full answers on what he’s done, why he’s done it, and a commitment that he will not just slow or tap the brakes on the ways in which he has politically interfered with delivery standards for the postal service, but that he’s going to throw this thing into reverse, and he will restore the delivery standards that he has interfered with. The stories that I’m getting here in Delaware are from thousands of Delawareans who have called in to express their concern, their alarm; veterans who can’t get their medications; senior citizens concerned about their Social Security checks. We had one veteran at a postal service event yesterday where our delegation expressed our concerns about delivery who said that he got the notification of a doctor’s appointment with the V.A. after the appointment had already passed. I’ve also heard stories from several postal employees that there are seven bulk mail processing machines that have been disassembled, moved outside, and have now been outside in the rain for several days. That means this will be very difficult to reverse. If I could have gotten into our Quigley Boulevard mail handling facility yesterday as I asked for, I suspect I would have seen exactly the same images that you just showed from a New York facility: lots and lots of backed up mail, lots of delayed delivery. This is President Trump’s effort to interfere with two of our central institutions in a democracy. One is a functioning nationwide modern postal service. The other is reliable elections.

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Congressional delegation, attorney general join ‘Day of Action’ to save U.S. Postal Service

WILMINGTON, Del. — Yesterday, Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, Sen. Tom Carper, Sen. Chris Coons, and Attorney General Kathy Jennings (all D-Del.) held a press conference outside of a post office here, supporting a nationwide “Day of Action” to underscore the role of the U.S. Postal Service as an essential service to the people of the United States. 

“The deliberate undermining of the United States Postal Service by President Trump and Postmaster DeJoy is simply unacceptable. This is not a partisan issue – it’s an issue of justice, of fairness, and of our democracy,” said Rep. Blunt Rochester. “Thousands of Delawareans up and down our state rely on the Postal Service for their medications, for their businesses, and for casting their ballot. I was proud to stand with Senator Carper, Senator Coons, and Attorney General Jennings to push back against these attacks on the USPS, and look forward to returning to Washington on Saturday to join with my colleagues in the House to prevent the continuation of these damaging policies.” 

“When scores of Delawareans up and down our state don’t receive their mail, including prescription medications, paychecks, bills, and letters, in a timely manner for no apparent reason, it raises eyebrows. The fact that these slowdowns are happening during a pandemic and right before an election where a record number of Americans plan to vote by mail – and while the President bashes mail-in voting – is deeply troubling,” said Senator Carper, who serves as the top Democrat on the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations in the Senate. “In the Senate, several of my colleagues and I have initiated investigations into this disturbing matter, and I’m looking forward to finally hearing from Mr. DeJoy at a hearing before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Friday morning. I’m also proud that, thanks to Attorney General Kathy Jennings, Delaware is joining the fight and working to stop what appear to be blatant partisan practices and outright voter suppression. Americans of all political affiliations — not just Democrats — who rely on the Postal Service to ensure that their voice is heard in November deserve better than these partisan games.”

“The undermining of one of our most trusted institutions is unacceptable. The United States Postal Service has long been an agency that has provided vital mail such as medications, unemployment checks, and election ballots to all Americans,” said Sen. Coons, the ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government, which has jurisdiction over USPS. “The recent changes made to USPS operations have created massive and unprecedented disruptions in mail deliveries in Delaware and across the country. During a public health crisis, it is more important than ever to have a robust postal system that all Americans have access to without concern. I will continue working with my colleagues to provide oversight on the actions taken by Postmaster General Dejoy and work to ensure that the undermining of our postal system is stopped.”

“Every American depends on the mail, and millions of people are being harmed because of political sabotage writ large,” said Attorney General Jennings.“You don’t have to take my word for it: The President made clear on national TV that he’s trying to prevent a fair election. In any other era, under any other administration, it would be unthinkable to appoint a megadonor to deliberately break one of America’s oldest public services — but corruption has become the new normal. I’m not standing for it, and neither are my fellow attorneys general.”

Last week, Carper and Coons made an initial request urging USPS to fix delays and avoid cost increases for election mail. The senators joined another letterthat broadens the call for oversight over the issue of delays following changes made by the recently appointed postmaster general.

Citing widespread delays in mail deliveries, President Trump’s intent to use the Postal Service to suppress the vote, and reports of deliberate disruptions in daily postal operations amid a global pandemic, Jennings announced that Delaware and other states are suing the United States Postal Service to stop their practices.

Later this week, the House of Representatives will return to session to vote on Oversight and Reform Committee Chairwoman Maloney’s Delivering for America Act, which prohibits the Postal Service from implementing any changes to operations or level of service it had in place on January 1, 2020.

VIDEO: Senator Coons honored with 2020 Champion for Healthy Seniors Award

WASHINGTON – On August 14, U.S. Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) received a 2020 Champion for Healthy Seniors Award from the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease. The PFCD award, presented by a local group of health care advocates, recognizes outstanding leaders in support of seniors and people with chronic conditions amid COVID-19. The ceremony took place via video conference.

“Senator Coons’ work towards protecting seniors and those with chronic conditions by ensuring access to affordable medications and in-home treatments is especially notable,” said PFCD Chairman Ken Thorpe, “and valued in 2020 as our country has faced the COVID-19 pandemic.” 

During the video meeting, Coons joined health care advocates including John Gardner, AIDS Delaware; Tim Gibbs, Delaware Academy of Medicine and Delaware Public Health Association; Mary Fenimore, Medical Society of Delaware; Julie Saville, MeadowWood Behavioral Health System; Frank Howard Jr., Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease; Stacey Barrack, Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease; and Stacy Thompson, National Advocacy Liaison.

To view the full video, visit https://youtu.be/4_VGcQTjOx4.

Sen. Coons presses EPA to follow their IG’s recommendations and communicate health risks to Delawareans

WILMINGTON, Del. — Today, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) wrote Andrew Wheeler, the Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), requesting information about how EPA is monitoring and regulating ethylene oxide in communities. The request follows a 2018 incident at the Croda facility near New Castle, Delaware where ethylene oxide was released, exposing employees, neighbors, and nearby community members to a public health hazard. In the letter, Senator Coons pressed the EPA to detail and document the EPA’s efforts to conduct outreach to the neighboring community, communicating the health risks of ethylene oxide exposure.

“[T]he EPA has been asked a number of times to share information with Congress and the public about the agency’s work to regulate ethylene oxide and protect public health, yet instead of sharing this information and instilling a sense of trust in the process, the EPA appears to be ignoring direct requests from Congress,” wrote Senator Coons. “I join Senator Carper and Congresswoman Blunt Rochester in requesting written answers to the following questions to ascertain whether the agency is taking the necessary steps to communicate the risks of ethylene oxide to the residents of communities living closest to the New Castle plant.”

“I think we should make every effort to have union members producing bio-based chemicals here in the United States rather than production moving offshore to a country with weak labor and environmental standards. But EPA’s silence and lack of outreach to Delawareans to improve the public’s understanding of ethylene oxide is eroding both public and Congressional trust. The United States cannot be a leader in new sustainable chemistry innovations without a strong regulator, and right now public faith in EPA makes that very difficult,” the senator concluded.

The full text of the letter is available here and below.

Dear Administrator Wheeler: 

I am joining my colleagues Senator Carper and Congresswoman Blunt Rochester in expressing my concerns about the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) reluctance to share information about ethylene oxide and apparent failure to communicate the health risks of ethylene oxide to Delaware residents. Delawareans, both those living in communities adjacent to the Croda facility in New Castle and those who work in that same facility, have a right to know about the health risks associated with ethylene oxide. 

The EPA’s Office of the Inspector General (IG) issued a report in March of this year recommending that EPA prioritize outreach to communities surrounding 25 ethylene oxide-emitting facilities to inform them of the risks associated with the substance. The Croda facility was identified as one of these facilities, due to a surfactant manufacturing process that uses ethylene oxide. Outreach from EPA is particularly important because of a November 25^th, 2018 release of 2,688 lbs of ethylene oxide, which impacted employees, neighbors, and thousands of community members. This industrial accident could have been much worse, but it understandably resulted in more Delawareans wanting information about how EPA is monitoring and regulating ethylene oxide in their community.

As of the date of this letter, EPA has yet to inform most of the communities identified by the IG about the health risks posed by both short and long term exposure, including the New Castle community. According to the IG’s report, outreach to the New Castle community was tentatively scheduled for the first half of calendar year 2020, but as of August 2020, I am not aware of any such meeting or communication to New Castle residents on this topic.

Additionally, the EPA has been asked a number of times to share information with Congress and the public about the agency’s work to regulate ethylene oxide and protect public health, yet instead of sharing this information and instilling a sense of trust in the process, the EPA appears to be ignoring direct requests from Congress. I join Senator Carper and Congresswoman Blunt Rochester in requesting written answers to the following questions to ascertain whether the agency is taking the necessary steps to communicate the risks of ethylene oxide to the residents of communities living closest to the New Castle plant.

• Has EPA held a public meeting or meetings with residents living near the Croda plant to communicate the health risks associated with ethylene oxide? If so, please provide the date, time and location for each meeting. If not, why not?

• Are there future plans for EPA to hold public meetings—virtually or in person—with residents living near the Croda plant to communicate the health risks associated with ethylene oxide? If so, when is EPA planning to hold these public meetings, and if there are no such plans, why not?

• Are there future plans for EPA to conduct direct outreach efforts to inform residents living near the Croda plant of the health risks associated with ethylene oxide?  If not, why not?

I understand from the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control that Croda has made efforts to reduce ethylene oxide emissions, agreed to additional public and regulatory scrutiny, and worked with local regulators, their local union membership, and their local Community Advisory Council to increase their ability to warn surrounding neighborhoods should there be another significant release, improve interactions with their neighbors, and improve plant safety. But I have not seen similar efforts made by EPA to meet with the New Castle community and discuss their evaluation of safety risks posed by ethylene oxide, their monitoring of ongoing production activities, and how they are protecting the health of Delawareans. 

Croda has been a global leader in investing in technology to use bio-based chemical feedstocks from plants grown by American farmers, rather than relying on petroleum. They have a strong record of using union labor for most of their plant operations and new capital projects. And they have been a leader in reducing their carbon footprint by using landfill gas to power their site, installing a solar farm on their site, and optimizing the energy efficiency of their processes.

I think we should make every effort to have union members producing bio-based chemicals here in the United States rather than production moving offshore to a country with weak labor and environmental standards. But EPA’s silence and lack of outreach to Delawareans to improve the public’s understanding of ethylene oxide is eroding both public and Congressional trust. The United States cannot be a leader in new sustainable chemistry innovations without a strong regulator, and right now public faith in EPA makes that very difficult. Delawareans should not have to worry that the agency that is supposed to keep them safe might not be doing its statutorily mandated job.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. If you have any questions, please have your staff reach out to Andrew Dinsmore (Andrew_Dinsmore@coons.senate.gov) in my office. Thank you.

Sincerely, 

Christopher A. Coons

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Sens. Carper, Coons demand answers from Postmaster General on mail service delays

WILMINGTON, Del. — Today, U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons (both D-Del.) joined U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and the entire Senate Democratic caucus to demand answers from Postmaster General Louis DeJoy on significant operational changes he directed that have caused serious delays for postal customers in Delaware and across the country. In a letter, the senators called on DeJoy to testify before Congress and provide clear, transparent answers on service delays that have caused seniors and veterans to miss their prescription medications, small businesses to lose money and customers over delayed packages, and other serious disruptions that affect communities across the country who count on the Postal Service for timely delivery. 

“In the weeks since you began to implement these changes, we have seen a steep increase in constituent concerns about mail delays, including restricted mail movement, limitations on carriers’ abilities to timely deliver mail, and most concerning, risks to receipt of critical mail involving life-saving medication and ballots for the upcoming general election,” wrote the senators. “The Postal Service is a public institution that both serves and belongs to every person in our nation. As a result, we call on you to testify before Congress about all changes you have made and plan to make as Postmaster General.  The lack of transparency so far regarding the intent, scope, and responsibility for changes at the Postal Service is unacceptable.” 

Last week, Senators Carper and Coons made an initial request urging USPS to fix delays and avoid cost increases for election mail. Today’s letter broadens the call for oversight over the issue of delays following changes made by the recently appointed Postmaster General.

Text of the letter is copied below and available here.  

Dear Mr. DeJoy:

We write to seek answers about changes to the U.S. Postal Service under your leadership that are adversely affecting mail delivery for Americans across the country.  We call on you to testify before Congress about these changes and their impact on every person in our nation.

The Postal Service is an essential public institution with an obligation to serve every community in the nation.  As Postmaster General, you should not make changes that will slow down mail or compromise service for veterans, small businesses, rural communities, seniors, and millions of Americans who rely on the mail for medicines, essential goods, voting, correspondence, and for their livelihoods.

Last week, however, you confirmed to Congress that you recently directed operational changes in post offices and processing centers. On August 7, 2020, you also announced a significant reorganization of Postal Service leadership and functions. These changes include the elimination of extra mail transportation trips, the reduction of overtime, the start of a pilot program for mail sorting and delivery policies at hundreds of post offices, and the reduction of equipment at mail processing plants.  

The Postal Service has characterized these changes as efficiency or cost-saving measures and minimized any “temporary service issues” as an “inevitable” side effect of implementing new procedures. However, in practice and in the midst of a pandemic, these actions, whether intentionally or not, are causing mail delays and appear to constitute an unacceptable threat to the Postal Service and the millions of Americans who depend on it.

In the weeks since you began to implement these changes, we have seen a steep increase in constituent concerns about mail delays, including restricted mail movement, limitations on carriers’ abilities to timely deliver mail, and most concerning, risks to receipt of critical mail involving life-saving medication and ballots for the upcoming general election.  There are also reports that post offices have significantly reduced their hours, including in West Virginia, where postal officials circulated an alarming document announcing potential post office closures before quickly withdrawing it and calling it a misunderstanding.

As Postmaster General, you have avoided answering questions about the magnitude of delays we have seen and have not yet provided any evidence that you studied or considered how your changes would affect delays and mail service before implementing these changes.  Furthermore, you have refused to engage with nearly all Members of Congress who have reached out to you or raised concerns about these issues.  Inevitably, without additional information or engagement from you or the Postal Service with stakeholders about these changes, your actions raise questions regarding your intent and whether you have adequately sought to fully understand the Postal Service’s current capabilities, personnel, and public service mission before implementing these changes.

The Postal Service is a public institution that both serves and belongs to every person in our nation. As a result, we call on you to testify before Congress about all changes you have made and plan to make as Postmaster General.  The lack of transparency so far regarding the intent, scope, and responsibility for changes at the Postal Service is unacceptable.  We understand you have committed to being more forthcoming and transparent with Congress and the American people regarding these changes, including providing documentation of the operational changes you have made and will be making since beginning your term.  For every American who relies on the Postal Service, we call on you to fulfill that commitment without delay. 

To that end, please provide the following information by August 21, 2020:

1.                   Please explain how the changes you have made to Postal Service operations since becoming Postmaster General have affected on-time mail delivery (i.e. service performance).  Please provide all nationwide, Area, and regional service performance data since June 15, 2020.

2.                   Did you conduct any formal analysis before making these changes to Postal Service operations, including analysis of the potential effect on service performance?  If so, please provide the analysis.  If not, explain why not.   

3.                   It appears the Postal Service did not consult meaningfully with any stakeholders, including unions, mailing industry stakeholders, or others, before implementing these operational changes.  Please explain why.

a.       Did you discuss these operational changes, or any other potential operational changes, with Administration officials outside the Postal Service?  Please list and describe any such discussions.

4.                   What analysis did you conduct over your 8 weeks as Postmaster General to determine an “organizational realignment” was necessary and that the previous structure was inadequate?  Please provide copies and descriptions of any analysis, including any discussions with employees and business stakeholders. 

a.       The reorganization reshuffles reporting relationships and Postal Service geographic Areas.  How will this affect coordination among essential functions of the Postal Service during this pandemic?  How will this affect reports of service performance and other essential performance metrics?

5.                   What, if any, plans are under consideration for further post office or facility hour reductions, suspensions, closures, or consolidations?

6.                   What steps will you be taking to suspend or halt any changes adversely affecting mail delivery during this pandemic and in advance of the general election?

Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

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Sens. Coons, Murray; Reps. Scott, Finkenauer; bicameral group of colleagues urge HHS, CDC to offer COVID-19 guidance to child care providers